Welcome Grandson
our new little
baby boy.
we are thrilled you are here
there is no one like you
little boy.
you are amazing
you are unique.
we pray for you
we thank God for you.
we are blessed
to have
you are in our lives.
May God Watch Over You
and
Always Be At Your Side
Tiny Little One.
Little Hands
There is nothing like the birth of a child to show us the miracle that is life itself!
This is a sponsored post. I am a Partner in the Sisterhood of Motherhood from Similac. Thanks for supporting Parenting in the Loop.
I love social media and good discussions but when it turns to a “war” of words over how moms are raising their children I want to scream!
Instead of shunning the Mommy Wars I am trying to be part of the solution and #EndMommyWars by participating as a proud partner in Similac’s Sisterhood of Motherhood.
If you like you can share your Mommy Wars Story at Similac on the Similac Facebook page via a short selfie video.
Sharing and helping to let other moms know that they are not alone in their moments of happiness and struggle is to me one of the greatest advantages of social media.
So lets help each other out and share our stories! Let’s end the mommy wars with this hashtag . #EndMommyWars!
“Share your mommy war story on the Similac Facebook page using #EndMommyWars.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy-xB-hHHGo&feature=em-upload_owner
Pregnancy at 38 Weeks
Baby at 38 weeks
Your baby now weighs probably close to 7 pounds at 38 weeks of pregnancy and is almost 20+ inches long … the size of a leek in length. He can grasp and his organs have matured to the point where he is ready to live outside your uterus.
The big question now is when will he arrive?
Baby at 38 weeks
Eye color can be perplexing, at first they may be dark and if they are brown they may remain brown as that is a dominant gene. If your baby’s eyes are gray or dark blue, they may change to green, hazel or even brown but they may remain blue. A baby’s iris, that is the colored part of the eye may gain more pigment after he is born so they may get darker, they more than likely will not get lighter.
Your life is now a waiting game.
Warning Signs for Preeclampsia
Some swelling in your feet and ankles is normal during these last weeks, but call your practitioner without delay if you notice excessive or sudden swelling of your feet or ankles, more than slight swelling of your hands, any swelling in your face or puffiness around your eyes, or have a sudden weight gain. Also let her know immediately if have severe or persistent headaches; visual changes (such as double or blurred vision, seeing spots or flashing lights, light sensitivity, or a temporary loss of vision), intense upper abdominal pain or tenderness, or nausea and vomiting. These are symptoms of a serious condition called preeclampsia.
“If you have other children, let them help you plan a low-key birthday party for the new baby, complete with a birthday cake and decorations. From their perspective, it’ll add to the perks of having a new baby in the house.”
– Kate
This week:
Catch up on reading about baby care so you aren’t too overwhelmed by all the information you get right after you deliver. The first few days postpartum can be busy and you can be inundated with information.
Okay, I have to apologize for the late post. My daughter delivered this week just shy of 38 weeks. She had a very healthy little boy, who weighed 7 pounds and 7 ounces. He was almost 21 inches long. We call him a compact little newborn. Mom, Dad and Baby Boy are doing well at home adjusting to each other.
One thing you can count on about pregnancy toward the end is you can expect the unexpected and not be disappointed. We are counting our blessings this weekend. I wish you all the best.
This post is sponsored. Thanks for supporting Parenting in the Loop.
Step and Go Travel System by Safety 1st
Big Item of the Week...Step and Go Travel System and Stroller
by Adrienne Lavine
So excited to have a stroller delivered, a big thank you to Step and Go by Safety 1st. I could not be more pleased! Since my baby is due in a few days it is very timely.
Step and Go Travel System
Even with my hands full with our bundle of joy or a bundle of his stuff, the Step and Go will be easy to open so that we can be on the move with one step of the pedal. Not only does the “travel system” open up easily but it folds and locks with only one quick pull and then it conveniently stands upright on its own in the folded position. It’s so smooth to push around and has both baby and his parents in mind with the design.
