Growing Your Baby - Parenthood from Pregnancy to Pre-school » Uncategorized

Gap and Stella McCartney Announce a Second Kids & Baby Collection

Lisa — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:00:47 +0000

GapKids and babyGap announced today plans for a second collection created for Gap by Stella McCartney. Expected to launch in March 2010, the collection will be carried in select GapKids and babyGap stores in the United States and Canada, the UK, France and Ireland, and Japan, as well as online in the US. In addition the collection will be available in selected stores in Russia, Turkey, Greece, Asia and the Middle East.

“We’re pleased and encouraged by the response to our first collection working with Stella,” said Marka Hansen, President of Gap brand. “The combination of her unique aesthetic and our brand’s experience in childrenswear has resonated with our customers around the world, with certain styles including the Miller jacket being a sellout success. We’re thrilled to be working with Stella on a Spring collection.”

How exciting! It will be interesting to see what she comes up for Spring and Summer.

Preemie Profile: 23 Week Twins Olivia & Logan

Shannon — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:47:01 +0000

November is Prematurity Awareness Month. In honor of this, some parents who have had babies prematurely have offered to tell their stories to create awareness about his important cause.

Our fourteenth profile is of twins Olivia Paige and Logan William.

Olivia and Logan were born on August 27th 2007 at only 23 weeks 1 day.

Mom Jodi said that the doctors best guess about why she gave birth so early was because of an incompetent cervix (A condition in which the cervix opens prematurely without contractions.)

At birth Olivia weighed 1lb 1.5oz and Logan was 1lb 1.75oz. Olivia’s NICU stay was as smooth as it could possibly be for a 23 weeker. She had no brain bleeds, no ROP surgery (Retinopathy of Prematurity) as she only got a stage two. She had no issues with bowels, intestines or brain damage. Mom said it was just a miracle.

Logan, however, did not get to go home to his family. He passed away after 1 month, 1 day. Jodi says that people don’t realize how the death of your child will affect you for the rest of your life.

It was tough to plan my child’s funeral, while still not knowing if I would get to take my other child home.

Logan had a grade 2 brain bleed, but no sign of PVL (damage to the white matter of the brain near the ventricles.) Doctors could never get his blood pressure stabilized and his kidneys had trouble functioning and he stopped urinating multiple times. In the end, his heart gave out and after resuscitating him multiple times, multiple shots of epinephrine to the heart, he passed away.

After 105 days in the NICU, Olivia came home. As for lasting effects from her prematurity, Olivia’s skin is severely scarred because it was so underdeveloped at birth. She is about 6 months behind developmentally and has some sensory disorders. She has had one strabismus (eye muscle) surgery and will probably need another one. She wears glasses and has a lot of problems gaining weight. She is 2 years old and 20 lbs.

Jodi and her husband do not have any other children. They tried for 3 years to become pregnant.

We wanted our babies more than anything and I did nothing in my pregnancy that would cause prematurity. It can truly happen to anyone.

If Jodi had one piece of advice for a new preemie mom it would be this: Take care of yourself. I was diagnosed with severe adrenal fatigue about a year later. It is such a stressful time that you run on adrenaline to get you through. Eventually, you can completely run out. Pumping breast milk is the one thing that I felt I could do for my babies when all other new mother experiences were taken away. I never got to hold Logan until after he passed away. I couldn’t hold Olivia until she was over a month old. Providing breast milk was something special I could do for her and Logan.

I asked Jodi to describe her children in one word and she said “MIRACLES.”

These two are definitely miracles in my eyes as well. If you would like to read more about this amazing family and follow their journey, you can go here to Olivia & Logan

Yo Gabba Gabba Brings Out The Celebrities in LA!

Lisa — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:05:36 +0000

This weekend the popular kids show Yo Gabba Gabba opened up their new on-stage show with some serious star power. Celebrity parents came out in full force to see “There’s A Party In My City” live this weekend in Los Angeles.

