We bought a Britax marathon for one car and a Recaro Signo for our other car. The Recaro was a lot cheaper than the Britax. The quality is outstanding for the price. I think I paid $160 for the Recaro and $229 for the Britax.
At first, my husband liked the Recaro better. It is super plush. I have read reviews that the black and tan version can get hot in summer. I live in a hot city over summer and didn't own it during summer, so I can't comment if it is really hot.
Both the Britax and the Recaro are super sturdy.
Now, my husband likes the Britax a little better. He says it is easier to get the baby in it as the recaro is so plush that it is kinda hard to get the baby in. It isn't that hard though.
Whichever carseat you get, make sure you research it and know its quality. We had to get a bigger one since our son is very big for his age. His dad is big and tall, so that also helped us decide.
Oh, we also got an EvenFlo Symphony. It was a super good deal. It is our least favorite out of the three. It is safe, but I just don't like it. It is sturdy, but I don't like the latch. It also vibrates a little, but I think that has to do with the way my husband insalled it.
Similar ones to the three that we own:
Britax Marathon:
http://www.amazon.com/Britax-Marathon-Convertible-Seat-Herringbone/dp/B0018Q3UMU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1268672473&sr=8-2
Albeebaby and diapers.com usually have good prices on Britax.
Recaro Signo:
http://www.amazon.com/Recaro-Signo-Convertible-Midnight-Desert/dp/B0021AFQQU/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1268672540&sr=1-5
This one seems like it went up in price. It is nice, but I am not sure I would pay that much for it when the Britax is cheaper.
Evenflo Symphony:
I think this is similar to the one we have.
http://www.amazon.com/Evenflo-Symphony-Convertible-Seat-SureLATCH/dp/B001H0GGLY/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1268672659&sr=1-2-fkmr0
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Cheap Christmas Stocking
I decided to save money and buy 3 stockings at the Dollar Tree. I got them for $1 each. I got them embroidered for about $7.50 each. I shopped around and found a cheaper place for embroidery. If you know of someone who does this, ask them. Embroidering isn't usually expensive. I called a few places to find the cheapest place that had the fastest turnaround.
Here is my final product (above)
Mom, Dad, and my son's name
Monday, December 7, 2009
Breastfeeding while sick
I have food poisoning for the 2nd time this year. Last time I had it was about 5 months ago, I didn't know if I should continue breastfeeding.
Here is a good website on what you should do if you find yourself sick and wonder if breastfeeding is safe for your baby.
http://www.kellymom.com/health/illness/mom-illness.html
I've mentioned this website before as it is the best website for nursing moms. This link above talks specifically about being sick and breastfeeding.
I'm sick again, but I'm still breastfeeding. I'm really dehydrated, but I'm trying to make it to my goal of one year of breastfeeding.
It is really hard to take care of your baby while sick, but add to that still trying to feed your baby while YOU are sick...definitely ask for help!
Here is a good website on what you should do if you find yourself sick and wonder if breastfeeding is safe for your baby.
http://www.kellymom.com/health/illness/mom-illness.html
I've mentioned this website before as it is the best website for nursing moms. This link above talks specifically about being sick and breastfeeding.
I'm sick again, but I'm still breastfeeding. I'm really dehydrated, but I'm trying to make it to my goal of one year of breastfeeding.
It is really hard to take care of your baby while sick, but add to that still trying to feed your baby while YOU are sick...definitely ask for help!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Milestones by Month!
http://parenting.ivillage.com/baby/bdevelopment/0,,42cn,00.html
A good website that shows milestones by month.
Take everything with a grain of salt...
My son met some milestones on the last day of that month. He did some items slightly earlier (like smiling). He likes to wait until the last minute...
He just laughed one day with me feeding him. (didn't see it on this list, but I think it is a 3 or 4 month milestone). We played peak a boo with him one time and he laughed too. So, you really do have to work at some of these milestones...Laughing is so cool!!!!
We practice waving and clapping, but my pedi said that is a 12month milestone. But you do need to practice things with them...Some of my friends have children that waved at 9months or earlier, so as mentioned some children 'get it' before others. ;)
My son took forever to sit unassisted - think it was around 7months.
My son wanted to pull up on everything, but I really needed to have things for him to pull up on (furniture, stable items, etc). If he didn't have something, he might have taken longer to do this milestone.
