BACK TO THE GRIND...

I can't believe that we are are now into our second year of school! While I don't think any of us are particularly happy about having to get ourselves up and out so early in the morning (I am already counting the minutes until next Summer), there's something that's just simply adorable about seeing how excited Caroline was for her first day as a Three-Day Three...

"I LOVE TECHNOLOGY, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS YOU, YOU SEE...BUT I STILL LOVE TECHNOLOGY...ALWAYS AND FOREVER..." - KIP FROM "NAPOLEON DYNAMITE"

Which is one of my most favorite movies of all time. But I digress...

I am having a love affair.

Oh Steve, before you go out and buy the shotgun or contact the divorce lawyer, let me put your mind at ease. It is a love affair with a piece of technology which, as a mother and busy woman, I have come to rely upon as my constant companion, and general support system.

Yes readers, I am referring to my iPhone.

Oh, iPhone, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

You are my system of checks-and-balances. One look at my calendar, which automatically syncs with my computer sans cords, and I know if I am keeping everything in my schedule on the up-and-up. You make sure that I never overlook anything, whether it be a birthday, doctor's appointment, or most importantly, that Bruce Springsteen tickets go on sale on September 25th.

You are my moral compass (or at least, just my regular old compass, anyway). You help me find my way in this world with such ease and dependability, and for that, I am grateful. Whether I'm driving sans human co-pilot to Delaware for a wedding or finding a good back-route to the outlets, your awesome GPS never steers me wrong. However, you don't ever judge my value system for sometimes using you to look up celebrity gossip on People, TMZ, UsWeekly, or Perez Hilton.

I love how you never question my intelligence or make me feel stupid. By making yourself so simple, all it took for me to get hooked was to plug you in just once to my computer. Somehow, you just knew what I wanted you to know, found it yourself, and put yourself together. Do you know what an amazing gift that is to give to a mother of a toddler and infant? And when you once got accidentally dropped into a cocktail one evening, you never cried or got mad. I almost did, but then recovered when you were replaced (for free, natch) by the lovely people at our local Apple store.

I am more adventurous with you in my life. I have even been brave enough to cook dishes I haven't cooked before just by following the recipe I looked up on Safari and using a kitchen conversion scale to recalculate the ingredients so that we didn't end up with 40 pounds of leftovers. Heck, the fact that I was cooking at all makes my husband want to hug all of the people at the Apple store one-by-one.

You have a gift for distracting children at the times when it counts the most. In stores, in traffic, in doctors' offices, or while I take that shower that I desperately need - you provide precious minutes so that I can gain clarity myself. It could be a video of my friends' first dance at their wedding, a learning game, or the PBS Sprout app, but whatever it is, you consistently deliver.

If it weren't illegal, I would set you on a table in my house while the girls slept and trust you to babysit the girls while I snuck out on a date with my husband. The only issue I see with this would be if you needed to call 911 in case of a fire, but then again, there is probably an app for that, too.

You have a brilliant memory of all the fun moments in life. All I have to do is open my Camera Roll and instantly a smile crosses my lips. Whether it's a photo of Caroline on the swing at the park, Molly snuggled up and sleeping, or Steve and me having cocktails at the Chinatown Hooters (yes, you read that right - there IS a Hooters in Chinatown, and YES, their signage was written in Chinese, and YES, it was the only thing open and still seating late-night that evening, and YES, their wings are UH-MAY-ZING!), after seeing Chelsea Handler live, it's just amazing how happy you can make me in an instant. And now that you have fabulous video capabilities since Steve got the new 3GS and traded me for my older, video-less model, it's even better!

My dearest iPhone, please don't have hurt feelings that I cast your older, more mature version aside so easily - you are so idiot-proof that I was able to simply remove your memory card and put you into the newer, better body. Kind of like plastic surgery - which I am totally not opposed to, by the way (and either way, I know you won't judge me if I ever decide to go for that post-baby tummy tuck - you'll likely give me the directions to the plastic surgeon's office, help me check out his credentials, and find me the perfect post-surgery bathing suit).

While I was initially scared to even enter into a relationship with you because of the necessary switch to AT&T Wireless (Shock! Scandal! - as most of my friends and family are on Verizon), you have proven with your dependibility that I have made the right choice, and I will never stray as long as you don't...

A BIRTHDAY WISH FOR CAROLINE...

Dear Caroline Grace,

Well here we are, the night before you turn three. Daddy and I can't believe how time has flown and you've somehow managed to be another year older. It seems like just yesterday that you were still in my tummy, wiggling constantly and keeping me awake at night. Thankfully, you sleep really well these days (now it's your baby sister Molly who's keeping me up!), but just like when I was pregnant with you, you are in constant motion and full of energy. I thought that it might be a neat thing to write you a letter every year for your birthday so that when you grow up you will have a history of who you were when you were young. I also wanted to let you know the way your Mommy sees you and what I love about you as you grow.