Christina Aguilera partied with her son Max on day one along with Jason Bateman, Dennis Quaid, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Sarah Silverman and Busy Philipps.

Snoop Dogg not only brought his kiddies, but performed on stage during day two, where Travis Barker and Taylor Hanson enjoyed the show with their families. Other celebrities in attendance were Monet Mazur, Biz Markie, Jon Heder Amber Valletta and actress Poppy Montgomery.

If you missed the show in LA, there are still a bunch of shows left!

The 3 shows in NYC next weekend are sold out, but the 2 cities below still have tickets.

Dallas, TX @ Dr. Pepper Arena Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009 11AM, 3PM
Chicago, IL @ Rosemont Theatre Saturday, December 5, 2009 11AM, 3PM

PHOTOCREDIT:WIREIMAGE

Crayola’s Lights, Camera, Color (Access Code and GIVEAWAY)

Lisa — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:31:46 +0000

Crayola has introduced a cool new application called Lights, Camera, Color. By logging onto the company’s website kids can spend hours creating their own customized coloring pages.

While no purchase is necessary if you want to just look around and create a project, you will need a special code to print your work. Crayola’s 64, 96, 120-ct., and the 150-ct. Crayon Tower all have an access code under that lid to give you 6 months of Lights, Camera, Color play.

Once on the site, your kids will have the opportunity to customize their coloring pages three ways.

By uploading a favorite picture – then Crayola’s color removing vacuum takes the color out leaving
Using the Body Builder tool to create a character or monster just in time for Halloween!
Using the Gizmo Gears application to design a cool car/truck

Lights, Camera, Color is a great way for kids to feel like they have created a piece of art from start to finish. I love Crayola. They have been a arts and crafts staple in our house for a few years now. My son really enjoys using this program. He loves ‘vacuuming’ pics of our dog and his little brother.

Try it! Crayola has given us an access code (below) so that our readers can use Lights, Camera, Color for 24 hours.

We had 2(two) 150ct Crayola Crayon Towers(includes access code for 6 months) to giveaway!

Congratulations to our winners Kerri and Noreen!

Thank you to the sites that blogged about our giveaway:

The Boy In The Balloon – Was It A Hoax?

Lisa — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:36:38 +0000

For 2 hours this afternoon, the world stood still as the US Air Force and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) dispatched two helicopters to chase an air balloon, believed to be carrying 6-year-old Falcon Heene.

The balloon’s 40-mile flight was followed so closely by emergency services that they were on the scene within seconds when it finally touched down. A sheriff’s deputy sprinted across a ploughed field and grabbed a tether to prevent it becoming airborne again. Rescue workers were dreading what they would find inside.

They soon had their answer: nothing. For Falcon Heene had been safe at home all along, hiding in a box in the attic over his father’s garage.

Just before sunset, with hundreds of rescue workers combing about 150 square miles of fields across Colorado, police made their discovery. Sheriff Jim Alderman burst into a live press conference: “He’s at the house,” he said. Mr Alderman said there was “no indication” that the event had been a hoax, adding: “This is not the first time when we have been involved in searching for some child and they hide because they’re afraid they’re going to get in trouble.”

That is what everyone thought until the family was interviewed by Wolfe Blitzer. When asked why he didn’t come out when he heard everyone calling his name, Falcon said, “It was for the show.” (huh?)

Taken a back, the boys parents stuttered and then attempted to change the subject.

SOURCE

VIA MOMLOGIC

Little Inkers: So Much More Than Organic Clothing

Lisa — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 05:21:17 +0000

Today I came across this incredible company that is so much more than the organic clothes they produce. Little Inkers proudly supports breast feeding, natural parenting, feminism, self esteem, individuality, left leaning politics and environmental awareness.

And for this – we support them!

All of their garments are hand printed using high quality PVC/Phthlate free inks as well as soy and orange oil processing products.