Spend time with your child and ensure they are meeting their milestones! If you have concerns, talk to your pediatrician. I know all of them usually have a list when you visit (is your child sitting, is your child pulling up, is your child focusing on you, etc). Talk to your dr if you have concerns, that is what we pay them for!
I know my son was horrible at keeping his head up (45 degrees - he took forever to do that). Of course, when I told my dr, he did it for her no problem. My son is stubborn! :) You should spend time with your baby and do tummy time. I'll find a link to some tummy time ideas on another post.
A good website that shows milestones by month.
Take everything with a grain of salt...
My son met some milestones on the last day of that month. He did some items slightly earlier (like smiling). He likes to wait until the last minute...
He just laughed one day with me feeding him. (didn't see it on this list, but I think it is a 3 or 4 month milestone). We played peak a boo with him one time and he laughed too. So, you really do have to work at some of these milestones...Laughing is so cool!!!!
We practice waving and clapping, but my pedi said that is a 12month milestone. But you do need to practice things with them...Some of my friends have children that waved at 9months or earlier, so as mentioned some children 'get it' before others. ;)
My son took forever to sit unassisted - think it was around 7months.
My son wanted to pull up on everything, but I really needed to have things for him to pull up on (furniture, stable items, etc). If he didn't have something, he might have taken longer to do this milestone.
Spend time with your child and ensure they are meeting their milestones! If you have concerns, talk to your pediatrician. I know all of them usually have a list when you visit (is your child sitting, is your child pulling up, is your child focusing on you, etc). Talk to your dr if you have concerns, that is what we pay them for!
I know my son was horrible at keeping his head up (45 degrees - he took forever to do that). Of course, when I told my dr, he did it for her no problem. My son is stubborn! :) You should spend time with your baby and do tummy time. I'll find a link to some tummy time ideas on another post.
Milestone information - motor skills
http://www.who.int/childgrowth/standards/mm_windows_graph.pdf
The above link shows child milestones for motor skills (sitting, standing, crawling, walking).
Also related to milestones (when to count it)
http://www.who.int/childgrowth/mgrs/en/fnb_motor_37_45.pdf
It's good to know what milestone your child should be hitting. There is a big range on some items such as crawling and walking. He couldn't sit unassisted forever, but still fell within the range. You should be careful to compare your child with another child. Each child is different, but it is good to see the milestone information.
A child at my son's daycare (a girl) was crawling perfectly at 5 months and walking well at 8 or 9 months. My son didn't army crawl until 8.5 months and started full-blown crawling at 9.5 months. Each child is different and in talking to moms with taller/chunkier kids it may take longer. Instead of comparing your child, just look at the chart and understand that there is a big range for motor skills. Some children don't crawl, but go straight to walking.
The above link shows child milestones for motor skills (sitting, standing, crawling, walking).
Also related to milestones (when to count it)
http://www.who.int/childgrowth/mgrs/en/fnb_motor_37_45.pdf
It's good to know what milestone your child should be hitting. There is a big range on some items such as crawling and walking. He couldn't sit unassisted forever, but still fell within the range. You should be careful to compare your child with another child. Each child is different, but it is good to see the milestone information.
A child at my son's daycare (a girl) was crawling perfectly at 5 months and walking well at 8 or 9 months. My son didn't army crawl until 8.5 months and started full-blown crawling at 9.5 months. Each child is different and in talking to moms with taller/chunkier kids it may take longer. Instead of comparing your child, just look at the chart and understand that there is a big range for motor skills. Some children don't crawl, but go straight to walking.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Breastfeeding issues!
I had the worse time at breastfeeding, but I stuck it out. Sometimes I think I was not in my right mind and maybe I should have quit...
My advice:
1). Do it, if you can.
2). If it stresses you out, stop
3). It gets easier. For me, it took awhile but at 3months, I felt like it was easier.
4). It's a learning process for mom and baby. Babies don't just have this instinct naturally, although you think they would. It takes time for them to learn. They do get faster at drinking the milk, but at first you will have to wake them a lot (more on that in another post).
I was stubborn, since I paid a lot of money for a breast pump, etc. I wanted to make it work.
Here I am at 10m6d and I'm still breastfeeding. I had to supplement from the start.
What works:
1) Feed on demand.
2) Feed every 2-3 hrs at first. It takes awhile for your supply to establish. Breasts work by supply/demand.
3) Drink a ton of water.
4) Eat good stuff.
