Baby Land

Our next door neighbors have a small garden in their backyard where they grow squash, zucchini, tomatoes and cucumbers. They get their children involved in taking care of the plants, and I suspect it makes for an easier sell on eating their veggies when the veggies are ones they have helped cultivate. My best friend's parents have a garden and her three year old loves to eat tomatoes straight off the vine!

I mention all of this to say that I think a home garden would be a neat hobby to share with a young child to get them excited about vegetables. It's also a convenient way to have fresh vegetables on the table nearly every night - definitely easier than stopping by the store two-three times each week. Since pregnancy, I have been trying to eat more of the "right" things - I have found many new recipes that include fresh vegetables that we tried and enjoyed, which is saying a lot for this super-picky eater. I want to introduce my one year old to lots of different types of food so that she will be a well-balanced eater.

Now that vegetables are a bigger part of our dinner menus, my husband and I have toyed with the idea of planting a few things just behind our house - zucchini and squash are the top two choices, as we eat those the most. Our problem is that we have no idea how to get started... Should we buy seeds or an actual plant? What time of year should you plant? Where is the best place to grow this type of vegetable - shade or sun? What type of soil should we plant them in? How often do they have to be watered? Is it necessary to spray for pests? We definietly have more questions than answers.

So I open it up to all of you - can you help get us started with some tips? We're also open to some new, simple recipes, especially those using squash and zucchini! It will be a year or two before our daughter can fully enjoy all aspects of growing our own produce, but we are ready to get our little garden going...

Everywhere I go, I seem to spot a smoker in a situation that makes me want to write about it and vent... Yesterday, such a smoker spotting occurred at Chick-fil-A on the west side of town. I was in my car, waiting in line to place my order. At one of the picnic tables just beside the restaurant, there was a mother, daughter and what appeared to be one of the mom's pals sitting at a table having lunch. The daughter was probably around 6 or 7 years old. What caught my attention was the friend who took a moment to light up her cigarette and proceed to puff away as she chatted with the mom and expelled her smoke fumes in the direction of the little girl.

Now - I don't think I need to tell any of you how this mom would react if a friend of mine were to even think about pulling out a pack of cigarettes around my child (or around just me for that matter, but especially around my daughter). I run in the opposite direction when a smoker comes around - I won't even let my child near someone who has been smoking. The smell just doesn't go away, and the toxins remain. There are around 4,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke that may be breathed in my someone who happens to be near a smoker. These chemicals also stick to clothing, furniture, walls and any other type of porous surface. Children are more susceptible to the hazards of these chemicals than adults - it can seriously increase the risk of children developing pneumonia, asthma, wheezing, bronchitis and more.

I think there is a polite way to handle the situation, although I don't think tact is the most important thing! It is perfectly acceptable to ask a pal not to smoke around your child, whether it be in a restaurant setting, in the car or at an outdoor event. As parents, we are charged with ensuring the safety of our children, and that extends to smoking. If truly a friend, they won't mind postponing their puffing until after your visit. While out in public, it is a good idea to avoid areas where smokers congregate. Frequent restaurants that have a "no smoking" policy. Make it known to business owners and policy makers that you want a clean air environment!

In today's environment, people are trying to be more concious of the things they put into their bodies - we filter water (or buy it bottled), try to eat organic meats and vegetables, and read labels to find out salt content in processed foods. When will it dawn on smokers that they are exposing themselves, their families and their communities to pollutants than can cause serious harm?

I am reminded every so often about the quaint southern colloquialisms handed down to me from generations past. I don't even realize I use some of them until one of my non-resident pals asks me to explain myself! I wonder if my daughter will pick some of these up for later use... It seems like more and more expressions get lost with each passing generation as we all work to conform to one national standard.

Here are a few to get you started... please add more to help me develop a running list!

"Tuesday week" - Also known as a week from Tuesday. Not this Tuesday, but the next one.

"Fixin to" - I am about to embark on the task at hand.

"Push up the door" - I am told everyone else in our great nation says 'shut the door'.

