Dolphin Organics: Review & Giveaway! {Closed}

As a green and health-conscious mama, I'm always excited to discover new eco-friendly and toxin-free products for babies and children - especially when they're created by a company that is as committed and passionate as the one I'll be telling you about today!

Dolphin Organics is a family owned and operated business based in NY state which offers two lines of personal care products for little (and not-so-little!) ones. First launched at the Natural Products Association Marketplace in 2011, the company was subsequently chosen as one of NBC New York's feature stories for NBC Universal Green Week and then named the 2012 Best Kids Skin & Hair Care line by Delicious Living Magazine.

So why is the company making such a splash? (Pun intended. ;) Well first of all, every Dolphin Organics product can boast the standard "green & natural" claims - i.e., 100% plant-derived, free of harsh chemicals (parabens, phthalates, artificial dyes and fragrances, etc.), certified cruelty-free and vegan. Second, all products are made in the United States. Most notably, three main things set Dolphin Organics apart from their naturally-minded competition:

• All of their products use organic aloe as a base. Aloe contains 75 nutrients, hundreds of active compounds, 20 essential minerals, 18 amino acids and 12 vitamins, all which serve to nourish and protect even the most delicate skin. 
• The company believes in complete transparency and simplicity in labelling, so it's plain to see which ingredients are organic, which are natural and, for some products, where the ingredient comes from and why it's used. I believe Dolphin Organics is setting an awesome standard here that other companies should strive to follow!

•  In addition to thousands of hours of industry research, the company incorporated in-depth consumer feedback from real moms across the country, which has led to their continually expanding Dolphin Moms™ program.

The company's two product lines break down as follows:

• Dolphin Organics (their original line) is designed for babies and toddlers. Formulated to be gentle enough for newborns, it includes shampoo & body wash, conditioner, lotion and bubble bath. All products are certified natural, and have a pH very close to a baby's tears and skin so they are naturally tear-free. The line is also certified to NSF/ANSI 305 by QAI which means all products have to be at least 70% organic (the owner told me theirs are actually closer to 86% organic!) and all other ingredients must be agriculturally-derived and non-GMO. Additionally, all products score either a 0 or 1 on the EWG's Skin Deep cosmetics database.
• DO Naturals is intended for older children and adults. It was developed with the recognition that as children grow, their personal care needs change and baby products are no longer as effective. In addition to hair and body care, the line also includes two mineral-based SPF32 and SPF50 sunscreens. DO Naturals products are not certified organic, but many of the ingredients are and all are approved by the NPA.

All in all, I'm totally digging what Dolphin Organics (as a company) is all about. So let's get to the products themselves.

For review purposes, I was sent a Dolphin Organics Shampoo & Body Wash (8oz, Simply Citrus scent) and a DO Naturals Sunscreen SPF32 (3 oz).

Product Info - Shampoo & Body Wash:

Our tear free Simply Citrus™ Shampoo & Body Wash is made from only 100% natural and certified organic ingredients and uses organic aloe leaf juice to gently cleanse hair and skin without stripping natural oils.

My Review - Shampoo & Body Wash:

In addition to being all-natural and non-toxic, I feel a great baby shampoo & body wash should have a pleasant scent, lather well, last awhile (i.e. a little should go a long way!) and leave my children's hair manageable and soft, and their skin smooth and healthy. I'm happy to report that the Dolphin Organics Simply Citrus S&BW performs well in all these areas!

The scent is definitely citrus-y, but in a subtle, natural and invigorating way - i.e. it doesn't assault your olfactory system like most artificially-scented products! My daughter is a fan of it too. When I ask her to pick which wash she wants before bath time (out of the three we have on the go right now), she chooses the Dolphin Organics most often!

Suds-wise, the product creates an appreciable amount both for washing hair and when squirted under the faucet to create a bubble bath, which is the method we use for getting our kiddos clean.

A little certainly goes a long way with this product! I only need about a 1/4 tsp to wash my daughter's hair (less for my son), and around 1 tsp for the bubble bath. Doing the math, this adds up to between 30 and 40 baths per 8 oz bottle with both littles in the tub. That's some pretty good mileage!

When it comes to detangling hair post-bath, this shampoo is comparable to most others we've tried. Our daughter's hair does get fairly matted, but this is nothing her trusty Little Mermaid paddle brush can't handle!

Once dry, her hair is left super soft, silky and bouncy.

Now our daughter's hair is very fine so it's pretty manageable with a shampoo alone. The Dolphin Organics line does include a conditioner, however, which would surely be helpful for children with coarser and/or thicker hair in particular.

Finally, all signs point to the product being gentle on our children's skin. Both come out of the bath feeling smooth and silky, and neither have had any recent rashes, dry skin or any other related issues. So, at the very least I can vouch for the fact that it hasn't caused any issues for our kiddos!

As for criticisms, I can only come up with one and it has to do with the dispensing of the product rather than the product itself. This shampoo is much thinner than average so it runs inside the bottle rather than "gloops" (if you know what I mean). Now, the dispensing mechanism is the "pop the cap, turn upside down and squirt" variety, which works fine for thick shampoos as squeezing is required to get the product out. In this case, however, the shampoo starts running out as soon as the bottle is upside down, so it's prone to dripping down the side and over-dispensing. As such, I think a pump mechanism would work better for this particular product.

Overall, I'd whole-heartedly recommend the Dolphin Organics Simply Citrus Shampoo & Body Wash to other parents on the hunt for an all-natural, pleasant-smelling and effective shampoo and body wash for their littles.


Product Info - DO Naturals Sunscreen SPF32:

Our SPF32 mineral sunscreen offers broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) protection without harsh chemicals or nano particles. With active ingredients Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. Protect your family from sun damage with our all natural mineral sunscreen. Like our original Dolphin Organics™ line, our sunscreen is based in certified organic aloe, not water so a little goes a LONG way!

My Review - DO Naturals Sunscreen SPF32:

A few years ago, upon discovering that many of the ingredients in "standard" sunscreens are endocrine disruptors and may be unsafe in other ways, my family switched to using mineral sunscreen (i.e. titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide based) and we haven't looked back. Our experience with several different brands demonstrated that they get the job done as well as chemical-based sunscreens, but, on the down side, it takes longer to apply them (since they create a barrier on top of skin rather than getting absorbed, you need to really work 'em in to avoid looking like a ghost) and they leave a bit of an unpleasant coating on the skin. I was certainly curious to see if the DO Naturals Sunscreen would follow suit, or if I'd have a different experience with this one.

