Proud Moment

With my son having developmental delays,  he reaches milestones after children his age. He will be 23 months on March 19th.

Dressing him has never been fun. Every morning I put a shirt on him and if it goes over his head, he fights and screams. He likes to suck his fingers so he cries when you take his fingers out of his mouth to put his arm in the sleeve. He tries to twist away fron you and pull back his arm.

There has been a recent development to putting on shirts. For the past month,  he has tried to push his arms through the sleeves himself.  He was having some success until it came to his thumb.  He could get most of his hand through,  but he splayed his fingers so the thumb always got stuck in the sleeve. He would panic and cry then try to push his hand out so he could suck his fingers,  but his hand stayed stuck which made him panic more. It made for a very stressful 5 seconds.

A week ago, he figured out  by accident how to get his hand all the way through his sleeve.  He smiles when he sees his hand come through and he knows he did it. I am so glad for this little bit of progress.  It isn't about when he catches up to me, but that he is making progress. 

Artist who drew Mandrake the Magician Passed Away

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Fredericks

I liked the artwork of Mandrake the Magician.

Super Happy

Well 300 views!!!

That is a very nice round number. Thank you guys!

Firefly Comics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7vS4z6ngQo

I really missed the boat on this show. I was pretty much a one fandom nerd while growing up. Well, a two fandom nerd. If it wasn't Doctor Who or Star Trek, I really didn't care. I did like Ewok comics and Batman reruns, but it was pretty one sided still.  I did not get actively excited for many things that did not have to do with Star Trek. I am very disappointed in myself now for this attitude because I missed out on some very cool shows, comics, movies, and books during this period.

I did not start watching Firefly until years after it was cancelled. A friend let me borrow the dvds of the show and movie. About two minutes into the first episode I was hooked.  I love anti-heros. Where would any genre be without them? Malcolm Reynolds is the ultimate anti-hero. He is a rogue space cowboy with a heart of tarnished silver. His patchwork crew fly threw hostile space evading both the law and cannibalistic rapists. The heart of the show is its B story, the Tam siblings and their run from the government. What secrets are trapped in the mind of River Tam? For that matter, what secrets does Shepherd Book hold? No man of God should be that knowledgeable about weapons.

Being a SAHM, most of my funds are nonexistent right now. I pretty much rely on the library and friends for entertainment. A friend let me borrow several Firefly comic books that helped whet my appetite.

I wanted to share some thoughts about the books and hopefully you all will enjoy them, too. If you read them, write a comment. Would love to hear what others thought.

Serenity:Those Left Behind

This very enjoyable story takes place after the television show, but before the movie. 

There are many cameos in this story. We see Badger who mentions Fanty and Mingo. We also see River Tam's pursuers The Hands of Blue  as well as Lawrence Dobson.  If you do not remember him by name, you will by sight. He might not recognize you though since he had his right eye shot out the last time we saw him. We also get our first look at The Operative.

The crew goes on one last mission before Inara and Book depart. Although I really enjoyed this story, I can't write too much about it without giving away the plot. This story bridges the show to the movie flawlessly.

Serenity:Better Days and Other Stories

This book was my favorite out of all three compilations.  

The book opens with Better Days.

Better days is a story that perfectly echoed the rhythm and dialog of the show. There were times when reading it that I wondered if this was perhaps and episode I had somehow missed. The artwork was easily the most realistic out of all the comic books. This is definitely a must read. The Serenity crew finally hits it big. Every character, even River discuss how they are going to spend their fortune.  We also learn which character is already living out their fantasy life.

There is plenty of character development in this story. It is a superbly crafted story. 

The next story is The Other Half.

This story is a fast paced action filled story. There is character development for River Tam. We learn how and why she became a full fledged member of the crew. River and Kaylee are my two favorite characters in Firefly so I may be partial to the story.

The third story is Downtime

I greatly enjoyed this story. This is the second story where the dialog seems lifted from the television show. There is more River Tam character development and she informs Book that she knows a secret of his.

This story shows literal downtime for the Serenity crew. They are between jobs and the ship is planetside.  If it were a show if would have been considered "filler" but it had a good pace and was very enjoyable.

The book ends with Float Out.