5) Oatmeal
6) One beer right after BFing session - slam it. It helps increase supply...I'm not advocating getting drunk. ;)
7). Take blessed thistle and fenugreek at the same time (get the right amount by talking to your obgyn and/or a lactation consultant.
8). Get a lactation consultant. After talking to a ton of women on breastfeeding, most needed 'help'.
9) Reach out to other moms who have breastfed. I could never BF in public as my son is easily distracted. Some things won't work for you, but talking to people will help!
Even now, at 10m I still have to feed him every 3-4hrs usually. Babies have to eat a lot since they have a small stomach.
We had to supplement from the beginning and all the above items didn't work for me (100%). I had to take a drug to stimulate my brain to make more. It only helped slightly. Reglan is what I took and it didn't help me much. It can cause depression in some, so talk to a dr when taking this.
I frequent 'breastfeeding' forum on the bump.com. I talk to a lot of moms about breastfeeding and baby items. It's important to have someone to talk to - I know if I didn't ask people on a forum (A LOT), I would be clueless. This is where I get some/most of my breastfeeding advice. ;)
I'm passionate about breastfeeding, so look for more posts regarding the topic. I don't think formula is poison at all and I've had to supplement from the start. Some days I supplement ZERO oz, but sometimes he gets 6oz a day of formula.
Breastfeeding is the hardest thing that I've ever done, period. My original goal was 6-9 months, before I knew what I was getting into (had the baby). I'm so proud that I've surpassed my original goal! I hope to make it to 1 year - if all continues well.
My advice:
1). Do it, if you can.
2). If it stresses you out, stop
3). It gets easier. For me, it took awhile but at 3months, I felt like it was easier.
4). It's a learning process for mom and baby. Babies don't just have this instinct naturally, although you think they would. It takes time for them to learn. They do get faster at drinking the milk, but at first you will have to wake them a lot (more on that in another post).
I was stubborn, since I paid a lot of money for a breast pump, etc. I wanted to make it work.
Here I am at 10m6d and I'm still breastfeeding. I had to supplement from the start.
What works:
1) Feed on demand.
2) Feed every 2-3 hrs at first. It takes awhile for your supply to establish. Breasts work by supply/demand.
3) Drink a ton of water.
4) Eat good stuff.
5) Oatmeal
6) One beer right after BFing session - slam it. It helps increase supply...I'm not advocating getting drunk. ;)
7). Take blessed thistle and fenugreek at the same time (get the right amount by talking to your obgyn and/or a lactation consultant.
8). Get a lactation consultant. After talking to a ton of women on breastfeeding, most needed 'help'.
9) Reach out to other moms who have breastfed. I could never BF in public as my son is easily distracted. Some things won't work for you, but talking to people will help!
Even now, at 10m I still have to feed him every 3-4hrs usually. Babies have to eat a lot since they have a small stomach.
We had to supplement from the beginning and all the above items didn't work for me (100%). I had to take a drug to stimulate my brain to make more. It only helped slightly. Reglan is what I took and it didn't help me much. It can cause depression in some, so talk to a dr when taking this.
I frequent 'breastfeeding' forum on the bump.com. I talk to a lot of moms about breastfeeding and baby items. It's important to have someone to talk to - I know if I didn't ask people on a forum (A LOT), I would be clueless. This is where I get some/most of my breastfeeding advice. ;)
I'm passionate about breastfeeding, so look for more posts regarding the topic. I don't think formula is poison at all and I've had to supplement from the start. Some days I supplement ZERO oz, but sometimes he gets 6oz a day of formula.
Breastfeeding is the hardest thing that I've ever done, period. My original goal was 6-9 months, before I knew what I was getting into (had the baby). I'm so proud that I've surpassed my original goal! I hope to make it to 1 year - if all continues well.
Breastfeeding resource!
I had so many problems with breastfeeding, but most of my issues were around supply. (more on that in another post).
Here is a great breastfeeding website. If you are BFing, you need to visit this site quite often. It tells you what kinds of medications you can/cannot take.
It also has where to find a lactation consultant. I think mine isn't on here, so if you live in Austin let me know if you need a resource.
http://www.kellymom.com/
Here is a great breastfeeding website. If you are BFing, you need to visit this site quite often. It tells you what kinds of medications you can/cannot take.
It also has where to find a lactation consultant. I think mine isn't on here, so if you live in Austin let me know if you need a resource.
http://www.kellymom.com/
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