"Might could" - Perhaps, maybe

"Loud" - an adjective for a strong smell or a bright color

"Toboggan" - a winter hat

"I was just a studyin' about you" - My grandmother uses this one a lot when I call to let me know she was just thinking about me. 

"Spitting image" - You look just like someone

"A month of Sundays" - A long time

"Bless her heart" - Could mean a variety of things... poor lady - I feel for her. She's insane - are you serious?! It's not her fault that she doesn't know about fashion/etiquette/fill in the blank.

"In a pickle" - You're in a sticky situation!

 Want to wear some of these great sayings? A friend just passed this site along...

http://www.sweeteashirts.com/

I have the best husband in the world. No - I really do!! I always knew he was terrific, but he's really stepped it up since our little girl arrived. Here is a tribute to some of his super-awesome characteristics...

Amazing Father - From the first moment he held our daughter, she had him wrapped around her little finger. Dirty diaper? No problem! Spit up on the freshly ironed shirt/tie? Don't worry about it, sweetie. Wide awake at 3 a.m.? Daddy will keep you company (privded you don't mind him being a little dazed and confused at that wee hour). Need something late at night? Daddy will run out and get it for you. There is nothing we have encountered with our daughter that he hasn't been willing to do. I love to watch him with her...

Caring Hubby - Flowers at work on the day we were to find out if our baby was a boy or a girl? Check. (Not to mention there were actually pink and blue flowers - wow!) Gift for Mommy and Baby after arriving home from the hospital? Check. Extra nap time for a tired, nursing new mom? Check. Dealing with all the hormones? Check plus! He's been amazing!

Chore Sharer - He's always been willing to shoulder his share of the chores... Neither of us enjoys cleaning duty, but we both do our part. He'll take the trash, I'll clean the bathroom. He'll vacuum the floors, I'll dust.

Bottle Washer - Twice a week you can find my man slaving over the kitchen sink, bottle brush in hand. He has the task down to a science now with each part having its own spot on the drying rack!

Launderer Extraordinaire - Okay, so maybe the folding part isn't his first priority, and sometimes the dry clothes stay in the dryer a little too long... but he gets some serious loads of laundry done!

Best Friend - He's the first one I want to call with fabulous news. He's the shoulder I cry on after losing a close family member. He's the one that makes all the "firsts" more special, the laughs more robust and the smiles even wider.

This will mark his very first Father's Day, and what a special one it will be! So here's to you, honey - thank you for all you do for our family. Happy Father's Day!

I'd love to hear your stories about what makes your husband or father so special... add them here!

What a difference a baby makes... Our house, once "neat and clean" by normal standards, has taken on a life of its own. I knew it was bad when we uncovered a diaper in the newspaper basket - luckily it had only been there for a few hours, scooped up with a pile of the week's papers in a futile attempt at a quick clean.

There are baby clothes in every room of the house - a sock pulled off while playing in the nursery, a bodysuit wet from having sweet potatoes scrubbed out of it, a hat on the kitchen table tossed aside after a walk outside. Toys have taken over the living room floor, our bed and the kitchen counter. Stacks of unopened mail litter the counter in between toys. Tiny bits of paper pepper the hallways - our little one is a very talented shredder!

Day to day, it doesn't bother me a bit. After work and playing with our daughter, I am too tired to care. But on the off chance that our doorbell rings, I look around in horror - will they notice if it takes 15-20 minutes to answer while we "pick up a few things"? And if we don't, what will they think? I hope they think what wonderful parents we are that we care much more about quality time with our daughter than a neat and tidy house! We'll clean up after she's grown - now it's all about enjoying this age!

Comic courtesy of Baby Blues - you can find more online at www.BabyBlues.com or each day in the Herald-Journal comics!