The Step and Go includes a tray with two cup holders, a roomy storage area, and a super comfortable grip/handle to keep hands at ease while pushing it. With one click the car seat is attached to the stroller base.
The infant car seat is perfect for traveling. It has side impact protection and an infant insert that keeps baby snug as a bug and safely secure within the harness system.
The travel system from Safety First can also be easily maintained, the seat pads can be thrown into the washer and dryer for convenient cleaning…really a great thing for us moms and dads too.
Here are the features in a nutshell.
Keeping in contact with our baby will be easy through the large peekaboo window in the large hood which also has an extendable sun visor to keep baby protected from the harmful rays of the sun.
Daddy-to-be along with me and our son are excited for the ease of the Step and Go mobility with the least amount of hassle. Our son will be riding in style whether in the car or in town in his Capri colored Step and Go Travel System.
Thanks Step and Go from Safety First for providing this travel system to us.
We are currently on “baby watch” so it will not be long before our son will be enjoying this great stroller travel system with us!
P.S. The Grandparents are really excited about the Step and Go too…it is so easy even they can manage it…great for when they babysit.
This post was sponsored by Safety First and we were given a Step and Go Travel System for review purposes. As always all opinions are our own.
Weekend Reading from the Parenting in the Loop
This week I have been at the “beach” house in Rhode Island. We are heading into a somewhat rainy few days so hopefully I can catch up on some reading and writing while sitting and spending time with my pregnant daughter and her husband as they prepare for their first baby.
It is officially a “baby” watch weekend for us…my daughter’s due date is September 1st and we have already made one trip to the hospital this week in the wee hours of the morning for false labor.
“Baby Watch”…
My thoughts have been racing this week and when that happens one of the ways I calm and comfort myself is to cook. Preparing a good dinner is my way of comforting and loving my family. Enjoying a good meal at the end of the day allows the family to relax and enjoy each other while sharing some really delicious food around the table of plenty.
So today, I am posting some favorites of mine related to creating recipes and involving children in the preparation. Kids are natural creators. Food and the kitchen go together to fuel their creativity.
Taco Tuesday
I have chosen this post from Motherlode because if you link to it you will see a very short video of a smiling child making “Chermoula” a Middle Eastern pesto which I have never tasted. You can also follow Kids in the Kitchen and get your own ideas for involving the children in cooking adventures during the weekend.
The master plan? Raising children who can be independent in the kitchen, able to prepare a few healthy meals and snacks and with the confidence to tackle a new recipe or task. In our Kids in the Kitchen series, Motherlode’s KJ Dell’Antonia and Cooking’s Margaux Laskey move their very differently aged families toward that goal. Margaux finds ways for her 3-year-old and toddler to help cook, while KJ stands back and coaches her two 9-year-olds and her 11- and 14-year-olds in cooking on their own.
Source: Kids in the Kitchen: Broiled Fish With Chermoula – The New York Times
What better food to share but a loaf of bread. Make this easy one with your children and enjoy the fruits of your effort together with some butter and jam.
Who wouldn’t want children who can be independent in the kitchen, able to prepare a few healthy meals and snacks and with the confidence to tackle a new recipe or task? In our Kids in the Kitchen series, Motherlode’s KJ Dell’Antonia and Cooking’s Margaux Laskey work toward that long term goal with their very differently aged families. Margaux finds ways for her 3-year-old and toddler to help cook, while KJ stands back and coaches her two 9-year-olds and her 11 and 14-year-olds in cooking on their own. This week, both families tried simple bread-making. KJ: Us
Source: Kids in the Kitchen: No-Knead Bread for All Ages – The New York Times
I was so happy for this weekend find on the cookbook shelves at Eataly here in Chicago. It is an authentically good source for Italian food geared for kids and adults alike.It is not finger foods made easy but a real Italian recipe book anyone can enjoy.