I often say being a nerd is it's own reward. I will definitely repeat that many times when discussing nerd things. This story is by the great Patton Oswalt. Patton Oswalt, I love you. No seriously. I love your humor, your standup. I love seeing you guest star on shows I love. I love that you are unabashedly a short nerd from a small town. If you think you are from a small town, let me tell you one day about Cumberland, RI. I read your book, I loved that, too. In a totally non-creepy way I would love to have go out for a beer or two and just chill for a few hours. We all have our heroes and Patton Oswalt is one of mine.

This story is about Wash. It is told mostly in flashbacks to what he did before being a pilot on Serenity.  It ends with a cameo from Zoe. It was a fun, enjoyable story crafted by someone who obviously was excited to write it. 

Ten stars. 

Serenity:The Shepherd's Tale

This story opens on Haven and begins where Shepherd Book's life ends. The story is told backwards, through a series of flashbacks. The story takes us to a time before the events of the show. If you wondered how Shepherd Book found religion in a bowl of chicken soup, the answer will surprise you. Did the peaceful man have a role in the war that shaped Mal? Can we ever be 100% certain what a person's motives are?

It is a story as refreshing as the glass of water the main character speaks poetically of in flashback including Kaylee.

 Normally I do not enjoy origin stories.  Sometimes mysterious characters are better that way. We don't have to unturn every stone. Prequels and backstories are almost obnoxiously popular right now. Patton Oswalt has a joke about the Star Wars prequels that ends with that he doesn't care where the things he loves comes from, he just loves the things he loves. This backstory, however; feels like a love letter from Joss Whedon to all of us.

Just a bit of criticism, not every character has to be abused. This trope is almost predictable now. Frankly, I thought the story could have stopped two pages before it did and be just as entertaining.

Serenity:Leaves on the Wind

To start with, there were these. I always get nervous reading bagged and boarded comics that are not my own.I feel like my hands are going to burn holes through the paper and the spines will spontaneously crack with every page turn.

This series takes place after Serenity: The Motion Picture.

Quick question, what was possibly the most unexpected death of a beloved character in a sci-fi movie based off a tv show? If you answered the surprise impalement of Wash after uttering "I am a leaf on the wind, watch me soar.", you are probably right. (I would say Spock, but we all knew what we were in for when he volunteered to go into a radiation filled room. This death was really out of nowhere.)
This series explores the aftermath of Wash's death on his family. We also see Zoe imprisoned unjustly. Will the Serenity crew go after her?

This series also explores what happened to the rest of the crew. We see Jayne has left Firefly to freelance. Inara and Mal's relationship has changed slightly since we last saw them. There is a new member of the space family as well.

We don't only see what happened to the heroes. My favorite villain returns. It was extremely satisfying to see Kaylee be assertive toward someone who was outlandishly creepy toward her in the past.  Will this be the last time we see them?  I am not sure what category The Operative falls into, but we also see how the events of Serenity affected him.

I have often wondered if there are other Browncoats. Besides us fans of course.  If there are other Browncoats, what would they be like? What about River Tam? Was she the only girl experimented on? What if Simon had not saved his little sister, what would she have become?

This was an extremely good series. The only not so positive thoughts I had was that the conversation style was not quite the same as the show/movie. It was definitely well written, it just lacked some of the magic.

Cinema Chimp Cinderella Review

Sharing my friend's review of Cinderella. We don't have enough chimps reviewing movies. This is unacceptable in 2015.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZNzfotfPxA

A new Fuzzy Bunny Video

My friend Chaddy D made a video. I think it is funny.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGrNDLbAjeM&feature=youtu.be

Facebook

I have a facebook page.
Basically when I make updates in addition to sharing on Google, I will update Facebook as well. Plus I post random things.
https://www.facebook.com/momlovesscifi

Why Speech Therapy

I shared yesterday that my son needs speech therapy.  Not being able to form sentences by his age is not necessarily a red flag, but if you suspect your child is behind, I suggest seeking an evaluation.

My son started gurgling and giggling early. I thought he would be an early talker. All my mother's children were talking in simple sentences by 13 months.  I am a chatterbox. Seriously, I never shut up. I figured if any child is going to learn language and to talk, its going to be mine. I also read insistently. My son had a pretty well stocked bookcase before he was even thought of. I have been buying books for children since I was a teenager.

We read everyday. Some days its just one book, but some days it is several. We read everything from Mother Goose to the Bible. My mother has read him Thurber and medical journals. Sandra Boynton is  a favorite author. I also sing. Given my tin ear that may be more of a hinderance to his learning to talk.