These days, you are a girl who loves horses, princesses, and butterflies. Pink and purple are your favorite colors. You usually insist on wearing a dress (and it's usually one of your three Lilly dresses), but never worry about getting it dirty. You can frequently be found running, dancing, singing, and playing pretend. Your favorite foods are cheese, peanut butter and jelly (cut into triangles and served "butterfly-style"), spaghetti (but only if you can slurp up the noodles), berries, and all things sweet. You talk up a storm and have an inclination to negotiate when you want to get your way. You are kind to your baby sister, especially since she now seems to actually notice you, and she just adores you in return. Whenever you are in the room, her eyes are fixed on you, following you and watching whatever fun or mischief you are getting yourself into.

I love your sunny disposition. You are happy most of the time (although when you get frustrated or mad, you do have a bit of a temper - just like your Mommy!). You are a giggly, smiley, silly girl. You are also incredibly independent and a bit stubborn - you always like to try to do things for yourself first before asking for or accepting help (again, just like your Mom!). You seem especially proud of yourself these days whenever you go to the potty all by yourself or get yourself dressed. It doesn't matter that the shoes are sometimes on the wrong feet or that the bow goes in the front of your pants and not the back - when you do it without help, you just beam! Daddy and I just love watching you learn to do new things, and even though it sometimes takes twice as long when you do something for yourself, we are so happy that our Caroline is becoming such a strong, smart little girl.

One day recently, you saw me a bit teary-eyed because I was having a bad day. It was one of those days where nothing seemed to be going right. All by yourself (without any prompting from Daddy), you came up to me and gave me a big hug and said, "It's okay Mommy. Just calm down, and take a deep breath." In that one gesture, you erased all the bad parts of my day and turned everything around. You did what even Daddy couldn't do. It was one of my proudest moments as your Mommy so far, and it once again made me so grateful to have you in my life.

Three years ago, on the day you were born, you gave me the best present I could ask for - you made me a Mommy! Tomorrow, you will blow four candles out on your cake - three for your birthday, plus one to grow on. When you do, my wish for you will be that you have another wonderful year full of new adventures, fun with your family and friends, and that you stay the happy, healthy little girl who Daddy and I are honored to call our daughter.

Happy, happy birthday, Caroline! I love you more than you will ever know...

Mommy

OUR LITTLE SNUGGLE BUG...

Life around our house is adjusting to a "new" normal these days. Molly's been a really good baby so far, aside from a couple nights this week when we were dealing with her very first cold - one of the perks of having a toddler in pre-school who just loves to climb all over her baby sister at every chance she gets! I must say, I think God was looking out for me when we decided to have our second - Caroline is so busy that it would have been really challenging for me to keep up with her AND recover from a c-section AND care for a tricky newborn. I know from experience that all this might change on a dime, so I shouldn't get too used to it, but for now, I'm feeling pretty lucky.

It's amazing to me how two kids who have come from the same place can be so inherently different from the get-go. Caroline was always a squirmy, fidgety, alert baby - hence the on-the-go, curious, energetic toddler we have living with us today. Molly, on the other hand, is a snuggly baby who currently has two favorites - eating and sleeping. If only life could stay that easy... Either way, I love both of them equally and am trying to embrace what makes each of them so different. Hopefully, I'll pass that understanding along to them too!

I'M CONTEMPLATING THIS PURCHASE...

I just think this bag from PBK is too cute. Even though I LOVE it, the white is definitely impractical for me, especially since it's a diaper bag, but they also have it in a cute mustard yellow with navy and white straps that I may be able to pull off with fewer issues. Hmm...

EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS!

I was reading an article on AOL this evening about another theory on how to reduce the risk of SIDS. The article, which cited information from a published report in October's Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, said that researchers have found a link to fan use in a baby's bedroom as helping to reduce the chance that the baby will succumb to SIDS.

The study used data collected through comprehensive questionnaires and interviews of both parents who had sadly lost a child to SIDS, as well as parents who had not. The bulk of the questions surrounded the condition of the baby's sleeping area, including whether or not a fan was consistently used during sleep. The number of interviewees in both categories were in the hundreds, and this was the first study conducted on this theory, so there's still alot of research to be done.

As I hope all my fabulous readers know, the best place to start in the prevention of SIDS is to place your baby on his or her back to sleep. However, the additional suggestion they are making sounds like an easy one to accommodate in a "can't hurt, might help" sort of a way. It's nice to know that there are so many doctors and researchers continuing to put such a great emphasis on this important issue. Just thought you'd want to know!

THE PINK TOTEBAG IS GETTING A LITTLE BIT "PINK"ER - AND AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME...

Caroline's future sister!!!