Silver Spoon for Children
Review: The Silver Spoon for Children – Favorite Italian Recipes January 31, 2010 in Uncategorized We got this cookbook for our eight year old for Christmas. Till today, we had only used the pizza recipe and we mainly took the lazy route and bought pre-made pizza dough. That did not test the quality of the book too much. Today, we embarked on a two-hour extravaganza and made gnocchi with tomato sauce and an orange cake. We used canned tomatoes but, apart from that shortcut, we made everything else from scratch. It was a huge success. The gnocchi tasted totally authentic. It was really fun to make them, much easier than fresh egg pasta. The potato and flour combination has the same consistency as play dough. You roll it into a thin sausage and chop it into gnocchi. It’s perfect for all age groups. I think we had a first all family cooking epiphany with the four-year old to the four+ year olds working together like a fairly well-oiled machine. Gnocchi cook really quickly and you have to scoop them out as soon as they float to the top. We made enough to freeze half of them for a future dinner.
Source: Review: The Silver Spoon for Children – Favorite Italian Recipes | Cheap Talk
I hope you all have a great weekend!
Wherever you are stop for a moment of gratitude…
Welcome to the Friday.
Here in Chicago it is the weekend of the Air and Water Show, which is spectacular. It seems the weather is going to cooperate and the Blue Angels will be in the air.
I am a partner in Similac’s #SisterhoodofMotherhood. It is an initiative that is near and dear to me even as a grandmother. I have included my post and my friend Annie Stowe’s post.
Please help to end the Mommy Wars!
How can we stop the “mommy wars”? Realize that we are all in this together. Support initiatives like the Sisterhood of Motherhood Visit the Sisterhood of Motherhood Facebook page and share what you will do to help end the “mommy wars”. Unite, Nourish and Support all moms. Make #SisterhoodUnite your motto.
Source: Mothers all in this Together #SisterhoodUnite
Sometimes it’s just a look. Sometimes it’s words. Sometimes it’s gossip. No matter what it is or who is taking the brunt of the joke or the comment, it hurts. We seem to be victims of it, yet we still seem to do it ourselves over and over again. We judge. We criticize. We give the looks.
Source: Motherhood: Let’s Stop Judging | Stowed Stuff
Another initiative in August is #Blogust. It helps to provide Vaccines to children in underprivileged parts of the world. Heather Spohr shares her heart on her blog and helps this wonderful cause
I try to use my heartbreak to help others. Sometimes that means channeling my hurt into fundraising, sometimes it means I’m helping to raise awareness, and other times it’s to help make people feel less alone. Sometimes, the person who feels less alone is me. It’s my hope that as I navigate this tricky life, I can help those who follow along behind me feel a little bit more normal.
Summer should afford us some time to relax and rest from the hectic pace that we keep during other times of the year especially during holiday season. As the warm weather weekend season comes quietly to a close, I welcome some schedule to my days but not the chaos that sometimes follows on its heels. The cool crisp air will be here all too quickly.
So….
as August wanes so does the summer. So lets enjoy this lazy summer weekend!
Pregnancy at 36 Weeks
Baby at 36 weeks of pregnancy
Your growing baby…
At the end of this week, your baby will be considered “early term.” (Full-term is 39 to 40 weeks. Babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term, 41 weeks is late term, and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely your baby is already head-down. But if not, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an external cephalic version (ECV). That’s a fancy way of saying that your practitioner will apply pressure to your abdomen to try to manipulate your baby into a head-down position.
Your life at this final stage of pregnancy.
Your baby is taking up a lot of room. Eating a regular size meal may in fact be very uncomfortable. Smaller meals more frequently are better at this stage.
When you baby drops into your pelvis (lightening) you may have increased pressure in your lower abdomen. Walking may be more uncomfortable and you may again have to pee more often.
- Braxton Hicks contractions may be more frequent.
- Traveling too far from home and your practitioner is probably not a good idea at this point since labor could begin at any time.