Words came slow, but they came. There were the standards Mom and Dad. We also got some hi, hello, hey,  cat, oink, dog. He would point at the dog and say cat. To be fair, I have a really small dog. he would say "Yeah!" and then start clapping. He would say "gain, gain" for again, again. It was delightful watching him learn language.

Last summer he also started saying "juice". I was just waiting for the simple sentences to begin. Then, he got an ear infection followed by a virus and was sick for almost two months.  All the words stopped. All of the words.

I missed his little voice. He didn't even babble anymore. One of his favorite things to do in the car was to say "Mom!" then wait for me to say "Hi", then he would call out "Dad!" and wait for my husband to reply. No more. 

There was not even any babbling. It was silence except for giggling.

Then the babbling started back up. It was slow, but he started saying "dddddDADDY!!!" and "MMMummaaa".  I was so happy. But that is where it stopped. 

He hums now and babbles. Sometimes he will babble sing. But that is it.

He still gets read to and sung to. I narrate the whole day hoping for something to stick. 

I am concerned now that he is 22 months. He had a regression and never came back from it. The neurologist is hoping before our six month follow up, now five months away, there will be sentences.

I have booked an appointment with a speech therapist. Hopefully they will be coming out here soon. I know we will also have to have a hearing test with an audiologist to check for hearing damage.

I will be writing more about this as developments happen. Thank you for letting me share.

Yeah, Baby! Thoughts about Elmo and Seasame Street

Growing up, I really enjoyed Sesame Street.  I don't ever really thinking I should be learning from it. It was a fin mix of muppets, songs,  surreal cartoons, and songs. I definitely enjoyed it more than The Electric Company

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqPcQeMEnFc&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdrBPJYfTC8&feature=youtu.be

Possibly the  most important moment from Sesame Street  was the passing of Mr. Hooper.  This taught us 80's kids a very deep lesson in sadness. My mother says I was very distraught. 

Of course,  I outgrew the show. My much younger brothers watched it but was a baby show and I lost all interest.  That is until one day. I heard a very familiar song and it evoked memories of listening to my Sesame Street record as a  young child. The tune that I heard was "Thats Big Bird's Song" but when I went closer to the television, it became apparent it was not. It was being sung by Elmo.  I felt let down by a childhood favorite that day.

I never really thought about Sesame Street again until I was in my late 20s. Most of my friends had small children, but I did not have any children at the time.  When they came to visit I had very little to keep their children entertained.  One day at Walmart, I happened to find a dvd of the first seasons of Sesame Street.

This was great. I had found the perfect dvd. Shortly after I bought it, a friend came to visit with his small son. I put on the dvd and we started talking. We were not paying much attention when a cartoon man came out and informed us this was for adult entertainment purposes only and not to be viewed by children.  I sat there stunned. I did not remember buying a porn parody of Sesame Street. We both examined the box and it clearly stated it was a Jim Henson production. We watched the first episode and other than a very hypnotic segment that made us want milk quite desperately, there was nothing I found to be inappropriate, nor did he. He actually remembered watching the episode as a child.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJyEbLuFOdU

When my son was about a year old, I decided that television in small portions would be acceptable. My youngest brother was 24 at the time and the last time I had any exposure to children's television was when he was little, so it has been some time.  I was upset to hear the Mr. Roger's is not being shown in reruns. Then I found out Sesame Street is very much still on the air on PBS.  

I am not very uptight when it comes to entertainment, but everytime Elmo came on the screen, I wanted to break something.  It took me a while to realize it, but I don't think Elmo is very toddler appropriate. Every other sentence is "Yeah, Baby!" which is not a phrase I like. Maybe because of "Yeah, Buddy!" which is what I think when I hear it.

Then there is this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpdm3OKniHE

Notice what is said around the 2:34 mark.

It is not just Elmo.  There is this Wizard of Oz parody : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ2taTzhwrI.  A well known adult movie is titled "Behind the Green Door". I did not really like the connection at all.

Maybe I am overthinking this. Afterall, doesn't Pixar have many "in-jokes" that adults snicker at over their children's heads?

My son still watches Sesame Street, I think overall its a fine show.  I must say, I love how diverse the cast is. Leela makes a fine addition, even though she was not written as being Indian when first cast. Maria and Luis along with Gordon and Susan are still on the show. Alan who runs Hooper's store is of  Japanese descent.  The songs still do a good job of teaching ABCs and 123s. I do change the channel when something I don't like comes on.