First things first - this sunscreen is fragrance free, so it has virtually no scent - just an extremely subtle clay-like aroma. Some people may like this, others may not. I personally don't need my sunscreen to smell like a pina colada, so I'm cool with it.

Next, the consistency. This sunscreen is much more lotion-like than others we've tried, which tend to be thicker and chalkier feeling. So this was a pleasant discovery.

So the big question - how nicely does it apply? Well, about the same as the others I've tried. With its lotion-like consistency, it feels a little nicer on the skin, but you still need to put in considerable time & effort to rid yourself of that oh-so-attractive undead look. Once properly applied, however, the DO Naturals wins out in terms of "skin feel" - notably smoother with less of a caked on sensation than most of the other brands.

It also rocks mileage-wise - like the shampoo & body wash, but even more so. For example, I can cover a full arm with a dollop the size of my pinky fingertip. OK yes, I'm ridiculously skinny at this point in my life, but that's still impressive, no?? :)

As expected, this sunscreen appears to do its job just as well as the others we've tried. We've used it on long walks, at festivals and other lengthier outdoor activities and it's kept our skin totally burn-free. It stays on well when exposed to the elements, which is obviously a good thing at splash pads and pools! I'd say we haven't really "stress tested" it yet as we tend to stay out of the sun and/or cover up during peak hours, however we'll likely get the chance later this fall as we're considering an all-inclusive vacation somewhere warm and (hopefully) sunny. Ahhhh....!

All in all, the DO Naturals Sunscreen SPF32 is a solid choice for families looking for an effective mineral-based sunscreen which is safe and gentle enough to use for parents and young children alike.


Buy It:

Dolphin Organics products can be purchased directly from the company website or from numerous online and "brick and mortal" stores. Third party retailers are located mainly in the United States at this point but are beginning to branch out internationally with three stores in Canada (WholeGrain Pharmacy, Natural Life Health Market and Better Baby Bums) and and one in the UK (HealthMonthly).

Win It:

One lucky Manager to Mom reader will win a $25 store credit to spend on Dolphin Organics products! Open to CAN/US.  

Important Note - if the winner lives in the United States, the store credit will be redeemable at the Dolphin Organics website; if the winner lives in Canada, it will be redeemable at WholeGrain Pharmacy.

A little more about WholeGrain Pharmacy, our Canadian sponsor - based in Vancouver, British Columbia, this store sells healthy and beauty products which contain absolutely no toxic ingredients commonly found in mainstream cosmetics and health products. Each product is hand-picked by a licensed pharmacist and was created using organic, ethno-botanical and fair-trade ingredients. The owner's goal for the store is to promote healthy living choices simply by offering effective, honestly organic products, expert advice, and a great service.

To enter this giveaway, fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Please follow all instructions within each entry option to ensure your entries are valid.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:  The prize is being provided and shipped to the winner by Dolphin Organics / WholeGrain Pharmacy (as applicable).  I received no financial compensation for writing my review or offering this giveaway, although I did receive the sample items free of charge directly from Dolphin Organics.  This is my completely honest opinion above and may be different from yours.

CJ at 6 months: Our Da-Da-Darling!

So we had a lot going on during month 5 - appointments galore, strict dietary adjustments and, indeed, a fair amount of stress. A "Failure to Thrive" label will do that to a parent, lemme tell ya. Month 6, however, began leading us to the conclusion that all this worrying and preoccupation was ultimately unnecessary. He "passed" his followups with the pediatrician, naturopath and dietician, he's still gaining weight (slowly but surely - following his own curve) and he's beginning to toss his cookies less frequently (woot woot). At the end of the day, we just have a little dude who has battled some reflux. So phooey to you, scary labels. Does this look like a kiddo who's FTT???

Didn't think so!


Official 6 Month Photo - rockin' the monkey jams!

(Compare with months 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.)


Physical Development:  

Weight: a li'l over 13 lb (3rd percentile)
Height: 26 1/2" (50-60th percentile)

So yup - similar percentiles as last month; if anything, even a bit higher for height!

CJ's been working hard at getting places this month! He has now mastered the "pivot" move - i.e. basically staying in the same core spot but using his arms to circle around and get to different things around him. His "pushup" got super-strong and assertive as well, and by month's end he started "air crawling" and expressing frustration that this wasn't moving him forward! (If anything, his attempts push him backwards a bit which frustrates him even more!) Poor guy - you'll be on the move soon enough!

He's becoming increasingly steady in the sitting position, though he still needs a bit of support. I suspect it'll be a few more weeks until he's completely steady in this position since he's so long and gangly.

His fine motor control really improved this month! He can totally rock his Spin & Sing Alphabet Zoo and other pully/pushy toys now, and he wants to grab EVERYTHING that's within reach! Usually stuff goes in his mouth (of course) but he's beginning to take more time to explore with his hands. "Reading" now consists mainly of him yanking a book toward himself and gumming on the corners, which can make for a trying experience for his sister during tandem story time!

He continues to love bouncing in his jumperoo, and, when held facing outward, totally digs kicking to music too! I'll post a video in the 7-month update when he really got going with this!


Cognitive, Social & Emotional Development:

Everyone continues to comment on what a content li'l guy we have and indeed - no shortage of smiles and laughter during month 6! He's really starting to enjoy games like Peek-A-Boo, "I'm going to get you!" and Itsy Bitsy Spider which involve an element of anticipation. When I place a prefold over his face on the change table, he now knows what's going on and will pull it off. He looooves getting kisses and will "kiss back" - which means grabbing your face and sucking on your nose, chin or whatever he can get his mouth on! <3

Dadada continued to be his most prominent sound all month. Of course, I tried coaxing a Mamama from him on multiple times, but not happening yet. ;)


Sleep:

Night sleep continues to be solid (usually bed at 8:30ish, feed at 4-4:30 and wake for the day between 7 and 8). Naps are getting a little more consistent. We're able to get him down without being held, but length is still extremely variable which means on any given day he takes between 2 and 4 naps. One method we were using for several weeks was the ol' "walk the stroller around the island" trick. Chris reminded me we'd used this for S several times, but at least with CJ we now have a snap 'n' go which is a lot smaller than the UPPAbaby we'd been using for S. This was a pretty surefire way of getting him to nap (as long as conditions were right - fed, dry, appropriate time since last nap) but it also meant parking the stroller base on the main floor, and him not getting used to his crib. So I started toning this down by month's end and working on crib naps. Stay tuned for how this is going in the next update.