When we went for our "big" ultrasound this week, we got some really wonderful news! In addition to the baby looking healthy, with all its parts well formed and apparently in good working order (thank God!), we also found out that we will be adding another little girl to our family. Caroline will be getting a sister, which is something I have always dreamt of for her. I have 3 younger sisters myself, and there is truly nothing that can compare to that kind of bond. I know that if the baby had been a boy, I would have been so happy that things were as they should be (not to mention - Steve would have been thrilled to have a son and is feeling a bit outnumbered in our house these days). Caroline would have been a terrific big sister to her little brother, but I can't even put into words how I feel now that I know that she is getting a gift that I feel so blessed to be giving her - that of a sister.

This wonderful news couldn't have come at a better time for us. This time of year is bittersweet for me, as it has been for an unbelievable 19 years. While September is typically filled with the sights, sounds, and smells of impending Fall and all the newness and change that it brings, it also happens to be the month when I sustained my spinal cord injury. In particular, today - September 28 - is my anniversary. When I was 13, I had a spinal fusion for scoliosis. During surgery, a number of complications arose and a portion of my spinal cord was deprived of oxygen. When the doctors realized that the monitoring they had been doing to prevent just such an issue was not working properly, they removed the rods that had been placed along my spine, but the damage had been done, and I was paralyzed from roughly the belly button down.

Recovery from something like this takes a long time, but my yardstick for measuring mine hasn't ever really focused on the physical side of things. Sure, it's important to work to regain as much movement as you can to optimize your situation, and I spent a great deal of time in physical therapy over the years to heal. However, for me, the emotional journey that this experience has set out for me has been a far more difficult path to navigate at times. The anxiety and anticipation of all life's wonderful rights of passage, like dating, high school dances, starting college, getting married, or having a baby to name but a few, has always been compounded by the fact that I have this extra baggage in the form of four wheels.

It is a journey that I would not be able to face day in and day out without the support of my own sisters (along with the rest of my family and friends). This makes me value the future relationship that Caroline will have with hers so much. I know that when I was injured, they too were hurt and had to begin their own healing processes. I have the physical scars from my surgery and its aftermath, but the three of them also lost alot on the day I got hurt. They have always been there to help pick me up when I've fallen, both emotionally and physically. They help me turn limits into opportunities, and for that I am so grateful. I only hope that I return the favor to them in my own way. I am so lucky to have them, and I am a better person because of them.

My sisters and me

Like a really bad college roommate (not that I've ever had that!), my injury and I have reached an uneasy tolerance of each other while at the same time maintaining an extremely close proximity. We get in each other's way at times, and are constantly having to find ways to coexist. My chair and the limits it attempts to place on me are what I deal with every day, although I like to think that I push back hard to not let it stop me or my family from living our lives. I have to say that at this point in my life, I have reached an appreciation for the experience that I've been through, as it has helped me to learn things about myself that I don't think I ever would have learned otherwise. That isn't to say that I would even wish it on my worst enemy, but at the very least I can frame what happened to me in some sort of positive light.

Anyway, tonight, I just wanted to give a little shout-out to all the sisters (and future sisters) out there. They get us through some tough times, and for me especially, I had the opportunity on this anniversary to not spend too much time being sad about what happened so long ago, but instead focus on the future and all the hope and promise that it brings...

SHE'S ALIVE (AND BETTER!)...

Wishing we could play outside... but smiling for the first time in two days nonetheless!

Caroline seems to be heading in the right direction with whatever bug we've been dealing with, which is such a relief! She was in good spirits, although a bit tired. She didn't have a fever all day, until late this afternoon (which they told us to expect). It wasn't even that high either - such good news! We were stuck inside again today, but I think tomorrow if she's feeling up to it we'll put on actual clothes and venture out for some fresh air...

SOME NEWS ABOUT A VERY LONG NIGHT...

This has been a long week for Caroline. She hasn't seemed like herself since Sunday - not eating or drinking well, runny nose, and generally acting kind of difficult and crabby. Even though she did okay at school at the beginning of the week, we didn't have a good start at our first class at Kidville - it's called Ballerina Tea Party, which combines Caroline's two loves: movement and a snack (what's not to love?!). She had a meltdown and we even had to step out for a few minutes - SO uncharacteristic of her. Something was just not quite right, and I knew it.

Well, things finally came to a head last night around 11:30. Caroline had been asleep for a few hours. Steve and I had already gone to bed but were still awake when we heard her gasping from her room. Steve ran in to see what was wrong - at first, he thought she was choking, and was whacking her on the back as he brought her back into our room. When I saw her, I had a strong suspicion about what was going on. She was burning up, convulsing, with her eyes rolled back in her head. Her limbs were rigid, fists clenched, and her lips were blue even though she was breathing and her heart was racing. I had a feeling that we were witnessing our first febrile seizure (which I'd thankfully read about in Your Baby's First Year, Week by Week and Toddler 411), but as Caroline's never had anything like this before, we were obviously really scared.