Be sure to review the signs of labor with your practitioner and find out when she wants to hear from you. As a general rule, if you’re full-term, your pregnancy is uncomplicated, and your water hasn’t broken, she’ll probably have you wait to come in until you’ve been having contractions that last for about a minute each, coming every five minutes for an hour. Of course, you’ll want to call right away if you notice a decrease in your baby’s activity or think you’re leaking amniotic fluid, or if you have any vaginal bleeding, fever, a severe or persistent headache, constant abdominal pain, or vision changes.
“Start collecting take-out and delivery menus from local restaurants. You won’t have time to cook in the early weeks after giving birth. Even restaurants without a visible take-out business will usually accommodate a to-go order (especially if it’s for a new mom!).”
The stages of labor
3 Stages of Labor:
First Stage:
Early labor ends when you are dilated about 4 centimeters. Active labor is when your contractions are more frequent, longer and stronger.
The last part of the active phase is when you cervix dilates from 8 to 10 centimeters. It is called “transition phase” because you are transitioning into the second stage of labor.
Transition is often the most difficult period of the first stage.
Second stage:
Your baby’s head will continue to advance with each push until it “crowns” — the term used to describe the time when the widest part of your baby’s head is finally visible. After your baby’s head comes out, your midwife or doctor will suction his mouth and nose, and feel around his neck for the umbilical cord. His head then turns to the side as his shoulders rotate inside the pelvis to get into position for their exit. With the next contraction, you’ll be coached to push as his shoulders deliver, one at a time, followed by the rest of his body.
Stage three:
This week :
Create a grapevine. Make a list of all the people you want to hear about your baby’s birth — with their phone numbers or e-mail addresses — and pass this along to a friend who can spread the news. That way, when you’re ready for others to know, all you have to do is make one call. Include at least one person from work on the list, so they can spread the word there.
Go to the Similac Facebook page and share the one thing you will do to help end the mommy wars.
This post is a sponsored by Similac. Thank you for supporting Parenting in the Loop
I am so proud to be selected to participate as a Partner in Similac’s
“The Sisterhood of Motherhood”.
Moms and dads should make room for #SisterhoodUnite in their parenting lives. Similac’s video unites us all together as parents trying our best to nourish and support our babies.
Parenting is the most difficult work we will ever engage in. It can also be the effort for which we experience the most judgement and negative criticism. This is sad!
So Let’s Change This!
Personally, I don’t remember too much criticism of my parenting skills as a young mom. What I do recall was many good intentioned suggestions of my aunt regarding a crying hungry newborn. She was adamant about offering a 3 week old rice cereal to help with sleeping through the night. Of course it did not help and it was clearly much more trouble than it was worth. It was a kind effort of mothers helping a new mother but it could have unglued me if I had let it. At the time I did not have a strong supportive
However, my husband and I were aware of the criticism of other parents, who questioned why we would leave a town when our children were in high school and junior high, such a crucial time during adolescence.
The criticism that affected me most was as the mom of teenagers. We lived in a small village where everyone had something to say about other parents and their kids.
We were a three generation household. My elderly mom lived with us. It was clear we needed a new house with a first floor bedroom and bath to accommodate her needs. Instead of staying in our community we moved 45 minutes away and our girls had to change schools. They were in high school and 8th grade, a time that it is difficult for major changes like moving out of your town. They were apprehensive about moving but remained happy albeit anxious to move to their new house and neighborhood.
As was expected there were adjustments and we made them somewhat seamlessly. The girls kept in touch with their friends from their old house and still keep in touch to this day.
To this day I wonder what would have been different if we had let them remain in their respective schools until graduation and had not moved. Would they have gone to different colleges. What would life had been like… sort of a “Back to the Future” runs through my mind every now and then. I also wonder if I would have remained in touch with my friends from my “old” neighborhood instead of feeling the brunt of criticism.
It feels horrible to be judged by other moms and dads but it happens all the time. It is also contagious and I catch myself being judgmental at times too.