Food:

First of all, my dietary changes (more/fattier foods) appear to have had a positive affect on my supply as I always have enough milk for him now and have even been able to stop drinking milk production tea. Not stressing as much about CJ's and my own health has certainly helped here too. So yay to that!

We waited right until 6 months to begin solids, and then (upon the advice of our dietician and naturopath) started with some veg. We're planning to do mainly homemade purees, though I did let him play around with a well-cooked broccoli floret. Fun stuff!

And finally, the good stuff - video highlights from month 6!

More CJ updates: 5 months
View what big sis was up to at 6 months!

CJ at 5 months: The Saga Continues...

Whew. Not gonna mince words here - it's been a rough month. In my last update, I mentioned how CJ hadn't really gained weight from months 3 to 4. Well, this not-so-awesome trend continued and shortly thereafter he'd dipped down to the 3rd percentile and our family doctor slapped him with "Failure to Thrive". What an ugly label. :( I prefer simply "failure to gain weight" (which some docs use) as, to me, FTT implies that a baby's not doing well in general. We don't feel this is the case with CJ, as aside from his weight gain issues (and some reflux) he has continued to be super-social, happy, energetic and developmentally on track. But evidently at a certain point, lack of weight gain can negatively affect other areas, which is why it should be nipped in the bud as soon as possible. As such, he has seen a lot of professionals over the last month - family doc (a few visits), pediatrician, naturopath, dietician and chiropractor (for a food sensitivity and internal malady assessment). I've had some appointments of my own as I haven't been feeling up-to-snuff myself. I may end up blogging in depth on some of this as we've had some interesting and enlightening experiences, but in the meantime I'll relay our current plan of action:

• Dramatically increase my fat intake in order to fortify my milk
• Avoid wheat, strawberries, d-drops and my previous multivitamin (chiro detected a sensitivity in CJ to these).
• Rid CJ of the parasite he's evidently been carrying (again, discovered by the chiro); we've given him some homeopathics and will see if they were effective during our next visit.
• Stress less and get more R&R (this is proving to be challenging!)
• Try to get him to nap better/longer, for crying out loud. (Literally.) He needs this so his metabolism isn't going all day (and, well, he's a baby) and I need it to stay sane. We managed a few good 2 hr crib sleeps last week but seems he's back to cat napping and a pronounced aversion to the crib. It's ironic - the goal of all these appointments is to help him get on track, but all this hopping around has gotten in the way of figuring out a good schedule for him.

Alright, time to look at the lighter side of Month 5!


Official 5 Month Photo:

(Note: please disregard the unfortunate (in hindsight) choice of onesie!)

(Compare with months 1, 2, 3 and 4.)


Physical Development:  

Weight: 12 lb 11 oz (3rd percentile)
Height: 26 " (about 50th percentile)

The dietician said that as long as his height's staying on the curve, he has a chance to catch up weight-wise. But if the height starts dropping off this could affect him long term. So well keep working on that!

This month he figured out the front-to-back roll, so now he's got both directions in his arsenal. He has become a pro at tummy time too. Look at the strength he's mustering in those little arms!



S likes to do tummy time with him too. :)

We also busted out the Rainforest Jumperoo this month, and he doesn't mind it one bit!



In terms of fine motor control, his favourite new moves this month are the Nose Pinch and Iron Fist Hair Grab. Gotta love those! He's also beginning to hold on when we carry him around, which is sweet. <3 Speaking of carrying, I'm loving the kangaroo hold in our Maya Warp ring sling. It allows me to get some stuff done while he's with me (a necessity since his naps are still so spotty), and he's facing outward so he gets to check out all the action! (Side note - will be posting a R&G on the Maya Wrap shortly, so stay tuned!)


Cognitive, Social & Emotional Development:

CJ continues to be a "people baby", flashing that big, charming smile of his at anyone who looks his way! He's still enjoying book time, though I'd say he isn't quite as uber-fascinated as he was the previous month. Near the end of the month he started playing around with some new vocalizations - mainly a "dadadada" sound. It's adorable - will need to shoot a vid for the next update!


Sleep:

Yeah. I already touched on this above, so let's just say night sleep = good; day sleep = sketchy at best. Working on it. (Yawn - just writing about this is making me tired!!)



Let's end with some fun pics!

Here's C with his little friend R - a day younger but several pounds his "senior"!

"Princess CJ" - no so impressed with this situation!

Finally, a lovely pic with his Granda and Aunt B! <3

Wish us luck for smoother sailing during Month 6!!!!

CJ at 4 months: The Incredible Shrinking Baby

So, I'd clocked CJ in at 12 lbs on his 3 month birthday. Several days later at the doctor's office (took him in for what appeared to be reflux - mega spitups and general crabbiness) he registered 11 lb 2 oz. What???? Down almost a pound? Sure he'd been yacking but....a pound? :-/ Poor guy ended up on antibiotics as the doctor was almost certain he was battling bacterial sinusitis. (In addition to the spitups, he'd also been congested for well over a week.) Luckily the stuffies cleared up but not the barfies, so now I'm suspecting we may have a food sensitivity issue - something I'll be discussing with my naturopath during our next visit. But in the meantime, despite the health battles, CJ continues to be (more or less) a happy camper, and to do all the neat-o baby stuff he's supposed to be doing at this age. So yay to that!

Official 4 Month Photo:

Looks like he was enjoying a "sleeve snack" just prior to this shot!

(Compare with months 1, 2 and 3.)

Physical Development:  

Weight: 12 lb (5th percentile)
Height: 25 1/2" (about 50th percentile)

So yeah. Zero weight gain between months 3 and 4, but a half inch taller. So he basically just stretched out a bit. :-/ Here's hoping he catches up somewhat during Month 5!

We've witnessed a few full back to front rolls over the last couple weeks, however our attempts to catch one on video have come up short. This is about the closest I got, though as you can see ultimately his right hand, his octopus and cooing up a storm proved more riveting!



On a related note, he's getting a lot better at (and less averse to) tummy time. He'll hang out for a good 7-8 minutes this way before he starts crabbin'.

His continuously improving focus and hand-eye coordination now allow him to manipulate toys such as the Spin & Sing Alphabet Zoo like a pro!



Less awesomely, this has also turned him into quite the hair pulling ninja. And prying open those teeny but determined little iron fists is no trivial task!

And, of course, this month's favourite new discovery: TOES!!!