We immediately rolled Caroline on her side and called 911 to have an ambulance sent to our house. After about three minutes, the episode ended, and Caroline seemed incredibly lethargic and limp, but she was breathing and her heart began to slow down. The paramedics arrived quickly - I've never been so glad to see 8 guys bust into my room in the middle of the night while in my ratty pajamas and messed up hair. When we told them what had happened, they agreed that it probably was indeed a febrile seizure - a benign seizure brought on by sudden extreme changes in body temperature (fever). Caroline had gone to bed only 3 1/2 hours earlier with no signs of a fever, and within that time had elevated to at least 103.2 (they think it probably went even higher, but because she was given Tylenol very quickly, it probably came down a bit before they took that temp).

We went in to one of our local hospitals' pediatric ERs, where she was assessed and monitored. They first tried to get the fever under control (since that's what was causing the seizures), and then attempted to identify the cause of it. As my mom likes to say, "First, put out the fire. Then, determine how it happened." They checked her ears, belly, and throat for infection. When nothing remarkable was found, the decision was made to monitor for a bit to see if the Tylenol continued to work. Caroline, meanwhile, was fast asleep on Steve's chest. After a seizure (even a short one like this), kids are exhausted and really disoriented.

Since I hadn't ridden with her in the ambulance, I didn't get to go back into the room with her until a few minutes after her arrival at the hospital. The drive there and the waiting was the hardest - every second felt like a million years. I had the chance to call our pediatrician on call, who was really helpful and supportive. He told me that we had done everything right, and that I was doing a good job of remaining calm, which I appreciated even though the latter was all just smoke and mirrors. My mom and dad luckily met us at the hospital too - my mom's a burn and trauma nurse so it's always comforting to have her around during times like this.

The hospital concurred with everyone else's suspicions that this was a febrile seizure, and helped us to understand what happened and how to try to keep it from happening again. The current working theory is that children under 6 have under-developed myelin, which is the coating of the nerves in their brains. This lack of myelin creates an environment where "short circuits" can happen during times when the body has a rapid rise in temperature, which is when the seizure occurs. As kids get older, the risk of febrile seizures all but disappears, but it is very common in youngsters under 6 or so. Our ER doctor told us that our county alone sees about 20,000 cases of this per year.

While what we experienced is probably the most frightening thing we've ever seen, we have taken comfort in several facts that our doctors have shared with us. First of all (and most comforting), the fact that Caroline has had a febrile seizure doesn't make her more predisposed to developing a seizure disorder such as epilepsy, nor will it cause any sort of brain damage. It does, however, make it more likely that she'll have another febrile seizure when she's sick, which is why we need to be vigilant and proactive if she seems to be coming down with something that could lead to fever (such as giving her Tylenol or Motrin before bed if we suspect she might be heading in that direction). Febrile seizures may have a family link, so if one child or parent in the family has a history of them, the other children are at increased risk of suffering from one - that was a really important piece of information that we received.

The doctors also reassured us that we handled the situation correctly by turning her on her side and contacting 911 for support. They also helped us understand that most often, these types of seizures occur with a common virus, although occasionally they can also be a sign of something more serious, such as meningitis (which they would check for if the fever wasn't coming down after treatment, along with no other obvious signs of infection). Another interesting lesson was that we wouldn't necessarily have to bring Caroline right back in if she had another one - just if she had one within 24 hours. The fact that she is now predisposed to these episodes means that we may learn to manage them at home if they happen again during subsequent illnesses - while being in immediate communication with our primary care physician, of course. If it's obvious that she's spikes a random fever with no other real symptoms and one occurs, a febrile seizure is most likely what's going on. When in doubt about them, however, the best thing to do is to get her in to an ER.

Finally, we learned that she could and should take Tylenol and Motrin concurrently when she has a high fever such as this - they don't interact with one another, and it increases our chances of staying on top of her fever before it has a chance to get too out of control. Obviously, you should consult your own pediatrician about this kind of stuff, but I wanted to put it out there as a potential talking point if you ever need it - I never knew that one before.

Caroline had perked up by the time we were getting ready to leave, even eating a popscicle from the nurse and asking my mom and dad where their dog Oscar was (we thought that was cute - and a very good sign!). After we were discharged around 2:30, we headed home, with a quick detour to CVS for supplies and a stop in a parking lot because Caroline threw up everywhere. I've never been so glad to see barf in my life - it meant that we were dealing with some common virus rather than a more serious infection that was lurking in the background and would have us making a u-turn back to the ER in a matter of hours. We all crashed around 3:30 - with Caroline on her crib mattress on our floor. Steve and I both agreed we didn't mind a little extra company (tonight, for that matter, either - neither of us seem to want to let her out of our sight, which takes me back to the early days!).