What do you think? Am I overthinking? What children's shows do you feel have controversial tones?

I do want to state, this is a blog. This is my opinion. I think that in the last few years people feel their opinions are facts, but they really aren't. I am not looking to start an opinion war, these are just random thoughts I had.

Favorite all-purpose cleaner, cheap and non-toxic

My Aunt has been sharing all-natural tips with me for a while. I wanted to share a tip she gave me. Distilled white vinager mixed with water makes an amazing all-natural cleaner and its ridiculously cheap. I bought a spray bottle at Walmart for under a dollar to mix out small portions. The only place I don't use this is the bathroom,  vinegar and urine don't mix like bleach and ammonia.

My son vomited all over the couch and living room rug. He also  was sick all over his clothes and toys, and changing table and crib. Using my vinager mixture,  I got not only the stain, but the smell.  I clean his highchair with this.

I noticed when I washed the floor with brand name cleaner my dog would cower near the door and act like walking on the damp floor hurt. When I wash the floor with vinegar,  she is fine.

Hex Power

I have always liked Scarlet Witch. She is the ultimate deus ex machina and she looks good doing it. She holds her own with the X-Men and the Avengers.

IGN shared the new pictures from Age of Ultron and wow. I just hope they don't mess up her character.

Check out the pictures,  they are on www.ign.com

http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/03/13/quicksilver-and-scarlet-witch-get-avengers-age-of-ultron-character-posters

I'm back!

Holy cow. It has been way, way too long.

Sorry for the long absence.

So just to bring everything up to speed, here's what happened. I was working at a job that is about two hours from my house. I pretty much only was home for six hours a day. Last June, I quit my job due to daycare being crazy expensive. Since then, my son has been seeing a physical therapist, a nutritionist, and Early Intervention.  Turns out my son has low muscle tone, and developmental delays. We have also had ear infections, flus, vomiting viruses and many other sicknesses.

I don't plan on taking such a long absence again.

I actually want to jump right into things.

So I want to change the focus of the blog a teeny, tiny bit.  I want to start sharing what its like having a child with developmental delays and talk about his therapy as we go through this.  I still want to talk about other parent things, and pop culture things, but I really need an outlet to discuss what is going on.

What prompted all of this was at his 3 month checkup he could not hold his head up very high. He could hold it up, but not high.  At his six month checkup he wasn't rolling and he had a hard time sitting up.  We had an Early Intervention evaluation, and he scored pretty high so no services were sought.  At eight months, he could not hold his own bottle, and he wasn't  crawling.  The pediatrician sent us back to Early Intervention.  At 10 months he could finally hold his own bottle.  After several months of hard work, at 15 months he started to crawl.  I cried. He laughed and looked at me like I was nuts and crawled like a pro for the rest of the day. Shortly after this, he started Physical Therapy. After much more hard work, at 21 months, he stood up and walked. And walked and walked. I was speechless. Now we approaching the two year mark and he is not talking so we are going to start speech therapy shortly.  We have seen a neurologist who also recommended Occupational Therapy.

It is very frustrating because I never know what is working, and what is not. I never know what is getting through to him, and what is just frustrating him.  He would scream like he was being tortured when I was trying to get him in the crawling position, but when he was ready, he just took off.  The walking was the same. He would sometimes walk if I held his hand or hands, but he would scream and cry. I thought for a while he was in physical pain because of this. I would not take him on long walks either, just from the living room to the changing table or from the living room to the high chair. Then, one day at my mother's house, he stopped playing with his toys, stood up, and walked the length of her house.

Another specific challenge I would like to share is the transition to sippy cups.  This was another stage that would make me weep. We owned a great variety of sippy cups to help ease the transition. We also did not even attempt to transition until crawling started.  When you first gave him the cup, he would scream. This evolved to screaming and then throwing the cup. This is how we lost our first sippy cup. RIP Munchkin sippy cup.  Eventually, he would raise the cup to his mouth, but would let the liquid within pour down his face and chest requiring a complete outfit change. Finally at 21 months, we somehow put it all together. He drank from the cup! This is where frustrating comes in.  I know its hard to transition,but having a kid with developmental delays means we don't like change. It takes hard work to see progress and its normally many months in coming.