Cognitive, Social & Emotional Development:

CJ has become CRAZY into books. Whether it's a newborn touch 'n' feel or one of his big sister's Highlights magazines, the little guy gets super-excited and drooly when it's infront of him!

Our two kiddos are quickly becoming BFFs. Gone are the days when S would maliciously beat on her li'l bro - now it's abuse rooted in love. ;) And CJ hearts the crap out of her right back!



Really, he's proving to be a people baby in general. Unless he has a major grump on, he's happy to be with anyone!

 

 
(Well, ALMOST anyone. The jury's still out on Grampa D. :P)

Sleep:

In CJ's 3 month post, I mentioned how he was sleeping through the night (yay!) but wasn't going down until 11-12 AM (boo). I was telling this to my one friend and she asked if he got grumpy and sleepy at around 7-8 PM. Yes, yes he did. This is when he'd usually snooze on Daddy for an hour-ish and then be up partying again. Her suggestion - why not just put him to bed then?

A darn good suggestion. Why hadn't we thought of this ourselves?

Tried this the next night, and although it did take 3-4 nurse/put down/cry cycles, he was out cold by 9:00. And thus, an extremely welcome trend began! The earlier bedtime has resulted in a 4 AM (ish) feeding on most nights, but this is totally worth the baby-free time we've reclaimed in the evenings.

Nap-wise, he still doesn't go down readily - let's just say the car's been racking up some additional mileage. Hopefully soon we'll be able to break this habit too! (Got any suggestions??)


What were your children like at 4 months old? What did you find the most rewarding and/or challenging?

CJ's First Month!

Everyone always says that babies grow up so fast. On the one hand, I totally agree - the weeks tend to fly by super-quickly when you're a busy parent, and when I look at how big S has grown and how far she's progressed emotionally and intellectually in the 25 months since her birth, I'm pretty floored. However I have to say our first month with li'l bro CJ seemed to last a looooong time! Not that we were any less busy; infact, quite the opposite! We packed in so many different projects, events and experiences during this timeframe that it's hard to believe it all happened within a mere 31 days!

I'm going to continue the tradition of monthly photos with our little man, like we did with S. Here is his official 1 month photo! Isn't he a handsome li'l guy?

Let's look at what all's been going down since he arrived!

Week 1 (Dec 11 to 18)

I followed my midwife's advice and spent a lot of time resting and relaxing with CJ, mainly in the bedroom. His bassinet is beside the bed (like we had it with S) so he's always nice & close - especially helpful during night-time feedngs! During the first several days things actually felt super-easy; Chris was off work so he was able to help full-time, CJ started off nursing well (such a relief after the trials & tribulations we experienced with S) and when he wasn't nursing he pretty much slept full time. Unlike last time, we felt up for visitors right from the start so many family and friends stopped by over the first few days. (In fact, on Day 1 alone we had four visits - my midwife Katie, my Dad & stepmother, my BFF Maryana and Chris' sister and her family!) Newborn snuggles galore!

I also felt like I was bleeding less and healing better than last time. Yay!

My milk came in Thursday overnight (3 1/2 days in) and by the next evening I was painfully engorged. Oddly, though, my letdown reflex wasn't happening right away so I was huge AND he wasn't getting much out! I did some research and read that frequent nursing and massaging was the best approach (no pumping!), and thankfully I was letting down properly within another 24 hours or so and engorgement was down. My nipples were pretty sore over the first week as well (a downside of having a super-strong latcher from the start?) however the calendula lotion from my midwife provided some relief.

CJ thrived well over his first week! 2 days in (at his hospital visit/bilirubin test) he'd only dropped 6% of his birth weight (down to just under 8 oz, from 8lb 6oz), then he started climbing again right on schedule: 8lb 1oz on Day 3, 8lb 3oz on Day 5 and 8lb 6oz on Day 7! It was so nice having all the home visits from the midwives to check up on both of us. Again, quite the difference from going the OB route!

Another big milestone during Week 1 - our basement got finished! w00t! Finally a proper office for Chris and toyroom for the kiddos!

Week 2 (Dec 19 to 25)

Bring on the holiday festivities! From the 22nd to the 25th, we hosted or attended a total of 6 events, and it would have been higher if I didn't come down with another postpartum infection. On the evening of the 23rd, I started bleeding heavily again and feeling some pressure/discomfort in my abdominal region. The next morning these feelings continued and I passed a large clot. :( Luckily I got in to see my family doctor that afternoon and he prescribed me some antibiotics (clindamycin and flagyl, same as last time). The midwives are totally perplexed as to why I've gotten an infection twice now, as usually this only happens when there are "retained products of conception" (i.e. a piece of the placenta kicks around) which wasn't the case either time. Plus, Katie was super-careful with the post-delivery repair work this time around. By all early evidence, I was healing so well! Very odd, indeed, and frustrating. Antibiotics aren't fun and I knew I'd have an uphill battle keeping my energy up while taking them with everything else going on! Luckily CJ continued to sleep and nurse well, and all the events were a lot of fun for S and kept her busy.

Another big milestone this week - we transitioned S to her Big Girl Room! She was so happy and proud - a special parenting moment for sure!

Week 3 (Dec 26 to Jan 1)

CJ started nursing more frequently this week (especially late in the evenings) so I figured he was either on a growth spurt or perhaps my milk production was low due to exhaustion from all the events / lack of sleep, the antibiotics or a combo of the two. Indeed, at his 2+ week midwife appointment he was only up to 8 lb 9 oz - gaining, but at a slower rate than expected. The midwife suggested I try compressions and work on his latch to ensure he was feeding efficiently. He also got a "refer" on his hearing test (right ear) which means we need to go for special testing. Apparently we shouldn't be alarmed at this point as the vast majority of refers end up checking out OK, but still a bit of a concern - knock on wood! (His test is booked for late this month.)

This week we also purchased new furniture sets for the basement and main floor, did some home organization (gifts away, items up for sale online, etc.) and completed S' room decoration project. New Years was low key - we stayed at home and had my dad and stepmother over for board games. CJ was a quick study! :)

Week 4+ (Jan 2 to Jan 11)

With the holidays over and Chris back to work, "real life" began to set in. I have to say - caring for an infant and toddler on my own has proven to be no trivial task! It didn't help that we all came down with various forms of illness starting the weekend of the 5th/6th....boooo. More on all this later.

CJ's continued desire to nurse super-frequently at night prompted me to pick up some Earth Mama Angel Baby Milkmaid Tea and it definitely seemed to make a difference! Some mornings after drinking a cup I've actually been somewhat engorged - normally not a pleasant thing but in my case (given our low supply concerns) actually welcome!

