Teething & Recalls, Recalls, Recalls...

Disclaimer:  This post may contain typos, sentences that make no sense, and a lack of flow.  Sorry.  It's late and I'm lacking sleep.

So we've been dealing with teething for the past several weeks.  Today was, by far, the worst yet.  Noah was running a fever this morning, so we gave him Tylenol. By his well-baby appointment this afternoon, it was back up to 100.6 degrees.  More Tylenol. This evening 100.9 degrees followed by extreme fussiness and discomfort.  So we gave him another dose of Tylenol before bed plus Oragel.  I'd so much rather be using the Hyland's teething tablets all of my friends raved about, but thanks to the recall I can't.  (For information about the recall you can check out their statement here: http://www.hylands.com/news/hylands-teething-recall.php)

Speaking of recalls, we have (and regularly use) the oh-so-dangerous Bumbo seat.   When I posted pictures of my son sitting in his on my facebook page I was bombarded with messages, comments, etc. from very well-meaning loved ones who were concerned because of the widely talked about recall.  I informed them that the recall was simply because they needed to put a huge warning label stating that if you put your child in the seat on an elevated surface they can fall out and get hurt.           Um               No kidding...  It only takes a tiny bit of common sense to know it's a bad idea to leave your child in it on top of the kitchen table.

Here are some other stupid recalls I've found:

- Summer Infant Video baby monitors.
   Why? Two babies were strangled by the electrical cord when the device was set on or near their crib.
   My thoughts? It's incredibly tragic, and my heart breaks for those children. But should we really have to warn people that electrical cords can strangle a baby?

- Circo Kids Camping Set.
   Why? Because the bottom of the tent failed a flammability test. 
   My thoughts?  Watch your child when they're in the tent to make sure they don't try to build a campfire inside it.  In case you didn't know, it's also a good idea to keep flammables out of reach.

- Beaba Express Steam Bottle Warmers
   Why? Because they can overheat liquids and foods, posing a burn hazard.
   My thoughts? This is the same as the warning on bottles stating not to microwave them.  Parents have heated bottles for years because babies tend to prefer warm formula/milk over cold.  Anyone with half a brain should know that you need to shake it to eliminate the hot spots.  Use your heads.

- Slings (various brands)
   Why? Suffocation
   My thoughts? If you cover a baby's face of course it can suffocate. It isn't difficult to supervise your child when they are against your body.

- Disney Princess plastic trikes
   Why? The plastic castle & princesses on the handle bar can hurt a child if they fall on it.
   My thoughts?  So can a rock in your yard. But unlike a rock that they may not see, the trike is big and bright pink. Need I say more?

- Bassinets by Burlington Basket
   Why?  It can collapse if you don't lock the legs into place.
   My thoughts?  This one is too stupid for me to even comment on.


Now, it's not that I don't agree with most recalls. If parts are falling off and becoming choking hazards, or otherwise injuring children, then yes... recall those products.  But when it seems everything is being recalled, it's hard to take any of them seriously.  Consumers can miss a recall for a truly unsafe product when it gets tossed into the same mix as these ridiculous ones. 

So many people lack common sense or would rather sue for a broken bone than accept personal responsibility.  Maybe we should be recalling them instead.

Somedays it's always "my turn"

I'm tired.  Today is one of those days when I would love for Greg to be home to help with Noah.  But he's away on a gig.  Greg is in the National Guard band while finishing up with school.  You'd think this wouldn't take him away much.  No deploying, just playing the tuba one weekend a month, two weeks a year, right?  No. Like a good daddy, he takes every opportunity to earn money with the guard that he can.  Noah turned 4 months old yesterday, and so far Greg has had 10 drill days, about 3 weeks away for various training, and goodness knows how many days of voluntary gigs like the one today.  I'm not complaining.  I know it could be much worse.  I would take this a million times a day as long as it keeps him close to home and out of harm's way.  I've been there, done that, and am glad this isn't in our immediate future.

During Greg's last (and longest) training course, we had the wonderful opportunity to talk on Skype a few times.  Noah was understandably confused about the whole thing.  The first time he saw his daddy on the screen he tried to climb over the keyboard while jibbering what I'm sure translated to, "Daddy, get out of there! I'm SO bored with just Mommy. She plays really dumb games and makes me dance to a stupid song she made up! HELP ME!"

There were other notable moments of Noah's Skype experiences, but those will have to wait... Right now I have to go change what smells like a very lovely diaper, and there's no one to turn to and say, "Your turn!"

Fat Girl...

Before becoming pregnant with Noah I was attempting to drop some weight I'd picked up over the years.  My goal? To lose 50lbs.  But once those two pink lines showed up on the stick I realized my weight would be headed in the opposite direction.  Instead of losing 50lbs, I gained 50lbs.  Now I'm not saying that he wasn't worth the stretchmarks, saggy butt, jiggle arms, and floppy belly.  I love my Baby Man and being his mommy; but I still want to look good, too!

I think this hits hardest when I see pictures of myself.  It is so disappointing to hate how you look in every photograph with your young child.  I would love to have one picture of us that I could show anyone in the world without feeling embarrassed about my own appearance.

My original weight loss goal still stands, only it is now 100lbs total.  Of course a large amount came off right in the beginning, I've continued to slowly drop the pounds.  So far I'm down 38lbs. Only 62 to go!

For starters...

Let's start out with a little bit about me...

I'm Heidi, aka Noah's Mommy.  Noah was born 9 days after my 29th birthday and is now 4 months old.  We live in West Virginia with his daddy & my boyfriend, Greg.  He's pretty awesome.

I didn't intend to be a stay-at-home mom, but life happens and you learn to adjust.  I'd been working for our family's company for a couple of years when we discovered the little guy was on his way.  I ended up on modified bedrest throughout most of my pregnancy and could no longer do the daily commute.  Thanks to my totally amazing boss (aka Dad) I was able to maintain my pay while safely growing a human and later raising him in those important first weeks. 

We had planned on starting Noah in daycare at 2-months-old so I could return to work.  It all seemed so perfect and easy, which should have been a huge red flag.  Like I said, life happens and you learn to adjust.  The company was forced to make some major cutbacks.  My job was no longer needed and someone else had been doing it for months anyway, so I got laid off.  Yep.  That's right.  By my own father.

Armed with a BA in psychology and a very nice resume I started searching for a job in mental health.  I applied for and interviewed for several jobs, but none of them offered a decent salary.  Let's just say that after taxes, insurance, childcare, and gas I would have made approximately $1.25/hr.  No thanks.  Clearly it was time for a career change, and the timing seemed to work out.  I'm now getting ready to start an online program.

So for the next several months I will be a stay-at-home mommy and online student.  I'm pretty excited about it, and have all sorts of plans on domesticating myself.  This could get interesting......