I will continue to talk about this ongoing. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below. Or if you are going through the same thing, or went through the same thing, I would like to hear about it, if you want to share.



To change topics...........I recently saw Frozen.
Just a quick rant, I do not boycott or dislike Disney.  I do however feel that they were on the right track with Old Yeller and Bambi. Sometimes bad things happen. This is life.  I really like fairy tales and The Little Mermaid, though sad actually has a point. You can't force people to like you and don't change who you are to achieve that end.  I have not seen the animated Disney version, but I hear it does not end with Ariel becoming sea foam. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a very dark gothic novel that explores love, lust, desire, envy, and greed. It has a very touching ending after a thrilling climax. Once again, I have not seen the animated version, but I hear that Esmeralda and the Hunchback are not found with skeletons entwined in the catacombs years later. I have not seen an animated Disney movie in a very long time but I heard Frozen was the one to watch.

I like how this is not a typical "one day my prince will come story". Of course its there and its actually sad to me how "ordinary" Anna needs a husband that badly.  Being ordinary is extraordinary! There is nothing like the adventures one can have on one's own, especially at 18. I like how its about family relationships, reminiscent of Pixar's Brave.

However, it felt rushed. It is not a short movie, but I felt that the story was almost forced. The musical numbers are not spread out, they are mushed together in the first half of the story. I felt it would have been a lot more enjoyable if it had focused more on animation and story.


While I am reviewing things, I would like to briefly review Ready Player One by Ernest Cline and The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.

Ready Player One is like if someone scooped up all of pop culture from the late 70's to the early 90's and made a video game out of it, and then played that video game in a dystopian future. Literally that is the what the book is.  I highly recommend this book to everyone everywhere.

The Thirteenth Tale is a wonderful story crafted by a master storyteller. The protagonist works in her father's bookstore and is asked to write the truth about a reclusive author.  The book takes place in England but does not specify the year or decade in which it takes place. This gives the book a very timeless feel. This book I recommend to people who enjoy stories. It is a ghost  story without a ghost. It is a love story between twins. I loved this book.

Before I go for the day...........I wanted to share a recipe.

My son is a toddler and I try very hard to make him eat nutritious foods. I am a SAHM now and I really don't want every lunch to be peanut butter.

In an effort to shake things up a bit, yesterday I opened up a can of black beans, sauteed  a quarter of a yellow onion, cut up four celery stalks, diced a tomato, added some frozen chicken stock (recipe and tips coming soon), added powdered garlic, and tossed in some cheddar cheese and heated it all up on the stove. I squeezed fresh lime over the soup and my son was laughing and smiling while eating it. It was cheap and easy to make.


I promise it won't take two years for me to write again because this is fun :) I hope to be back early next week.

My son the big boy! Plus C-Sections and what are receiving blankets good for? Plus$10 off citrus lane!

Thanks so much for all the views :)


My baby had his four month check up yesterday.  He's 14 lbs, 11 oz ; 24.75 inches. 3 shots, and like the champ he is, he was laughing before we left! His giant melon head is 17 inches!!!!

When I was making my baby shower lists, my mother told me to make sure I included receiving blankets. Having never had a child before, I didn't.  Several people gave me receiving blankets, but I didn't really know what to do with them. Now that I have a baby, I can't live without them.

Thought I would share:

1. Swaddling.  Like many things, by the time you get really good at this, your baby won't like it. Babies feel secure when swaddled because it reminds them of being in the womb. My son liked being swaddled for about a month. 

This is him.  He was so snug as a bug in a rug!

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/how-to-swaddle-a-baby/MY01766

2.  Burp cloths.

3. Changing table covers. Changing table covers retail for about $15 each. You can buy 4 receiving blankets for about $10, less if you buy at Walmart, Target, Burlington, or consignment. TIP: Public changing tables are nastier than you could ever imagine. Use a receiving blanket. Your welcome.

4. Something to place baby on when changing out side. Trust me you will do this. Or in your car.  My son had a HUGE blowout on the Milford, MA bike trail, and Chili's, and just about everywhere else.

5. Nursing cover. You will have to breastfeed in public. You may not believe me, but you will.

6. Lap blanket.  When we go in the car, I don't always like pants because the temperature fluctuates.  So we use receiving blankets instead.

7.  Emergency toga. See number 4. My friend's son went through all the outfits she packed for him once.  So she had to use his receiving blanket to cover him up.