We had another midwife visit on Jan 7th and CJ weighed in at 9lb 2oz - a much better gain rate than last time! We also got cute li'l ink prints of his feet as a keepsake. Katie re-checked his hearing and we got another "refer" on his right ear, but she reassured us that there was still no real cause for concern. We'll find out this week one way or the other.


All About CJ!

As I mentioned in CJ's birth story, our little guy was healthy, vigorous and a good feeder right from the start! He's also proven to be a pretty easygoing baby. He cries infrequently (usually just when he's hungry or not feeling well, and sometimes he "grump cries" when he's wet/dirty) and has lots of content, alert periods when he is awake. Like S, he had lots of those "twitchy sleep smiles" right from the start, and at around the one month mark, he began showing us some true, heart warming social smiles. Love! He also makes this funny, cross-eyed "alien face" when he gets excited and has the cutest "pout cry" ever. Here's a little video collage of his many adorable little faces!

Sleep-wise, right from the start he went 4-5 hour periods overnight which this tired mama has certainly appreciated! His day napping is all over the board, however - sometimes he'll nap the better part of the day and other times we'll just get a couple 30-40 minute cat naps. Recently the poor guy's been all congested from one of the many bugs kicking around so it's been hard getting him to nap at all. :-/ A car ride is the one sure thing, though - this'll usually knock him out for hours! One thing that's been pretty consistent is that he likes to "party" and cluster-nurse late in the evening. This can get pretty draining as we'll get our rambunctious toddler down for bed just in time for a little man demanding lots of food and entertainment!

Although (as I mentioned in the weekly summaries) his weight gain has been on the slow-ish side, he certainly appears to be growing like a weed! He is already too long for all his newborn sleepers and onesies, and a bunch of the supposed "0-3 month" ones. Looks like he'll outgrow the bassinet at about 2 months too like his sister did.

CJ has already garnered quite a few nicknames. I call him Superman and Bubs, and Chris likes Mr. Man. :) I'm sure he'll accumulate many more over the years!

Naturally, we can't help compare CJ to his sister at the same age. Their mouths and jawlines are decidedly similar and both were born with dark hair, though CJ's is a little lighter/fluffier and his hairline goes to a cute little point at the front, whereas S' mane was longer and shaggier. Both had deep, dark eyes as well. S ended up with light blonde hair and blue eyes so it'll be interesting to see if CJ follows suit! Both of them have long, thin, "piano playing" fingers too. And neither one has been much of a spit-up baby which is nice. As for differences, CJ has a rounder, more "bulby" nose and wider forehead, and S had bigger ears, one of which bent out at the tip. A few weeks in, CJ started looking less like his sister and more "boy-like". Which is good, since he is a boy and all!

For fun, I made a few comparison collages. S is on the left and CJ on the right in each one.

Heading home from the hospital

Sleepyheads - you can really see the jawline and mouth similarities here!

First cloth diaper (8-9 days old) - who do you think rocked it better? :)

Nose kisses with Daddy!

Snuggles with Granda

1 month old "look how I'm growing!" shot

It'd be fun to do a month-to-month comparison vid of our two little monkeys a couple years down the road! Yeah - I think I'll do that. :)


Adjusting as a Family of Four

Elizabeth Banks came under fire the other day when she said she was "really a mom" now that she has two kids. While she arguably could have phrased things more tactfully, I can certainly relate to the sentiment! With a newborn and toddler in particular, both have almost completely separate needs and (likely) very different schedules. You can volley a single child between two parents, but with two young children, each parent pretty much has one at all times. Or one has both - which I'm learning can be very challenging and exhausting! One thing I have yet to do (believe it or not) is embark on an outing by myself with both of them together. The thought of all the logistics involved (especially now during the winter) and the potential for one or both to melt down still intimidates me. I know I just need to DO IT to increase my confidence and get us all out of the house, as it's not fun nor healthy for any of us to hibernate all winter. I have one really good friend (a mama of 4 1/2 and 2 year olds) who is super down-to-earth and helps ground me. She said you have to be OK with letting go of some control - meltdowns happen, one (or both) of them are often going to be upset and as much as you attempt to plan for things, life has a way of throwing you curveballs. So one of my own challenges as a mom of two is to relax, not sweat the small stuff and learn to go with the flow a bit more! Of course everything's harder when you're exhausted, sleep-deprived and/or sick - states I've had the "pleasure" of experiencing in abundance over the past month! :)

Things have been challenging for Chris too, particularly since going back to work. He has a demanding job and tends to work long hours, so it's been exhausting for him balancing this with family life. He works from home which is convenient, however it also makes it difficult to draw a line between work and non-work time. One thing that's nice for him is that he curls 3x/week, so at least he can get out for some fun, exercise and social time.

Finally, the Big Question - how is S adjusting to having a little brother? Well-l-l, she's proving to be a bit of a Jekyll & Hyde! She oscillates between being SUPER-sweet - giving him kisses, singing him songs when he's crying and helping with diapers - and, well, seemingly plotting his demise. :) We've had a number of incidents of biting, slapping and eye poking so we have to be vigilant when the two are near each other. At the same time she seems more inclined toward this behaviour when we make a big deal out of it and/or indicate that he's "off limits", so it's a delicate balance between allowing them to bond and keeping him safe. Apparently all this is a pretty normal reaction for a 2-year-old when their new sibling arrives, however it's one more thing that stresses me out about caring for the two of them by myself!


I could ramble on about all this adjustment stuff further, but I'll save it for an upcoming post (or five) - this one's gotten long enough! (Mine have a tendency to do that, don't they? ;) Plus I've got a small window here to grab a shower - gotta take it when you can get it, right? ;) Ciao for now!

Angel Baby Oil from Earth Mama Angel Baby - #Review and #Giveaway! (Closed)

When I was pregnant with S, I spent a lot of time researching natural, toxin-free baby skin & hair products. One of the brands which continuously came up in my search, earning glowing reviews and top rankings on all-natural product lists, was Earth Mama Angel Baby. This company offers just about every baby health & wellness product imaginable, as well as a slew of amazing pregnancy and postpartum products for mama. From their website:

"Earth Mama Angel Baby's safe, zero toxin, hospital-recommended organic herbal products support mamas and babies through the entire miraculous birth process, from pregnancy through postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, baby care and beyond."