Today Caroline missed school and the day was spent was spent laying low, reading books, watching Noggin (whose slogan is "It's like preschool, on t.v." - or so I told myself for the 7+ hours it was on!) and trying to drink fluids. Caroline's favorites so far have been apple juice, "red" popscicles, and a bit of Jell-O. She's been up and down all day, both in temperature and demeanor. You can really tell when the fever is setting in again - she goes from acting relatively normal to literally lying on the floor and falling asleep. We're doing our best to stay on top of it - alternating Motrin and Tylenol every three hours. I also followed up with Caroline's pediatricians to keep them in the loop. We're all tired and looking forward to a good night's rest, with the exception of waking up for meds, we all hope.

Anyways, I know this was a long one, but I wanted to share with everyone because even though I had read of febrile seizures before, when you are in the throes of it (especially if it's your child's first), it's easy to panic. The most important things we learned to remember are to put your child on a flat surface on his or her side, with nothing obstructing their airway (do a finger sweep to move the tongue out of the way if they are gasping and can't seem to get air), and to call 911 or your physician immediately. If you remember nothing else in the situation, file those two steps away in your head. The American Academy of Pediatrics also has a great FAQ sheet that shares more details about what to do when a febrile seizure happens, and how they will be treated by your doctor. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we have a quiet night tonight, and hope that you can file our story away in your head so that if this ever happens to you, you won't feel as scared since you've heard of someone else experiencing this. Goodnight, sleep tight - I'm off to give a dose of Infant Tylenol and heading to bed for a few hours!

BACK TO SCHOOL... AND BACK FROM HIATUS!

So we've been more than a little MIA over the past few months! I am so sorry for that - it seems that being a blogger and dealing with a busy summer were a bit too much for me! Things are finally settling down though, and I am back and running - just gotta bite the bullet and not let any more time pass before writing in again. If I wait any longer, I might never be able to catch up! So here's what we've been up to this summer...



1) We've finally moved! Although we're still dealing with some construction (more on that in another post...), unpacking, and decorating, we've got the basic bones of what we need (mainly, an elevator... more on that in another post, too!), and that's what counts. I feel like our workers are going to move in with us and live here forever, but at least they are nice and really good with Caroline. :) BTW, if anyone in the DC Metro area is looking for a really good builder/renovator, we definitely reccommend Hemingway Homes in Bethesda - they have been beyond fabulous! I promise to post some pictures soon, especially of some of the before and after.



2) We sold our other house! We were lucky - even in this market, we got an offer after about 40 days. We went to settlement the Monday after we moved in to our new home. We felt good because it was going to a really nice older couple who could benefit from the one-floor living that the house provided us, and the fact that they had no plans to tear it down and build a McMansion (which is common in our old neighborhood) made me happy - I don't like change, so it's nice to imagine that our house is like the one in one of my favorite children's books, The Little House, where everything around the house changes but the house for the most part stays the same.



3) Steve finished his thesis and is officially finished with his MS in Engineering at Hopkins! It has been a REALLY long road for all of us (him, in particular!), and the past 8 months while he was writing what turned out to be an over-400-page document has been hard. I didn't realize how much I missed him until I had him back again! He even got an A - not that I'm surprised! I am so happy for him about that - it's nice to know that all your hard work and time away from work, family, and friends has paid off. We were really smart with our timing - he defended his thesis on a Friday afternoon, we moved on Saturday, and sold our house on Monday. Nothing like cramming in all the life changes into one weekend, which brings me to my next bit of news...



4) We're expecting our second baby! I'm a little over 16 weeks, or 4 months, along, and I'm due in February. I held back about posting the news when we first found out earlier this summer because I wanted to wait a bit, and then time just got away and life got crazy for me. I'm feeling good after a long first trimester - not sure if it was the baby or the move or both, but I'm glad it's better. We are really excited and although I'm a bit nervous about the whole two-kid thing, I'm sure we'll figure it out. Caroline taught me that. I'll keep you posted on how things are going in the upcoming weeks and months!



5) ...And finally, last but not least, our baby girl Caroline turned two in August and started pre-school last week! I can't believe how fast time has flown - she is such a little person now and totally not a baby. On the first day, after we got her out of the car, she bolted straight for the front door and didn't even notice us following her because she was so excited to get in there. While I have to admit part of me was hoping she'd at least realize that she and I would no longer be hanging out together every day like the wacky sidekicks we've become, I was also really proud of her for jumping right in and gearing up for her next adventure. Ultimately, that's the kind of kid that we are trying so hard to raise, and it was cool to see that spirit in her, even so early in her little life.