8.

This one was easier to show than explain.  He was a little slouchy in the car seat, so we used receiving blankets like so to prop him up.

9. Sun cover. Car seat sun shades only go so far, ditto for strollers.  TIP Pack three safety pins so you can pin the blanket to the top and sides of the sun shade on the stroller. BONUS TIP : If you are using a stroller that has a tray, put the bottom of the blanket on the tray, then put your cell phone on the blanket. It will not fly up.

10.  Use anytime you don't want to put your baby on a surface in public!

What do you use receiving blankets for?


Thought this was interesting. Its from NPR.



http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/08/30/216479305/money-may-be-motivating-doctors-to-do-more-c-sections


https://www.citruslane.com/invitedby/Alana.Rodriguez.1417702

Reusable baby wipes, homemade baby lotion, and Gypsy Moments and random thoughts.

Hi all :)

Thank you so much for all the view! This is so exciting :) I love writing and I'm glad you have enjoyed some of it.

My little guy has grown so much! He was four months old on the 19th and he is already wearing size 9M. He is almost exclusively breast feed. Since I work full time, I pump at work, nurse when we are both home, and he gets supplemented with formula at daycare.  They grow so fast its scary.  He still isn't rolling over fully. He can hold his head up which is great, but he can't really sit yet.  We don't have a Bumpo or any other product like it, mostly because in the 70's they weren't around and we learned how to sit, and its just one more thing to buy and then keep clean.  Do/did you use a Bumpo? Did it help?



Something that we go through like crazy is baby wipes. Because we have a budget I am trying to keep costs down.  I pretty much have to buy wipes for daycare, but at home we use reusable baby wipes.  I use Charlie Banana cloth diapers, which I will talk about another day, so I bought the Charlie Banana reusable wipes. They are small cotton squares and were 10 for $10.00. I must say I like them, and it really helps because on big blowouts you don't end up going through your whole box of wipes and then have to run to store for more. The Charlie Banana wipes are cost prohibitive so I started using just plain old baby washcloths as wipes.  They are super cheap. All we do is run warm water over them prior to a changing. I use one or two wet washcloths, and then finish with a dry one.  I do one to two loads of cloth diapers per week so we always have a good supply.  Not going to lie, cloth diapering and reusable wipes is kinda gross, but it saves a boatload of money.  Its also good for the environment. My son doesn't get diaper rash either.

Staying on the subject of DIY, I make my own baby lotion/oil/soap.  Its super easy to make, and cheap which is always good. Its a mix of equal parts grape seed oil/extra virgin olive oil/unprocessed coconut oil/aloe vera gel. Its very runny since its all oil and a little bit goes a long long way.

 To make a baby bath mix, mix equal parts grape seed oil/extra virgin olive oil/unprocessed coconut oil/aloe vera gel and a TINY amount of lavender extract. I just put a dab on my finger then stir the warm water.

All this can be bought at Whole Foods/Trader Joes. For the coconut oil I used Dr. Bronner's Magic Coconut oil.

You can use the lotion on yourself too, and you can cook w/all the oils. I don't mind when my son sticks his fist in his mouth after I lotion him up because its all edible.

Also use the oil EVERY time you change a diaper. I only use just the coconut oil by itself when it looks bad.

My son does have nasty cradle cap.  To fix that, I take the basic mixture and add the tinest bit of peppermint oil.  I rub down his whole scalp and then wait about 15-20 minutes.  The oil will loosen up the cradle cap, and peppermint is soothing and cooling. After about 15-20 minutes I use a cradle cap comb which is a fine tooth comb and can be bought anywhere.  Then I use a super soft baby brush.  It is extremely important to then rinse the oil off. Leaving the oil on the baby's head can actually encourage more cradle cap.  I then dry his scalp and then lightly brush his head again.  TIP: I tried this without the peppermint oil, and he screamed in agony every time. After using the peppermint oil, he stopped crying. Also since peppmermint oil is cooling if you add a VERY SMALL amount to a wet washcloth and let the baby chew/suck on it, it will elevate pain associated with teething.

The mix is antiseptic, so don't stick your fingers in it after you make it or it will get contaminated.