Study: Working Moms Have Less Healthy Kids

Beth Shea — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:19:50 +0000

Findings of a recent British study are certain to unnerve working moms. Children whose mothers work outside of the home are more likely to eat unhealthy foods, watch too much television and are less likely to exercise. The study tracked the dietary habits and physical activity of more than 12,500 children ages nine months to five years. The results point toward working parents not having as much time to “provide their children with healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity.”

The study also noted that children of working moms were more often driven to school as opposed to walking or riding a bike. This in turn helped foster a sedentary lifestyle in which sitting in front of the computer or television was in excess of 2 hours a day. On the contrary, kids of stay at home moms logged less than 2 hours of media viewing and got more exercise.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, and there are most likely plenty of stay at home moms who do not monitor their children’s diet, physical activity and media intake properly — while there must also exist many working mothers who put every effort into their child’s feeding and exercise plan and make sure their television time is not excessive. As with all of these types of studies, they should serve as a reminder to stay aware of our children’s needs in order to offer them the healthiest lifestyle possible. – Beth Shea, Staff Writer

SOURCE

Zhu Zhu Pets: Without The Mess!!

Shannon — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 05:11:24 +0000

As the mother of a child with special needs, finding fun things to do with my son can be challenging and sometimes keeping him entertained, even more difficult. Because he is not able to use his hands as he would like, playing on his own is just not always possible.

One thing is for sure, Ashton loves animals and although we have a dog and a cat here in our household, they are often not as interested in him as he is in them.

I have found a great idea for parents who would like to give your child their own hamster minus the mess, smell or unexpected deaths!

They are called Zhu Zhu Pets and these electronic hamsters have been named one of this year’s hottest toys for the holiday season by Time to Play. These little guys all come with their own unique personality and make 40 different sounds if you can believe it. In ‘loving’ mode, you can pet them, love them and hear them chatter. In explore mode, they can scoot and scamper across the floor.

Additionally, there are a ton of accessories you can to purchase for these fuzzy creatures, including the typical hamster wheel, a car, a surf board or even a skateboard! Just connect whatever pieces you would like, turn the hamster on and this little creature takes on a life of its own.

Check out these cute little life like animals HERE.

I think this is definitely something that will be under the tree for Ashton this year! – Shannon Strohm, Staff Writer

Nine Naturals: Healthy Hair Care Products Designed Just For Moms-to-be

Lisa — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:50:29 +0000

Keeping track of everything you must avoid while pregnant can sometimes be a daunting task. Nine Naturals has designed a line of hair care products that makes this important time a little easier.

They have kicked out the chemicals that are suspected to cause harm to an unborn baby including parabens, phthalates, sulfates and DEA.
Studies have found that the chemicals in many beauty products can lead to birth defects or act like hormones that interfere with the normal reproductive system.

So many things to worry about!

Nine Naturals shampoo is invigorating. As the mom of 2 very active kids, I find that I am too rundown to even enjoy a shower at the end of the day. For me, the smell from the peppermint essential oil gave me a bit of a boost. It’s subtle, yet fresh aroma was enough to perk me up after a wild day of the kids running me all over.

The conditioner’s essential oil combination of rosemary and peppermint gave my head that cool tingle that was refreshing.

Most notably, when dry, my hair was soft and manageable.

Pregnant or not, Nine Naturals line of hair care products deliver, without causing concern about environmental effects or loading your body up with unnecessary chemicals.

Priced from $18.

Hugh Jackman Goes Pumpkin Picking With His Family

Lisa — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:02:19 +0000

It’s that time of year again!

Hugh Jackman, his wife Deborra-Lee Furness and kids Oscar and Ava were spotted yesterday enjoying the afternoon picking pumpkins at the Silverman’s Country Market in Easton, Ct.

The 90 year old ‘pick your own’ farm features a widespread orchard, scenic tractor rides, and petting farm with many types of barnyard animals, and fowl.

Sounds like fun!

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