Aside from a few trips to the Bay here and there, that's what our summer has basically been all about - house, thesis, baby, getting ready for school. I can't wait until things are put together and we can all calm down - which will probably be just in time for Number 2's arrival. Isn't that the way it's supposed to be, though?!



Until next time - and I promise it won't be too long...

AHHH - AT LAST, A GLIMMER OF LIGHT!

My not-so-little girl reading herself a book in her room

This morning, my good friend Danielle came over with lunch for herself, Caroline, and me so that we could have a chance to catch up. D is an attorney downtown and is working on a big case that goes to trial next month - interestingly enough, to all of you parents out there, about diapers and false advertising! Once the trial wraps up I just may have more to post on that, but I digress. We had a nice little lunch and visit on the deck before heading back inside to the AC. Caroline was entertaining herself by carrying around a little cup with water inside a small basket. As expected, she eventually spilled it, but in one of those "Ahhhhhhh!!!!"/heavens opening up/lightbulb moments, she turned around and said, in her sweet little baby voice but still clearly enough to understand, "Uh-oh - need towel," and proceeded to grab the dish towel that was hanging up next to the sink and mopped up the mess.

As the mother of a toddler, I sometimes lose focus of the impact I'm having on my daughter. You get so bogged down with the mundane day-to-day stuff that you miss the little milestones that add up to the great person you hope your kid will become. I don't get that many of those super-proud, "I did that" moments, but today's will most likely carry me through for some time. Just thought I would share with the masses... Hope your day is as simple/inspired/fulfilling as mine just became!

PINK PLAYS: "IN THE MOTHER 'HOOD - SEASON ONE: EPISODE ONE"

Alright, TPT readers, it's time for me to pass along another one of my guilty pleasures for your viewing! "In The Mother 'Hood" is a web-based sitcom that stars Leah Remini; Chelsea Handler (my personal favorite); and in the second season, Jenny McCarthy - three of the funniest women alive (excluding my sisters Suzy and Lulu). The show is based on stories submitted to the website by real mothers, so if you're a parent and have a funny story to share, head to the site and enter it - it may end up as an episode of the show! They've currently stopped accepting submissions for this season, but check back soon for Season Three's deadlines. I'm going to post the past several episodes over the next little bit so that you can get caught up - trust me, even if you aren't a parent, it's worth the roughly 6 minutes per episode!

**NOTE: Remember to scroll down to the bottom of the screen to stop the music player before viewing!!!**

BABY GAP LAUNCHES HOME SITE...

Baby Gap has been offering a very limited selection of bedding for some time now, but this morning, I woke up to find this link in my inbox. They've now expanded considerably their list of offerings to include some stroller and car seat choices, along with a larger range of coordinated bedding, feeding and bathing supplies, nursery accessories, and books and toys. Called "Baby Gap Home," this store is currently available mostly online, athough they've also carved out space in some of their brick-and-mortar locations in CA, NYC, and TX. They plan to add more stores as the concept catches on.

When I went to preview the site before posting, I saw some really cute, modern stuff and trendy, functional brands. One thing that I liked in particular was that the bedding is sold in sets for a comparably reasonable price (I went to Pottery Barn Kids to figure this out, as I would assume that the two stores' target audience is the same), and their sheets are of a highter thread count (300 vs. the typical 200 that you see for most baby bedding). For someone like me who has a kid with very sensitive skin, this is a nice selling point. I also like that they have free returns by mail. So take a look at the site and let me know whether you think this latest Gap venture will take off...

SOME COOL ADAPTATIONS TO SHARE!

I am a member of The Paralysis Resource Center, which is an online community that was started by the Christopher Reeve Foundation to help connect people facing paralysis to each other. I have met lots of great people there, and one in particular has become a pretty good long-distance friend - a woman named Cheryl. She and I have alot in common - we're both married, have one child, and want to do this whole parenting-from-a-chair thing in as uncomplicated a manner as possible. We connected before Cheryl got pregnant, as she was looking for someone who had some first-hand experience with having a spinal-cord injury and pregnancy. As I had just been through it, I jumped at the chance to help someone else who was facing a similar situation to mine!

Cheryl and her husband welcomed their first son a few weeks ago, and it's been really nice to have someone to compare notes with! Her husband made some pretty interesting adaptations to some of their nursery gear that I thought I would pass on. The crib, in particular, is pretty clever, and goes to show that a little ingenuity can go a long way! Here's what she sent to me:

Here's what their Pali "West Point" crib

looks like when closed (notice the latches?)

Here's what it looks like when it's opened up so that Cheryl can reach in

Here's their Stokke changing table,

which they adapted by removing a lower shelf

so that Cheryl can roll her wheelchair underneath

Sometime, when I get my pictures organized, I will post about some of the solutions we came up with, as we did things a bit differently than Cheryl and Mathew did. Either way, it's nice to have options, as well as a connection to someone else who may encounter similar obstacles and come up with creative solutions. That way, no one is having to reinvent the wheel!

