ScottyG and some random thoughts

[ScottyG]

Things I did right today:

Gave my baby some homemade applesauce from local organic apples a nearby farmer gifted us. Ate some bread I made yesterday, along with some tasty cabbage/potato/onion soup I made a big batch of 2 days ago. Did a lot of laundry. Got my whole family flu shots in preparation for the coming winter.

Things I wish had gone differently:

I'm tempted to try homemade laundry soap, but wife and baby both have such sensitive skin that we're afraid to mess with that. We use mostly Allen's Naturally, a super-concentrated (use 1/2 tsp. per load) detergent with no additives at all... but still it'd be nice to get away from that. Laundry seems full of so much energy waste and all. Hmm. And it's raining, so no line-drying for me.

Also, I wish the baby would NAP! She has a horrible time napping, but sleeps like a dream at night (very pleased it's not the other way around). Her napping seemed fixed last week, but then today she suddenly stopped napping again, and she's exhausted and touchy all day long. She's generally very sweet, so even when she's touchy it's not terrible, but I wish she would just get sleep, and be consistent... I never have any idea how she'll nap from day to day.

 

[FarmerChick]

ScottyG
do you own on of those slings that vibrate. best thing I ever bought. Put baby in that sling and flip the switch (batteries) and it gently vibrates and BOOM, off to sleep in a minute. Just strap them in and they have a blast! What a lifesaver for me and I wouldn't part with that sling for anything. Very reasonable at walmart or go to a baby consignment store and get one real cheap.

just some info that helped me.....cause when baby naps and wakes up smiling, the household lives better..HA HA

 

[ScottyG]

She goes to sleep just fine... the problem is, she wakes up 25 minutes later crying. I would think it's a "she can't soothe herself to sleep" problem, except at night she's awesome at it. She sleeps a good 12-13 hours most nights, only waking up maybe once for a bottle. Just the naps... she really seemed to have it fixed last week. She was taking one "real" nap in the morning of 1 or 2 hours. But then today... back to being wide awake after 25 minutes. I think, from all the advice and reading I've done, we've just got to wait until it gets better. And realistically, it's mostly better now, just today was a regression into no-nap land. But I was counting on that nap to catch up on my own sleep!!

 

[Beekissed]

I've been wondering and maybe you could tell me, ScottyG. I've noticed that most everyone carries their babies around in their car seat/carriers nowadays. Never hardly see anyone actually carrying a baby in their arms anymore.

This couple in church will bring it in church and, unless the baby fusses, will leave her in it for the whole time. I noticed that the back of her head is completely FLAT! Is this a new trend or something? Is this being advised to new parents? What the heck is that? Also heard them say that they never let her sleep on her belly....what the hay?

 

[MorelCabin]

Ya the back of thier heads are flat because they are being advised to sleep them on thier backs now...I know I know it makes NO SENSE at all...I would think that a baby has more of a chance choking on his own vomit than drowning in it...And amost babies have flat head now. There are some crazy ideas out there...but the thing is that as a parent if you don't follow the "rules" and something happens the fault all comes back on what YOU did wrong...

 

[Beekissed]

Ya the back of thier heads are flat because they are being advised to sleep them on thier backs now...I know I know it makes NO SENSE at all...I would think that a baby has more of a chance choking on his own vomit than drowning in it...And amost babies have flat head now. There are some crazy ideas out there...but the thing is that as a parent if you don't follow the "rules" and something happens the fault all comes back on what YOU did wrong...

One of mine did choke on his own regurge...twice...while laying on his back. My dad just happened to walk by and see him turning blue!

At least, on their stomach, they have a fighting chance of turning their heads to the side to get air and clear the airway. Laying them on their backs or always in a reclining seat also leads to poor neck muscle development and actually contributes to possible asphyxiation from aspiration, blankets, pillows, etc.

 

[punkin]

I've saw babies with a perfectly beautiful head of hair...on top. They are in those carrier thingys so much that they rub their hair off on the sides.

I guess parents do it because it's convenient. Put them in it for the car, pop the thing out for the grocery cart, back to the car, stay in them in a restaurant in chairs that are now made for them, back in the car and left in them in the floor at home. What happened to hips?

 

[MorelCabin]

, What happened to hips?

Shhhh, didn't you know...women these days aren't supposed to have any Grrrrr!

 

[ScottyG]

The "back to sleep" campaign to get babies to sleep on their backs does seem totally counterintuitive, but actually is a great example of a very effective government program. Since they introduced the "back to sleep" notion, SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) deaths have decreased by 50%. Apparently, they think these mysterious deaths are probably caused by pockets of carbon dioxide sitting around the babies' mouths and noses, so no matter how well they're breathing, they don't get enough oxygen. A really amazing study just came out a couple weeks ago, showing that having a fan running in the baby's room to keep air circulating reduces SIDS incidence by about 75% too! So they're learning how to prevent random infant deaths. The "back to sleep" thing seems weird because babies love to sleep on their tummies, but if it works at preventing unexplained deaths, then I'm all for it. Even WITH the funny bald spot on the back of their heads.

As far as the carrying in car seats thing goes, Beekissed, heck don't ask me. I carry that baby everywhere just in my arms, or in one of those nifty "front carriers" that lets her hang off my front and look around at the world, keeping my hands free. My baby really REALLY hates cars and being strapped in, so we never leave her in a carseat if not necessary.

The car seat thing... well, I guess it's nice because if they fall asleep in it, you can put them in the car without waking them up. The newer car seats all have a base that stays permanently buckled into the car, and a carrying part that the baby goes in that's easily removable. In the old days, it would've been impossible to remove the car seat without doing lots of work on the attachment to the vehicle. But I guess now that they're easily removable, people are carrying the babies in them.

Seems foolish to me, though. It's just more awkward weight to carry, instead of the baby being all close to you.

 

[Beekissed]

What happened to touching and bonding? Maybe this is why babies are so fussy now days? Never get to touch their moms unless they cry!

And whatever happened to playpens? One of the most useful tools ever invented. Kids could be safe, play with toys, learn to entertain themselves....all while you did your housework around them. Also the walkers...never see those anymore. Just bouncy, vibrating, reclining seats. Sort of like those wind up swings....when do these kids get to explore, play with toys or even learn to crawl if they are confined to a seat all the time?