Warning: Feeding Babies Salt-Water Is Bad!!

I know what you are thinking...No Kidding It's Bad! Who would ever use salted water instead of fresh water to make their baby's bottles?!

Well, let me tell you, I did. By accident. Last night. And as a result I didn't get home from the hospital until earlier this afternoon.

How in Google's name did I manage to do that without realizing it? To start, my house has a water softening system to keep the water pipes clear of calcium buildup that uses huge salt tabs. The idea is for the salt to dissolve very slowly over time, with only minimal amounts in the actual water...

But, the system messed up, and instead dumped ALL the salt into the water system AT ONCE! So, last night I happily went about my routine just like usual. I made my daughter's bottle using the water from the sink, ran it through a Britta filtering jug, and proceeded to feed her and put her to bed.

About twenty minutes later my husband comes in, takes a sip of water from the same jug, and practically spits it back out all over the floor. "Where'd you get this water?!" He screeched like I'd done it on purpose. It didn't take long to realize that my daughter had just consumed a bottle of extremely salty water with her formula!

Needless to say, I freaked out a bit. I jumped online to search for the effects of salt on infants, and freaked out even more when I found this and this. Two different cases of accidental baby deaths as a result of salt?!! Seizures? Brain Damage? Death?!

We called our local poison control center to confirm the dangers (or to make ourselves feel better if things weren't as bad as they seemed), and they told us to bring her to the emergency room since we didn't know exactly how much salt she ingested, and that yes, it could be very very bad.

Off we zoomed to the hospital. To make one of the longest nights of my life short, one blood test, one intravenous drip, and 12 hours of crying/no-sleep later, we came home with a clean bill of health! Apparently she didn't consume enough salt to have been dangerous.

RELIEF!!!

Lessons Learned:

*Taste baby's bottle before feeding. (I knew to test it for temperature, but salty water was not a concern until now!)

*Two irritated/sick babies in one room will result in no sleep at all, ever. (I had to "share" a room for the night with another Mommy/baby and ended up sitting in a hallway chair instead long enough to watch the sun come way, way up.)

*Don't rely on baby to fuss if something tastes different/bad/unusual. (My daughter didn't bat an eyelash as she drank her disgusting-tasting bottle! Apparently it was yum-yum-yummy to her.)

*Better to be Safe...(Than Sorry. Sure we've all heard this before, but this phrase has stuck for so long because it's true. Everything turned out fine in the end, but I would've never forgiven myself if we hadn't gone to the hospital. Taking chances with my daughter's life is not up for debate.)

And most importantly:

*DON'T FEED YOUR BABY SALT WATER!!!

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formula

A Car Seat Swing? Nice!

Graco SnugGlider Infant Car Seat Swing Frame - $ 49.95
From: Wise Innovations, Inc.

Mom Time: Hopefully Many Happy Hours of Baby Sleep
Age: Birth - 12 Months (approx.)
Necessity Scale: Must Have

Ahhh, now here's a smart idea! We all know babies love love love swinging themselves to blissful oblivion and that automatic swings are really a perfect busy-mom device. I can't tell you how much "putting to sleep" time I've saved by gently snuggling Baby X into her swing and letting nature take its course.

This gizmo, however, seems to be even more convenient because a car seat can click right into position. The official description says it was designed because:

"Moms told Graco that their baby is content and sleeping in their car seat on the drive home from visits or errands. When baby is brought into the house and removed from the car seat they sometimes start crying and want that car ride to continue. The Graco SnugGlider will provide the perfect place for baby to have that car drive simulation." - Yep, that sounds about right.

Although the swing itself doesn't seem to come with as many swing speeds as many others (this one has two and the one I have, for example, has eight...But I always wondered just how necessary an eight speed swing was anyway...), it still comes with music, vibration, and nature sounds. This model wins hands down for portability and convenience though!

Also, as far as I can tell, you don't specifically need a Graco brand car seat for it to work, any Infant SafeSeat car seat will do. Overall, very cool product that could be a lifesaver for parents who travel a lot and who can't always arrange activities around defined "nap times."

Do you have one of these? Post a Comment and let us know!

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Scratching, Biting, Pulling, and Loving

If you thought understanding adults was hard, try understanding babies! For example, is the exploratory/aggressive behavior described below really affection in disguise?

I can't even count the amount of times every day that Baby X digs her teeny razor-like nails into me, or yanks some hair out from the roots, or smacks me as hard as she can. Granted she is only seven months old, and this is all very normal. But what exactly is she doing?

I think she's just testing her limits to see how strong she is. How hard can I pinch? What does it feel like? Hmmm, this stringy stuff is interesting, let me grab a handful and tug it to see what happens...Of course, not in those exact words.

But the oddest thing is when she tries to "eat" me. She'll push herself back and then throw her face, wide open mouth, against my cheek or chin or shoulder, whatever is closest. Then she'll hold herself there for a couple seconds like she doesn't know what her next move should be.