I cannot believe I didn't renew my Gamecock football season tickets... My senior year of college, I joined the Gamecock Club. I started buying two season tickets then, and we've had the same seats ever since. Every fall, we make the pilgrimmage to Columbia (the hottest city in the world) to see the Gamecocks play all their home games. The day is long - 3-4 hours round trip in the car, stopping for a meal, the 30+ minute hike to the stadium, tailgating with friends... oh, and did I forget to mention the actual 3-4 hour game? After the fried chicken and sun burns, we are beat and ready to hit the pillow. We are pretty useless the next day, too - still too tired to do anything productive (unless you call watching 10 more hours of NFL football productive!)...

I love going to the games. I love the atmosphere. I love seeing old friends. I love cheering at the top of my lungs. I love the game of football. But I love my baby girl much more, and that is where the decision rested.

Spending $800 for two season tickets this year just didn't make me jump for joy. That's 6-7 Saturdays that I wouldn't see my daughter much at all. We work, so our time with her on the weekends is sacred - score one for the baby. We're in a recession, so $800 bucks (plus food, plus gas) is a lot of cash - another one for baby. I can still keep my Gamecock Club points that I've accumulated over the years without purchasing the tickets - three points for baby. The poor Gamecocks never stood a chance with me against a far worthier opponent! The exercise continued and baby scored all the points in this shut-out. So I let the May 15 deadline to order tickets pass me by, order form still staring blankly at us from the kitchen table.

Someday we'll start going to the games again. I can't wait to take my daughter to her first Gamecock football game, all dressed in garnet and black. She'll love it and so will her parents! But now is not the right time for us to spend that much time and that much money on Gamecock football. This year, the three of us will cozy up in front of the big screen at home and watch the games on Pay-Per-View. I did that math, too, and we come out much cheaper and much happier because we are spending the day with our little girl. I am definitely the winner in this game!

Tell us about what you gave up (willingly or otherwise!) for your little bundles of joy...

I did it... I have finally let go of my Time Magazine subscription. Ever since I graduated from college, I have had a subscription to the top news magazine in the US. I loved finding my copy in the mail box every Saturday and sitting down to read about current events and entertainment every week. More recently, my favorite permanent features were "Pop Chart" and "Verbatim".

For the past year or so, I have watched helplessly as the pile of unread magazines on my kitchen counter climbed higher and higher toward the ceiling. I've had good intentions - I would move the more attractive magazines from the pile to the sofa table in hopes of picking one up after my daughter was in bed and leisurely flipping through the pages. But that time in the evenings has become more about getting ready for the day ahead - laundry, dishes, diaper bag, etc. - and for catching up on some of our favorite TV shows so the DVR doesn't reach that looming 100% mark. I have come to the realization that I no longer have time to read Time - pardon the pun.

I have ignored the 10+ renewal notices and have resigned myself to a life without my old pal. Perhaps someday we will meet again, but for now I'll fill my days in a much better way - listening to my daughter giggle in delight as we dance around the room to the beat of the radio.

My husband and I often chuckle when we realize that we've already taken more photos of our daughter than exist of us for an entire childhood. Thanks to the advances of digital photography, it's easy to snap photo after photo of our children. We decided that not only would we take lots of photos ourselves, but that we would take her to be photographed professionally every three months for the "milestone" photos - 3, 6, 9 months and so on. We also snuck in an extra Easter session recently at a studio that we don't normally use. Now that I've had experiences with multiple studios (some great, some less than stellar), it got me thinking about all the options and extras that are available.

What should you look for in a professional studio? Here are a few ideas of things to consider...

Availability of appointments - Most photo studios are open from mid-morning (10ish) to early evening (7ish) to accommodate most any schedule. It was easy to make an appointment at both Studio #1 and Studio #2. With Studio #2, I was able to make my appointment online - very easy and convenient. I also received an e-mail reminder of my session. I did not have a problem getting the time I wanted at either location, but Studio #2 only made appointments on the hour, while Studio #1 had them in 15 minute increments.

Clothing changes - Both studios allowed us to bring a change of clothing for the session, two if we'd like.