Love!!! :)

Despite how impressed I was reading about this company, I didn't end up experiencing EMAB first hand until S was about 5 months old, as I'd compiled numerous products from other brands via my baby shower, kit samples, discounted purchases, etc. The first EMAB product I tried was their Angel Baby Bottom Balm which I purchased after the ointment sample from my Bummis Diapering Kit ran out. I LOVE this balm! It is cloth diaper safe, has a pleasant aroma, glides on smooth with little mess and is, of course, 100% natural and toxin-free! We use it whenever we see signs of an impending rash, and our daughter's skin looks better within hours. A little goes a long way as well. We've been using the balm for about 6 months now and still have at least half of the container left. I've also been reading that the balm is great for other uses - burns, thrush, eczema, etc. I definitely recommend this product if you're looking for an all-natural, CD-safe diaper or general use ointment.

Given my uber-positive experience with the Angel Baby Bottom Balm, I knew I had to try more EMAB products and I was eager to share my experiences with my wonderful readers as well! So I contacted Earth Mama Angel Baby and was delighted to hear that they wanted to partner on a blog review/giveaway. Thanks "Mama"! :)

I had the opportunity to select from a list of about 25-30 products and ended up choosing the Angel Baby Oil.

I'd dabbled in infant massage when S was a newborn, but stopped when the so-called "natural" baby oil I was using at the time ended up aggravating her sensitive skin. (More in-depth research revealed that this product wasn't actually 100% natural & toxin-free. Unfortunately it seems that the word "natural" gets slapped fairly liberally onto many products, so it's always a good idea to dig a little deeper to find out the actual facts!) I didn't get back into massage with her early on which I regret, as I found it to be a nice bonding experience and S seemed to like it. Now that she's almost 1 year old, common wisdom would suggest she is "too old" for massage, however I decided I was up for the challenge! :) Plus, this would allow me the opportunity to experiment with and discuss techniques for massaging an older baby, which there isn't nearly as much information on.

Here is the product description for Angel Baby Oil:

"What's more calming to a baby than a massage from mama? Make mama's magic touch even softer with natural Angel Baby Oil, a gently absorbable grape seed oil blend that has no nut oils and zero toxins. Hospital recommended Angel Baby Oil is infused with calming organic Chamomile and moisturizing organic Calendula, and has virtually no scent. Perfect for sensitive little noses, ideal for massage or dry skin! No artificial preservatives, dyes or fragrances, just pure natural baby oil for your pure natural baby.

    * No artificial preservatives
    * No artificial fragrances or dyes
    * Cruelty-free
    * Zero Toxin
    * Vegan

So safe, hospitals use it for NICU babies!"

I especially loved reading the article linked above. It describes how Miami Valley Hospital recently chose EMAB products, including Angel Baby Oil, as the first step in their "greening process" following a year of research into environmental toxicants which pose health risks to newborns and mothers. It made me ponder what it may take to set similar changes in motion at our local hospital. Something to think more about!!

Earth Mama Angel Baby also published a couple articles on infant massage just last week. They have shared the numerous benefits of infant massage and some advice to help you get started. Recommended reading if you'd like to get into infant massage yourself and are looking for some pointers!

Alright, let's get to our experiences using the Angel Baby Oil.

I'll start with a few observations about the product itself. First of all, although the bottle is quite small (containing a total of 4 fl. oz), a little of this oil goes a long way! It has a fine, silky texture and glides onto the skin smoothly. Based on my usage so far, I would guess that a single bottle could cover 30-40+ massages. It also warms quickly which is a desirable quality in a massage oil. The scent is, indeed, extremely subtle. I get a slight essence of dough/bread which definitely isn't unpleasant! Finally, the oil appears to absorb into the skin within several minutes, allowing plenty of time to massage a particular area without leaving behind a greasy mess.

As expected, at 11 months S is too squirmy to stay put for a "real" massage. However, I've used it on her after a few of her recent baths (while chasing her around her nursery ;) and it makes her skin feel wonderfully smooth and supple. I've also tried it while nursing her at night to give her a mini-massage on her feet, legs, back and arms. This seems to relax her, which is good when she's still a little worked up. One downside of this approach, however, is that her PJs need to go on afterwards, which isn't ideal if she's super-sleepy after nursing.
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I'm happy to report that her skin has had no reaction to the oil whatsover, which is a relief after our early experiences. Not that we expected a reaction from an EMAB product, but still good to confirm!

Finally, she appears to have an inexplicable fixation with the bottle. *nods*

I plan to continue using the oil on S in the evenings, though I'd also like to try it to massage my husband who has sensitive skin as well. If we end up having more children, I plan to start infant massage from the beginning and Angel Baby Oil will definitely be our oil of choice!

Buy It:

You can purchase Angel Baby Oil and other EMAB products directly from the Earth Mama Angel Baby website, or use their Store Finder to locate a retailer near you! Angel Baby Oil retails for $12.95 USD, however it is currently on sale for $11.00 USD, so now's a great time to grab yourself some of this fabulous stuff!

Win It:

Earth Mama Angel Baby has generously offered to give away a 4 fl. oz. bottle of Angel Baby Oil to one lucky Manager to Mom reader!

To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Comments do not count as entries, however feel free to add a comment to remind yourself that you entered!

I fed my daughter cyanide, but hey - it was ORGANIC!

So early this evening I was out on a nice walk with S. The temperature was perfect, the birds were chirping and the scent of BBQ was in the air. I sang songs to her, she enjoyed the bucket swing at the playground and I gave her various leaves and flowers to hold & explore. Including one which looked like this:

These are all over the place in our area right now - in fields, lawns and parks. Obviously a weed of sorts but actually kind of pretty! S played with it in her hands a bit and then brought it up to her mouth and chomped down. Oops, probably shouldn't allow that, huh? By the time I pulled it away, however, she'd gotten a couple petals into her mouth and was chewing away at them. I tried to fish them out but I'm not sure I got everything.

I chastized myself a bit on the way home, because I didn't actually know what this thing was. Heck, it could have been poisonous. :-/ But I didn't really think much more about it until after S went to sleep (which went fine.) Then, I decided I should check into things further to be on the safe side. I consulted Google Images which suggested that the plant was Bird's-foot Trefoil. And guess what? This stuff IS poisonous!! It contains cyanogenic glycosides which can cause symptoms of cyanide poisoning when digested.

OMG.