So, now for some fun stuff. Fellow blogger and mom, Megan, is extremely creative. She has three lovely daughters.  She lives in a simply gorgeous part of the country.  You can follow her here : http://gypsymoment.blogspot.com/  She blogs about everything. Need a recipe? Here is the place to get it. Want to spruce up your wardrobe? She has some crafty ideas.  Lots of good stuff here and its updated fairly regularly.

Anyone see the new Wolverine movie? Is it any good?  I can't wait to see the next X-Men movie. Hey, Scarlet Witch is going to be in Avengers. I was so dissapointed she wasn't in the first one. I heard a rumor Quicksilver is also going to be in it, can't wait.

Anyone have fun plans for the three day weekend?

See you tomorrow :)
 

Baby books and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (movie)

How's it going?

To start with, thank you so much for all the views yesterday :) *GIANT HUG* Views from US, Russia, and France? Thanks guys!!! I hope I can entertain  you for another day :)

I really like to write so this is super fun for me. Hope you like what I have to say :)

Today's post is kinda longish but its one of my favorite subjects.  I did warn that I am a bibliophile.  I do not know if all posts will be this long.

Today I thought I'd share some of my son's favorite books.  He is only four months old, but he's already got a sense of what he likes.  We read every day.  I was read to as a child and have a lifelong love of the printed word so I am hoping my baby grows up loving books as well.

Reading books is beneficial from day one.( http://www.babycenter.com/0_reading-to-your-baby_368.bc)

Baby books are crazy expensive. I love thrift stores and yard sales. I highly suggest that you look for baby books in these places. I picked up four lift the flap Winnie the Pooh books that retail for 6.99 for .60 each at a thrift shop.  I also shop at Wal*Mart (don't hate).  The bargain books section of Barnes and Noble is hit or miss so its not my favorite.  Libraries are free and are great. Children's librarians are amazing people because they not only love books, but love children and have endless amounts of patience.

Babies like to look at faces.  They will study your face. They also will study their own face. Faces are so fascinating to a baby.

Two books that we read on a fairly regular basis are

Baby Panda and I can't remember the name of the Fisher Price book. We call it the Monkey Book.

Baby Panda is the scariest book ever written. It is about baby panda ans his nightmarish high contrast color world, but it has a gigantic mirror in it.

The way we now read Baby Panda is to flip directly to the fourth and last page which is where the mirror is. We have spent hours staring into the mirror studying my son's face. He loves watching himself smile and giggle. He also likes to blow spit bubbles at the baby/panda hybrid.

The Monkey Book is a perennial favorite in our house. Having no words, its a different book every time it is read. Imagination is a terrific thing and you and your little one will never be bored if you have it. The mirror isn't as big as in Baby Panda but it is still fun to look in. We love asking the baby how the same baby from the panda book showed up in the jungle.

The Monkey Book is also a favorite because it has a chew toy which taught baby that books are delicious. This was the very first toy/book he ever grabbed. It is also the first toy he shoved in his mouth!

The Monkey Book is a big hit because it has another thing babies love. Babies love to explore their world. One of the things babies learn at a few months is object permanence. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object_permanence)

Peek a boo is a fun way to encourage learning object performance. Babies also love looking behind, and under things. Lift the flap books are also good for this. 

We also really like 

Where's my Puppy? Very vibrant colors and the flaps are huge.  There is so much to see here. Babies like bright vivid colors.  He giggles when this is read.

  I normally don't like Elmo, but we have these as well.Not a big hit yet, but some baby books get old fast,and you won't read to the baby if the book bores you. What makes these books fun is you add sound effects.  Babies like hearing your full vocal range, so these are great.

Speaking of vibrant color, this book has it in spades. Bonus, it was only two dollars at walmart which is a huge 

bargain for a baby book.

Babies also like textures.  I found this amazing book at a store called Five Below. They are a chain, but I don't
know where other than Rhode Island they are located.

Nursery rhymes are the best. It is also super hard to remember what they are at 2 am.  Anthologies are also great
because instead of having a million little books, you can have everything in one big book. The Ladybird
book of Rhymes is a gift to me from Great Aunt in Wales, so I don't know if they are still available, but
I have always loved the illustrations. The Big Little Book For Mom's has a bookmark, and super cute illustrations.

Last, but not least, everyone has nicknames for their children. I have no idea how it came about,
but we started calling the baby Monkey Boy.  We were in downtown Providence and decided to go the Brown 
University Bookstore.