PARTY-PLANNING MADE EASY...

Here's Caroline on her first birthday this past Summer -

a seemingly small event to plan. Wait until she gets older

and she actually knows what's going on...

This morning, I got my daily newsletter in my inbox from Urban Baby. They had an article about planning the perfect Easter party for kids, with a great link I wanted to share with you. It's for a party-planning site called Peppers and Pollywogs, which is a place to get all kinds of really fabulous ideas for different kinds of parties - from birthdays for kids of all ages, to christenings, to holiday parties for everyone. The site is particularly great because it's sorted into sections that include "goodie bags," "invitations," and "music suggestions." You also can browse vendors by city (if you are interested in hiring one), or email a request for help to come up with an invitation rhyme (albeit for a fee...). As stationery designers and co-owners of Penny-Bear Printing, my partner Christy and I deal regularly with parents who are planning events for their kids. I think Peppers and Pollywogs is an awesome resource for all of us!

DOES THIS GROSS YOU OUT AS MUCH AS IT DOES ME?

I was reading my Daily Candy Kids newsletter this morning, and they were discussing this:

The Nosefrida is a different kind of nasal aspirator than the regular bulb ones that all of us parents are used to using on our babies when they are stuffy. The people at Nosefrida claim that their product is better than the traditional aspirators because nothing actually goes in the nose and you can control the amount of suction you're applying. There's also a filter that is supposed to prohibit the passage of germs. That may be true, but I personally got queasy when I saw this picture and thought about sucking the snot out of Caroline's nose with my own mouth... I'm a huge fan of Daily Candy, but this particular edition truly grossed me out. Yuck.

IT'S FABULOUS FREEBIE FRIDAY!!!

So funny that I was just blogging about Lilaguide this week, because I stopped by the site today while I was helping my friend Kristy research strollers and found out that by joining the site FOR FREE, you get a FREE Lilaguide for your city (or closest one to you)! This is a great deal, as the book regularly sells for $16.95. There are no strings attached to this, and it's truly a fabulous parenting resource. This is only available while supplies last, so get over to the site today to snatch yours up. Click here to be directed to the sign-up page...

THE PINK TOTEBAG RECOMMENDS...

My good friend Kristy asked me to help her to go register as she gets ready for the arrival of her first baby. So exciting - and so nerve-wracking! Everyone who's ever set foot in a baby store knows that it's absolutely out of control how much stuff there is, and how easily you can get distracted from what you actually need. For example, when we walked into our local Buy Buy Baby to start registering, they gave us a "recommendations" list that said that we needed no less than 12 white onesies in every size up to 24 months, a warm mist humidifier, a cool mist humidifier, and 4 sets of crib sheets. I mean, don't people own washing machines?! Needless to say, we pared down quite a bit and tried to find as much stuff as we could that could do double duty, and save us some space. We relied on the advice of our family and friends with kids when making choices, as well as a few other good resources that are out there. Here are two books that we found to be really helpful as we got ourselves put together before Caroline was born...

Baby Bargains by Denise Fields is a fabulous resource, no matter where you live. It makes good recommendations based on different scenarios (ie - city vs. suburban living), which can help most shoppers make good choices, especially where cost is concerned. A friend of mine who had a baby just a few months before me passed this one along to me after she was through with it. Nothing compares to a first-hand recommendation...

The Lila Guide began as local resource guides for parents, with tips for kid-friendly restaurants, the best parks, classes, and outings for families, and stores for good gear, among other things. Think of it as sort of a Zagat's Guide for parents. The editors then decided to put together The Lila Guide Baby Gear Guide. There are many fabulous parts to this guide, including lists that tell you what you definitely need, what would be nice to have, and what to skip, as well as lists of the best-ranked gear in each section. I think my favorite part is that these guides are comprised of real-world parent recommendations, rather than just having a bunch of editors put together a book about what they think we need. The guides are also available online at www.lilaguide.com , where you can join for free and customize the site to your closest local city and keep a calendar of upcoming events in your area. We still use ours, and Caroline's 18 months old. Not much has lasted that long with her...

TAG - YOU'RE IT...

Tonight, after we got home from dinner at a neighborhood restaurant, Caroline needed a bath... But not until someone had to change a stinky diaper. Who has to deal with the mess? In our house, it comes down to whoever loses at the "finger-on-the-nose" game, or whoever has the bigger sob story (read: "I already did 2 today, so you're it."). Guess who lost tonight:

KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES... ER, CAROLINE...

Ah, those were the days. Caroline coming home from the hospital,

contained and content. I was using our Flying Falcon infant car seat carrier strap

to keep her car seat on my lap - it was a great find and worth every penny!