In the same way, she'll grab my cheeks and try to pull my face to her waiting open mouth. Seriously, like she's trying to eat me. Like she does with her other toys. Yes I know babies explore everything via their mouths at this point, so I think the whole thing is pretty funny.

But, I've been reading some "Mom" message boards, and many of them seem to believe this is their baby's clumsy way of trying to "kiss" them. Hmmm, never thought of that. Really, they're trying to kiss us? With a big open mouth? The same way they try to "kiss" all their other toys, the floor, the sofa?

Maybe I'm wrong, and Baby X is actually displaying some genuinely affectionate behavior...But I doubt it. I think she's just exploring me the way she explores everything else in her environment.

Any of you other Moms out there want to chime in and tell us how you interpreted this quirky behavior?

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Cheeky Shirts for the Littles

I don't really like "baby" clothes. I like fun clothes that look like adult clothes with maybe just a hint of "cutesy" about it. I'd more likely put my daughter in a Punk Rock outfit than a frilly pink dress.

Needless to say I think these shirts are adorable. "What's that? What do they say?"

Grant it I think they'd be just a little bit funnier if they said something like "My Mom's A Nut" or "Come Here I've Got Something For You" on the butt...But these are good too.

They have the added value of you getting to enjoy the confused looks of people as they try to figure them out. BONUS laughs if they can't! (Seriously, they are NOT that hard!)

Apparently these shirts have just been launched by this company that makes an adult-oriented pictionary-like game that's supposed to be fun, and are using these as a promotion. I've never played it, but the reviews are good.

You know what that means? If you want to be truly dorky you can buy the same shirt in your size. Yep, you can dress alike and have double the strange looks. Or, if you prefer, skip the baby clothes altogether and just buy the one for you.

Like I said, I enjoy non-baby baby clothes...But it'll be a sad day when I look at my daughter's outfit and wish it were mine instead!

So far, my favorite's the first one in black for a baby boy, or a lesbian baby girl.

You can find them by going here, and click on "T-Shirts" in the left column.

Cheers!

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Creating the New Generation of Geeks, Nerds, & Dorks

My First Desk

OK, I'll admit it, I'm a Geek. I actually like learning new things and am a rather studious person in general. Soooo of course the idea of getting my Tiny Tootles a desk of her own in the next couple years is much more exciting for me than it would be (I think) for the average parent (or should be for any sane person for that matter).

Luckily Papa X is the same way, so when we went to IKEA for Baby Room's "luxury" decor and spotted an exact replica of a real desk but scaled down for little people, we both agreed then and there we would buy one when the time was right. No questions asked.

However, after giving it some more thought, maybe an EXACT replica of a REAL office desk wouldn't be as much fun as a desk truly made for little people, such as the one pictured above. Although the bright colors and star cut-outs would look rather strange on the umpteenth floor of Business Tower Central...it would probably be just perfect for Tootles sitting next to my own home office desk. I think it'll make her feel more like she has a place of her own to "work," just like she's seen Mommy X do. We all know children love to imitate, so I might as well go with it while she actually believes hanging out with her mom is "cool."

After all, the plan is 1) Get Her to Count and 2) Teach Her to Balance my Checkbook.

So, while the desk itself might shout "It's time to color your heart out!" Baby X will really be calculating her way to a bigger weekly allowance...(You know, switch a little number here...Add a decimal there...and Viola!) Good to learn these lessons early...

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Have a Great Idea, But Don't Know What To Do About It?

I've grown tired of having my own great product ideas and never doing anything with them because I don't have a clue about product development. I mentioned this to my mother a while back, and lo and behold last Christmas she gave me this book...Which of course I haven't had the time to read until now.

Wow, am I happy I did!!! This book is fantastic!

It's one of the most practical and easy to follow guides I've ever come across. It doesn't sugar-coat the process or make delusional promises of easy millions. But it does show you how to take your idea, research it, patent it if necessary, manufacture it, and finally market it nation wide. She gives guides about what to ask a lawyer, websites with the most useful and pertinent information, and general guidelines about what to watch out for so you don't get taken advantage of in the process.

The author, a mom herself, uses stories from her own life and those of other "Mom Inventors" to illustrate certain points, which makes for a very enjoyable read.

I think this book does a wonderful job of showing just how much effort really has to go into building a business and making your invention a reality. And believe me, it is work. But if you have an idea that is just too good to pass up, and you're willing to commit yourself and your time to developing that idea, then I highly recommend reading this book as a first step.

You'll feel much more confident, and it will give you all the starting points you need to begins your own invention process. AND it's not just for Moms. This step-by-step guide is useful for anyone who wants to manufacture anything. Seriously, check it out!


The Mom Inventors Handbook: How to Turn Your Great Idea into the Next Big Thing

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