It was like it was meant for us! I love the colors and since my son is used to being called monkey boy he 
giggled the whole time I read it :). It was a perfect bonding experience. 

What books do you read to your children? What children's book do you like? Do you read to your children? If not why? 
What wacky nicknames do you have for  your kids that they will more than likely hate?

So that was the mom part, now for some nerdy stuff.
 My friend is also a nerd. He likes comics and cartoons and what blends that together more perfectly then the heroes in a half shell. He was not thrilled at all when he heard Michael Bay is changing the canon of the turtles and started a facebook page. My friend is a smart funny guy. He doesn't know I am sharing this so its not for any other reason other than he is enjoyable I am sharing this with you :)

https://www.facebook.com/TheNinjaTurtlesAreNotAliens

If you get the chance, check it out :)
What do you think about Michael Bay or TMNT? Are you going to see the movie?

As for us, we are dead broke new parents and rely on Netflix now for entertainment, but I did pick this up at Wal*Mart ($4)

 Talk to you tomorrow :)

Welcome :)

Hey there.

I'm new a new mother. My sweet baby is a little over four months old. This is an incredible experience. I am in my mid-thirties and I can't believe what a change this is for me. I work full time and have been married for ten years.

I am also a bibliophile and a nerd.  I love all things sci-fi and most things fantasy.

I though I would start a blog for new moms where I would talk about babies, and I can answer questions. I will also review Dr. Who episodes, baby toys, and books.  There will also be some fun randomness. I hope this is enjoyable to all who read and follow the blog.

So to start with I wanted to discuss what I wish I had been told about having a baby, and some related to having a boy.

1.  "What's that coming out of him?"

Boys lactate. That's a huge surprise.  I had no idea that was even possible. When I took my little cutie home from the hospital, I kept seeing clear to pale liquid on his chest. I did some research and do to the hormones that the baby takes from mom during pregnancy, they lactate. Fun Fact: This is called Witches Milk.

2.  "Why is breast feeding to hard?"

I always assumed that breast feeding would be intuitive. I mean I can see where he would attach, and how. I did no research at all on breast feeding prior to going to the hospital to have him. It turns out I have flat nipples, which until I could not get him to "latch" I had no idea.  I would advise moms to be to do some research so that you can learn the terms associated with breast feeding. There are various "holds" that can make it easier. Also, it pays to vary the holds.  Something I did not know is that you need to switch which breast the baby feeds from each time you feed. If you start with the right side for the first feeding, you need to start with the left breast for the second feeding. Also, hospitals may not tell you about "cluster feeding". My son generally would go three hours between feedings, but sometimes he needed to eat every 45 minutes. Even if you plan on breastfeeding, it may be helpful to have some formula on hand as it can take up to an hour for your supply to refresh.

My insurance covers breast pumps when needed for medical necessity. Due to my flat nipples, my son couldn't latch properly and this resulted in him pulling all the skin of both nipples. It hurt beyond what I can say.  Check into your insurance coverage to make sure pumps are covered as they are expensive. If your insurance won't cover them, if you have a health savings account, they are reimbursable equipment and EvenFlo makes a nice portable electric breast pump that retails for about $50.00. It was a lifesaver while waiting for the  double electric pump my insurance paid for.

Also, buy pads to absorb leaky milk. You will drip. And its gross.

3.  "Ummmmmmmm is it supposed to do that?"

Baby boys get erections. There is no way to sugar coat that.  This is also due to hormones.

Fun Fact: Your newborn son will pee after you see said erection. My husband and I have got peed on our faces.  If you are changing your son and you see this, cover him up because there is about to be pee everywhere.

4. "Why are they so big?"

Hormones again. Baby boys have extremely swollen looking testicles. It disturbed me and my mom said that she was shocked when she had my brothers. Don't worry, they do go shrink after a few weeks.

5.  "I'm shedding!!!!!!!!!!!!"

During pregnancy hormones prevent the hair that you would normally lose from falling out. After you lose the hormones, you lose your hair. In clumps. Everywhere. It does even out eventually though.

Did you have any surprises after your child was born?  Share them below.

I am setting up a facebook page. I will add the link as soon as its up.


EDIT: Facebook page is up.  https://www.facebook.com/marita1979
Be sure to check the facebook page for spoiler alerts, and randomness. I will put promo codes/coupons/funny stuff/trivia ect up on facebook. Doesn't look like much now, but I promise it will be better.