Number of employees on hand - When children are involved, you have a limited window of opportunity for great photos. What you don't want is a break in the session for an employee to have to tend to other customers - for appointment scheduling, pick-ups, etc. We experienced this twice during our visit to Studio #2 - there was only one employee working that day. We also had to wait to place our order while she did another shoot. They did have two studio rooms, but only one was in use. I could feel my blood pressure rising by the minute... Studio #1 also had two studio rooms, but each time we've been there they have had a minimum of four photographers on hand. They rotate - one shoots while the other works with the family they have just taken photos of to help them select their prints. This keeps things moving without making anyone feel rushed or neglected.

Viewing photos - At Studio #1, we viewed our photos on a big screen TV immediately following the session. We were able to see all of the shots that were taken, to view poses side by side and electronically select and mark off favorites and bad shots. We could view special effects with the click of a mouse... very easy! At Studio #2, we had to wait about 10-15 minutes for our photographer to "prepare" the photos for our viewing. We only saw the "good" poses she had selected for us and the effects that she had added. It was on a smaller screen and selection/ordering was done on paper.

Packages - Most studios lure you in with the promise of a large photo package for a cheap price - $4.99 to $9.99. In that one pose package, you get a variety of sizes. At the first studio I used, the $9.99 package got me a 10x13, two 8x10s, four 5x7s, four 3x5s and 32 wallets. Great deal! Each additional sheet was a set price after that depending upon the total purchase amount. I was able to select any number of poses and in every instance was able to get the "special effects" - softened edges, black & white, etc. - included in the price. Easy as pie and I walked out feeling like I had tons of photos for a great price, plus a photo CD free of charge! The second studio's $4.99 package included one 8x10, one 5x7, four 3x5s, four wallets and 16 "minis". My first problem with this package is that it isn't very many photos and several are in sizes that aren't typical in 2009 - minis and 3x5s? My second problem was that this "special offer" could not be combined with any other deal. If you took the special, all additional sheets were $20/each, no matter how many you purchased (plus special effects and the cost for a photo CD).

Availability of Photo CD - While I always end up purchasing way too many prints, I also want to make sure I have the images electronically - to e-mail to friends, to post on Facebook and to update my baby website. Studio #1 makes it very easy to "earn" a free photo CD - understanding this is a popular option. Studio #2 made me feel like it would take an act of congress to get the price down to $30. $30! If I spent $200+, I could buy it for $30. Gee, thanks. I would check into the photo CD option prior to selecting a studio.

Same-day photos - Some of the local photo studios offer same-day printing of your photos. Other studios offer this service for an additional charge per sheet, and still others take the traditional 10 business days. If you need your photos for a special occasion or just can't wait to have them in-hand, be sure you know the studio's policy going in to avoid disappointment. Studio #1 offered 20 minute service - we had lunch then swung back by to pick up. Studio #2 offered same-day service for an extra $3 per sheet - otherwise the order was sent off and could be picked up two weeks later.

Ability to reach by phone - I do not consider myself a high maintenance customer. I do expect to be able to reach the studio by phone at least half of the time without going through to an answering machine. I had to call Studio #2 back several times - to retrieve my online viewing information (their connection was down while we were there), to order additional sheets and to pay for my additional order. I called several times and reached the machine (which you can hear people leaving messages on in the waiting area - so watch what you say!). I decided to try their 1-800 number to ask a question, and I was on hold for 15 minutes before being told that I did indeed have to speak with someone local - "let me give you their number...". Thanks, buddy. Studio #1 has had a person that answered the phone every time I've tried to call to make an appointment or to inquire about reprints.

There is a lot to consider when seeking that "perfect" photo experience... the right time (schedule around naps!), the right outfit, the right mood. You can help make things easier on yourself by choosing a photo studio you feel comfortable with - one less thing to worry about!

Being sick is no fun. I can remember several instances of being sick growing up that have stuck with me over the years - having my wisdom teeth out in high school and winding up with pink eye that same week, a car accident as a preschooler that left me with several stitches to my noggin, the flu back in 2004 that cancelled a perfectly good cruise and having my tonsils removed (my throat hurt so much that I didn't even want ice cream - what a myth!). Yet no matter how much the memories stuck with me, I just wasn't very sick that often.