Naturally, I kind of freaked out. Googling around a bit more suggested that, if affected, symptoms would appear within several hours. It had been 4-5 hours at this point and S seemed just fine. (I checked on her and she was sleeping soundly.) Regardless, I still decided to call Poison Control. The nice & chatty woman on the other end was reassuring. Like peach pits and apple seeds, she said, S would have had to digest a HELLUVA lot of B-FT to get sick. One or two petals? Pish posh.

So needless to say, I feel better now. And inspired, obviously, to write this post!

I got thinking about our ironies and idiosyncracies as parents. How, often inexplicably, we are conservative about some things and liberal about others, especially when it comes to health and safety-related topics. As this post would indicate, I've been pretty liberal (up until this point, at least) letting our daughter explore nature. Lord knows she has her fair share of man-made toys and functional objects, so I relish the opportunity to expose her to organic matter whenever possible. That said, today was a bit of an eye opener so I'm definitely going to be more careful on this front moving forward.

But let's look at some other health & safety related topics. I'm kind of all over the board when it comes to our daughter. For example:

- Skin, hair and cleaning products - very conservative; I seek out all-natural, eco-friendly products whenever possible. For example, we use Country Save laundry detergent (which is biodegradable and "everything-free") and I'm willing to pay through the nose for mineral-based sunscreen in order to avoid the scary ingredients found in their commercially-available counterparts. Oh, and on a related note, I *really* hate putting a 'sposie on her. I've only had to do it a couple times but it Just. Feels. Wrong.

- Germ exposure - somewhat liberal. While I don't set out to purposefully get my daughter sick, I also don't worry too much about what she touches, who she's around and ensuring that my floors are spotless 24/7. After all, I'm pretty convinced that a little dirt is good for you!

- Solids - somewhat liberal, in terms of the "standard" guidelines on what to eat., I'll give her tastes of what I'm eating at times and I've dabbled around in baby-led weaning. Oh, and I'm definitely not going to wait until 3 years to give her peanut butter! However I'm quite conservative regarding the quality of what she eats day to day. We go organic whenever possible.

- Vaccinations - middle of the road. I don't love the idea of them and I have some lingering doubts, however I feel that the benefits outweigh the possible drawbacks when it comes to highly-established vaccines. I'm much more leery of the newer ones on the market today (flu, chicken pox, Gardasil, etc.)

There are probably other categories as well, but this list is pretty illustrative.

So what about you? Which topics are you particularly liberal or conservative about? Have you ever inadvertently poisoned your own child? :)

Pears, Poo and "To Bed With You!!!"

I had a plethora of ideas for awesomesauce blog posts this week, however sickies, lack of proper sleep and Blogger's little stunt threw a wrench into that. But now it's the weekend and perhaps (with hubby's assistance) I can do some catch up here. We'll start with a rather sleep-deprived "miscellaneous happenings" update; excuse any improper grammar or questionable sentence structure and flow. THERE, I said it. Now I can write with impunity! ;)

First of all, an update on solids. On Wednesday we found ourselves once more into a double digits number of days since S last had a doo-doo, and her "composter" farts were getting seriously wretched! So we went for the double poo-ty frooty combo - more prune juice, and some mashed up pear! This was the third or fourth time she'd had prune juice so she has gotten used to it and doesn't mind it. So how'd she do on the pear, you ask? Well:

Lots of strange faces and definitely more slopped onto her tray or mushed into her bib than actually ingested, but it was a pretty good start! Unfortunately when we tried again the next day with the other half of the pear, she decided she was having none of it. Gaah. Well, we'll try again later.

In any case, it appears she got enough in to hit pay dirt! Or would that be poo dirt? Or pay squirt? :) Anyhoo. Let’s just say that an insta-bath was in order following Wednesday night's inshident. Oh! And despite the magnitude, her baby blue Charis Designs cover held everything in. w00t!

A few people have commented that S's recent bowel habits must sure make diaper changes easier. This got me thinking. In terms of the clean-up process, would I rather contend with one or two "regular" poops per day, or a GINORMOUS, sticky, peanut-buttery, "baby wipes ain't cutting it" affair once every 10 days or so? And y'know what - I'm not sure! What would YOU rather contend with?

Next on the solids radar: oats and peas. We're also excited about introducing quinoa which is SUPER healthy, however it seems the recommendation is 8+ months for this one, so we won't go there just yet.

In other news, I'm starting to question the whole asthma thing. S's been a LOT better over the last few days; very little coughing overnight and generally nice, regular breathing. Granted we *have* been using her inhalers (at least the long term twice/day one) but we've also been battling the sickies. Maybe she just had whatever we did and is getting over it now? Do we really want to continue making her breathe in those chemicals if this is the case? Though on the flip side, if it's the inhalers that are making her better, do we want to stop them now? Gah, so many questions and so few clear answers! That said, Chris and I have agreed to continue with the inhalers until her follow-up appointment next week, and then re-evaluate from there.

Finally, we're now on night 3 of Really Craptacular Sleep. S has been a) very difficult to settle and b) waking MULTIPLE times overnight to fuss 'n' feed. Like, we're talking every hour and a half. It's been reminiscent of her first couple weeks except even more challenging because Chris hasn't been off work to fully share the pain (though he *has* taken her for an hour or so in the mornings before work to help me out) and because she barely naps during the day, preventing me from "sleeping when baby sleeps" and catching up. BUT! I think she's teething and/or going through a big growth spurt, both of which are good things! (Not that teething's fun, but it's something every baby needs to go through!) Oh-so-fittingly, the amber teething necklace I won over at Obsessions of The Trophy Wife just came in the mail the other day (all the way from Lithuania!), so we'll give that a try this weekend and see if it helps her out!

Chris showed me something he found the other day which is also oh-so-fitting:

 

The product description:

Go the F*!k to Sleep is a bedtime book for parents who live in the real world, where a few snoozing kitties and cutesy rhymes don't always send a toddler sailing blissfully off to dreamland. Profane, affectionate, and radically honest, California Book Award-winning author Adam Mansbach's verses perfectly capture the familiar--and unspoken--tribulations of putting your little angel down for the night. In the process, they open up a conversation about parenting, granting us permission to admit our frustrations, and laugh at their absurdity.

With illustrations by Ricardo Cortes, Go the Fuck to Sleep is beautiful, subversive, and pants-wettingly funny--a book for parents new, old, and expectant. You probably should not read it to your children.

And a sample verse:

The cats nestle close to their kittens now.
The lambs have laid down with the sheep.
You're cozy and warm in your bed, my dear
Please go the f*!k to sleep.

Awesomeness.