How can we stop the “mommy wars”?
Personally, I am going to reach out with a smile and something positive to moms, grandma’s and dads whom I meet casually each day while doing my routines like grocery shopping and running errands. There are many times when I see a mom struggling even to get a stroller through a doorway at the mall and no one helps her. I’m not sure why this happens but I am going to be more aware and step in to help if I can.
So Mothers and Grandmothers make your hashtag #SisterhoodUnite and come together in the Sisterhood of Motherhood!
Also please join me in welcoming the Duff sisters, Hilary and Haylie to the Sisterhood of Motherhood Partnership. Celebrities experience so much scrutiny when it comes to parenting their children. No one is immune!
This post was sponsored by Similac but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Don’t forget head on over to Sisterhood of Motherhood Facebook and share what you are going to do to end the mommy wars!
Pregnancy at 35 Weeks
Baby is the size of a honey dew melon.
Baby is now more than 18 inches long and it is getting crowded in utero. He probably is weighing it at over 5 pounds as well.
Now his kicks will be still the same but he will not be able to move around so much. For the next few weeks he be gaining weight before his eviction notice.
Your changing life at 35 weeks of pregnancy.
Sometime between now and 37 weeks, she’ll do a vaginal and rectal culture to check for bacteria called Group B streptococci (GBS). (Don’t worry — the swab is the size of a regular cotton swab, and it won’t hurt at all.) GBS is usually harmless in adults, but if you have it and pass it on to your baby during birth, it can cause serious complications, such as pneumonia, meningitis, or a blood infection. Because 10 to 30 percent of pregnant women have the bacteria and don’t know it, it’s vital to be screened. (The bacteria come and go on their own — that’s why you weren’t screened earlier .) If you’re a GBS carrier, you’ll get IV antibiotics during labor, which will greatly reduce your baby’s risk of infection.
“To streamline a chore like filling out birth announcements, address and stamp your envelopes now while you’re still in control of your time.”
What you should do this week.
I will remind you again.
Do not forget your pedicure…you will be so happy to be able to finally see and reach your toes.
Enjoy your last weeks of pregnancy.
Dog Days of August
The first of August is here with all its heat and humidity.
In Chicago, we are in the midst of Lollapalooza this weekend at Grant Park. Soon summer will be winding down and there are signs of it with getting back to school ads popping up everywhere.
Baby Boomer
Many of us baby boomers have paid off our home loans, our kids have finished college and we have money to spend. Why aren’t we being targeted by upmarket car manufacturers, fashion and holiday companies? I wouldn’t necessarily spend a fortune on a fancy car, a Gucci tote or two weeks in Vanuatu but it would be nice if advertisers thought I might.
Source: The Seventh Decade Blues | Sue Margolis
Meditation moment
Life with Roozle is one of my favorite reads…because it just it. If you read it once I think you will see why.
“Mommy, it’s easy.
Posted on July 31, 2015
“Mommy, it’s easy. Just do what they tell us to.”
We’ve been meditating together as long as she can remember. Sometimes I lead her in a guided meditation to calm down her body, to help in an anxious moment, or to settle in for bed. Lately, we’ve been meditating before settling in for bed and for no particular reason other than just to build a meditation practice. It’s way better.
Preparing yourself and your child for kindergarten. Here are some tips from Cool Mom Picks another of my favorite websites.
Preparing for school
- We are having so much fun with our kids home for summer break, the occasional sibling squabble aside, but we’re already thinking about back-to-school. Especially on behalf of those of you in the south who start in what, like four minutes? There’s so much to do to get ready any given school year, but those of us with kids going off to kindergarten for the first time (sniff, sniff), we are always looking for tips for getting kids kindergarten ready, to be sure that they — and we — have a successful first year at school.
Source: 12 tips for preparing kids for kindergarten | Cool Mom Picks
As we welcome August, I hope you all have a nice weekend full of lollapalooza and some meditation with your kids and grandkids.