Since having my baby, I have been sick twice - the first time was just after Thanksgiving when I had the horrible stomach bug. My whole family was stricken and it stuck around for days! The last couple of weeks brought on a bad strain of a cold/flu virus thing that was very bad news. Two rounds of antibiotics later, I can tell you that I am starting to feel "a little" better. I don't know if I am more susceptible to illness because I am breast-feeding, because I am tired, or because children spread germs more easily. No matter, it's difficult to care for an infant when you don't feel up to par yourself! The nice thing is that no matter how bad I feel, her smile always makes me feel better.

My daughter has been sick a couple of times, too, and that is so hard to watch. I wish it could be me instead! It's difficult to feel helpless when your child has a cough or cold... My mom tells me it is so different now than when I was growing up. In the 70s, doctors prescribed medicine for sick babies. I'm sure you all can remember the yellow over-the-counter Triaminic bottle or the yummy "pink stuff" - the liquid antibiotic you kept in the fridge. But now the general consensus is that no meds are the way to go. You can run the humidifier, use saline nose drops and pray, but otherwise you just wait it out.

The happy ending to this story is that we all seem to be back on our feet - for now, at least! - and are ready for warmer weather to chase those germs away. Now all we have to figure out is how to deal with the pollen...

If someone had told me a year ago that I would even be considering making my own baby food, I would have had them committed. I'm certainly no health nut - until I was pregnant, I counted mashed potatoes or macaroni as vegetables. I haven't seen the inside of a gym for quite some time and I can pack away a box of Krispy Kremes - hot and now, please! But here I am, shopping in the organic produce section and learning all about how winter squash makes an excellent puree and freezes well... It's like I don't even recognize myself!

I decided making some of my own baby food would be a fun venture - something special I could do for my daughter. As a working mom, the task seemed daunting... But over the past few months, I've done a lot of reading about baby food - how to select the best produce, how to steam or bake to soften, how to thin out or thicken up the puree based on the stage your baby is at. It all sounds so simple, healthy and cost-effective, so I am planning to give it a try!

A good friend of mine pointed me in the direction of a fantastic site filled with information and how-tos on making your own baby food - www.WholesomeBabyFood.com. It provides recipes, sample menus, tips on which recipes freeze well and which ones should be served fresh, advice on how to freeze and thaw... everything you need to know to get started. I printed out a stack of articles explaining everything in step by step detail, including what I would need to get started:

Fresh (or frozen) vegetables/fruits: On my last visit to the grocery store, I purchased an organic winter squash and a pack of organic carrots to use for my first experimentation. Other recommendations from the website include apples, green beans, peas and peaches. Organic are terrific if you can spring for the extra cost. If not, regular produce works fine provided it is washed and cooked well.

A food mill or food processor: I opted to order a manual food mill from www.OneStepAhead.com, a terrific source for all sorts of baby necessities. They also offer an electric version. A regular food processor works fine as well.

Steamer: Some vegetables and fruits work best steamed, others are best baked. For tips on which foods work best with which methods, visit the Wholesome Foods website. You can get a simple steamer at any store that sells kitchen wares - it's a great investment for adult foods, too. 

Breast milk/formula/water: The key to making a puree suitable for baby is texture - making sure it is thin enough for your baby's stage. To smooth out the texture of pureed foods, add breast milk, formula or water. If adding water, the preferred option is to use any water left over from preparing (steaming or baking) the vegetables/fruits. 

Containers for freezing: I ordered food storage containers from www.OneStepAhead.com. Other options include using an ice cube tray, pouring food in, freezing, popping out and storing in zip lock bags.

I am hoping to find time this weekend to give baby food making a try! Wish me luck...

Did you make your own baby food? Do you have tips or recipes to share? Add them here or log on to www.SpartanburgMoms.com to share!