Take a deep breath...

I'd planned to do some blog updates yesterday following a wonderful Mother's Day weekend. (Hope all you mamas had one as well!) However, I woke up in the morning feeling like someone had beaten the crap out of me and pushed razor blades down my throat, so this was an initial deterrent. (Side note - I almost never got sick before giving birth, but since then I've come down with a bug three times. Boo to that!)

And then the biggie. S had begun having some coughing spells about a week back, and they worsened over the weekend (mostly at night) so I called the doctor and got her an appointment for yesterday afternoon. Chris took her in so I could crawl back into bed for another hour (yay to working from home), and he came back with some sobering news. According to the doctor, it's very likely that S has asthma. :( Along with this hypothesis came a prescription for two inhalers: a blue one which clears out her bronchial tubes (for short term relief) and a brown one which reduces the inflammation in her tubes (which should reduce and HOPEFULLY eliminate the condition into the longer term.) He said he wants to rule out asthma; if the inhalers don't work, then she is dealing with something else like a respiratory infection. But if they *do* work, it's virtually guaranteed to be asthma. He also prescribed an AeroChamber, a device which attaches to the inhaler enabling it to be used for a baby.

Apparently the pharmacist saw the look on Chris' face when he began to fill the prescription, as he reassured him that this is a common and very treatable condition. However, our research has indicated that it's not common in infants and toddlers (usually it shows up when a child is 4 or 5 years old). And no one ever wants to receive the news that their baby is suffering from a significant health condition - no matter how common or uncommon it is.

We began her on the inhalers last night and we did notice a reduction in her coughing spells overnight. Poor girl hates the process of giving her the inhaler, though Chris pointed out that the bigger of a "production" is made out of it, the more she fusses. (He gave her a shot of the blue inhaler first thing this morning and it wasn't too bad, however when we tag-teamed a bit later on the brown one she really squirmed and cried out.)

So aside from the inhalers, we also need to be really diligent about keeping things clean and allergin-free around here. This means frequently cleaning/vaccuming the floors and laundering all bedding and soft toys in hot water to get rid of dust mites (a notorious culrpit) and, unfortunately, finding a new home for Lucy. :( We discussed doing this earlier when we suspected S was developing an allergy, but now that she's been virtually diagnosed with a serious breathing condition, this is a step we have to take. Wish us luck here; it's not easy to find devoted caretakers for an older cat, even one as loving and awesome as Lucy.

Another concerning thing is that it is possible that swimming in indoor, chlorinated pools can trigger or worsen asthma due to trichloramine, which can be released when chlorinated water reacts with urine and other organic material. This concern was raised in Germany this past January and we've found it in other sources as well. Due to this, we'll need to make a decision regarding her swimming lessons as well.

So this was some unfortunate news, but we're of course going to do whatever we can to promote our daughter's health and wellbeing. We started last night with about 4 loads of bedding & toy laundry, and we plan to steam clean the carpets very soon as a next step. (With her out of the house, of course. Perhaps a Grandma and Grandpa day is in order!)

Finally, as if all of the above weren't enough for one day, I experienced a first last night: an inability to nurse S at bedtime. My milk just WOULDN'T let down! Luckily we had some pumped milk in the freezer, which she gulped down with gusto. And thankfully I was able to nurse her effectively again during our two overnight feedings. A bit disconcerting, though I think we can chock this one up to my illness, stress over the day's events or a combination of the two.

So that's that. We have a follow-up doctor's appointment for S in 10 days to check in. Crossing fingers and toes that with some super diligent cleaning, help from the inhalers and lots of fresh air, she'll be in tip-top shape in no time!

Our current sh!tuation

Excuse the pun. I couldn't help myself.

So S hasn't pooed in 11 days. That's right - 11.

At about the 5 day point, I did some research and was relieved (no pun actually intended on this one) to discover it's quite normal for EBF babies not to poo for several days at a time. Plus, she didn't seem in discomfort at all, so I wasn't worried. Now that we're approaching 2 weeks, however, I've become somewhat concerned. In addition to the sheer length of time since her last BM, she's recently been doing A LOT of stinky farting, last night she woke up a few times crying and today she's been fussier than normal. I ended up calling the doc this morning and he suggested that I incorporate more fibre into my own diet and try giving her some juice (unsweetend prune or apple). First one - easy peasy. I promptly bought some Fibre 1 and had a big bowl when I got home. Boom - about 12 grams of fibre. I then made smoothies with prune juice. Another 3-4 grams. Several hours later, still no poo from S so now I'm thinking of moving to the second suggestion. I'm hesitant, though. She hasn't had anything to eat or drink except BM so far (well aside from a chunk of napkin the other day, but that's another story). So I'm a little skittish about giving her juice, especially before she has started on "milder" foods such as rice cereal or veggies. But - tomorrow will be 12 days. That's a LOOONG time without a poop!

Have any of you been through something similar with a little one? If so, how long did the "no poop" period last? Did your kiddo eventually just go on his/her own, or did you introduce something like prune juice or an infant suppository to help move things along? And what was the first BM like after the drought? Normal? Overly plentiful? Was it the same consistency or different? Interested in hearing from others who have been through the same thing!!

Not so happy baby :(

S hasn't been her normal, happy self the last few days. :( She's not nearly as smiley, she isn't responding to our voices or faces as much and she isn't really babbling or cooing. There's probably a good explanation - perhaps she's feeling a bit under the weather (lots of sickness going around recently), she may be starting to teethe or she might just be focusing on honing some new skills. Or perhaps a combination of the above. But as a mommy who's used to her little girl smiling and cooing at kisses, silly songs and goofy games, it tugs at the heartstrings a bit when these "old standbys" instead produce wary looks or no reaction at all.

I just talked to my mother-in-law who said that I worry too much, and that if I'm feeling down that li'l girl will pick up on it. But it's hard not to be affected by this sort of thing. I can't help but have some concern that I've inadvertently "withdrawn from her emotional bank account" or that she's sick or experiencing some sort of developmental regression. And I hear that this is not only natural, but a neverending process. Even when your children grow up into adults, they're still your kids! I feel a lot of sympathy for my grandmother who has lost 2 of her children. She said there isn't a day that goes by when she doesn't mourn for them.

Well this was a bit of a downer post! Time to pep things up a bit and get this week's giveaway roundup going! S's asleep right now and it's her short nap period of the day so I probably have another 20 or so minutes - let's see if I can pull this out! (Likely will need to finish during her next nap.)