Sigh. I don't love Winter. Cold weather just makes me want to hibernate. The Groundhog saw his shadow last week, which means that we're stuck with 6 more weeks of this. At our house we've been stuck doing indoor activities for the better part of 3 months now, and it's starting to wear thin. Caroline's bored, and I am bored. We've been able to get out onto our deck when it's sunny, and Steve's occasionally gotten her out to the park or on walks, but for the most part, we're stuck in this little Winter rut.

As you probably know from your own experience, boredom can lead a person to do things they wouldn't ordinarily think of doing - say, take all the aluminum cans out of the trash, or stand on the sofa. My daughter's new fascinations with our recycling bin and climbing are beginning to drive me crazy, and show no signs of waning anytime soon. On the one hand, I'm excited to see that she's doing things that a normal toddler would do - while on the other hand, it would be nice if it would just get old to her and she'd move on to something else. I am thoroughly convinced that if she was distracted by something better, like the sound of birds outside, she wouldn't have discovered that she was capable of dragging our trash cans out into the living room or scaling the walls, but now that she's got these down to a science, I'm having to choose my battles (and keep the Wet Ones on hand...). In short, I find a good deal of what she does these days both hilarious and infuriating all at the same time.

When Caroline is told "no," she doesn't take to it kindly. What 18-month-old would? Not that this stops us from setting limits with her, but it can sometimes be incredibly exhausting to deal with, especially when we aren't out and about as much because of the cold. I'm reading The Happiest Toddler on the Block, by Dr. Harvey Karp, to see if I can get some pointers. I'll post another time on how it goes - some of his tips seem to be helping. I have to say that this is one place where my wheelchair is currently a bit of an obstacle for me - the fact that she throws a fit like any 18-month-old is not the issue as much as I sometimes just don't feel like fighting the battle in public, and also have come to rely on the fact that in our small house, she'll eventually run out of places to go and I will catch her whenever she runs away. Occasionally, even though there's something to do, we just skip it because I just don't have it in me to worry about the "what if's" in terms of how I'll manage her while out and about. Am I a bad mom for that? I hope not...

Here we are on St. Patrick's Day 2007,

at a local Irish bar. Yes, she was a baby...in a bar, but

no worries - it was daylight and there were, like, 10

other kids there! The Bjorn worked so well back in the day...

Caroline's outgrown her Baby Bjorn, which used to keep her on my lap and relatively constrained while we were running a quick errand or two. I found a new brand of carrier, called the M1 by Lascal, which has a higher weight limit. I'll probably invest in it for the next baby, but it seems silly to pick one up now. Her Bugaboo Chameleon stroller - which was another great investment that we made in that I could push it easily and Steve had not trouble either - is getting a bit heavier to push so I don't take it out every time we have to pop into a store. I'm currently on the hunt for a lightweight one that maneuvers as well as our big stroller, and will keep everyone up to date on what I find that works. I'm also now in the process of thinking of our next step - we're not quite at the baby harness (although I think we'll be heading there soon and I've picked a couple up to test out and see), but I need something to keep her from climbing off of my lap the moment we stop moving. I'll be keeping everyone posted about this, especially if I find something that works for us, so that any other parents with disabilities can try it too!

It's not that Caroline isn't generally a really happy, curious kid. In fact, I know that if she weren't happy and curious, she wouldn't care so much about exploring what's around her rather than stick close to her mom. And truthfully, in the long run, I would much rather have raised an independent, inquisitive girl than someone who's a timid follower of the crowds who has no opinion of her own. I want her to take risks - albeit calculated; to wonder; to ask questions. I know the way she is behaving right now means that she will do all these things, and that makes facing the occasional bad day much easier. We are working with the end in mind here.

I know that other "non-wheelchair" moms would commiserate with me on this subject - nothing is more mortifying than having to wage a wrestling match with a grumpy little kid in the middle of the grocery store, which makes me feel better that I'm not alone in feeling the way I do. I just wish sometimes that I could conduct said wrestling match more quickly, more capably, and know that I could win it every time, and because of the chair, I don't have that confidence right now.

When I was pregnant, and even before that, I had myself convinced that managing a newborn while using a wheelchair would be the hardest thing we would face. Luckily, that turned out to be enough of a breeze that I'm convinced I could do it again - no problem. I don't know what I was so worried about! It's this second year that's been much more challenging - you have this little person who you've helped to reach all these fabulous milestones, and now all she wants to do is practice them on her own terms. Too big to hold on to, and too little to reason with. Nothing is more exciting or terrifying to a new-ish mom, at least from my perspective.

Anyways, I think I am ready for Spring. Warm weather always gives me perspective and a fresh outlook on life. Plus, Caroline will be a little older and if I'm lucky, a little more cooperative... I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for all of you moms out there who are in the same boat as I am! We'll keep you posted...