Why does this matter? Well, when the baby is strapped into the safety harness, there is nothing to keep baby’s bottom on the nap nanny. Gravity, yes. But imagine a wiggly baby. Imagine a baby lifting her mid-section high in the air doing a baby back bend. Then, imagine said acrobatic baby toppling over out of the side of the Nap Nanny, still buckled in. Head down, feet up, Nap Nanny on top of baby. I know because this happened to us.

At first I thought my baby was just supremely agile and active so while I stopped using it, I didn’t think it was as dangerous as it turned out to be. See, other babies did the same thing and unfortunately one died because of it. That baby was in a crib sleeping in the Nap Nanny and you might think that the mother who did this had a screw loose but be not quick to judge! I, myself, placed the Nap Nanny in the crib before I knew of this problem. Of course I did…the baby was having sleep problems.

The baby sleeps in the crib (unfortunately I can’t use my beloved floor bed for baby #2 because of safety reasons). There is a sibling running around, so where else should baby go other than in the Nap Nanny sitting in the crib? Yes, yes, it doesn’t quite look right and my reptilian brain sensed some danger, so I stopped doing it. But I did do it. So I can see how that poor mother used the Nap Nanny in unsanctioned ways.

I will say that the makers of the Nap Nanny have since fixed the problem by attaching Velcro to the underside of the fabric in the seat, securing it. That is supposed to keep baby’s bottom sufficiently in place. I thought I had a first generation product with no velcro…because if I saw velcro putting it together, you’d think I’d use the velcro. Come to find out I HAD velcro straps but they aren’t as user friendly as you’d think.

Actually, there are plastic D-rings on the foam insert and velcro straps (small!) on the fabric. After the recall, I investigated my nap nanny further and found these. SOOO, naturally, I velcro-ed the fabric in place. I’ll tell you what happened…

My baby did the SAME THING AS BEFORE!

Those straps are crap. They don’t keep the baby firmly in the seat any more than not using the velcro straps. Now, admittedly you may discount my experience because I had the velcro straps in the first place and didn’t use them because I didn’t read the instructions fully enough to know that I was supposed to use them. But I’m a rushed, sleep deprived mama and I’m certain I’m not alone. If I could mis-use this thing, it could happen and did happen, to just about any one else.

The moral of the story is that I’m not going to replace my Nap Nanny with a new one. I’m getting rid of it. Why? Because the company – who is doing the recall voluntarily – is a cheapskate. They are offering $80 toward the purchase of a new Nap Nanny if you have an old one. $80 off a $130 product that is defective…couldn’t they do better?

If you need more information about the recall, here is the company’s information page about the recall.

I decided to sleep train the baby to solve our sleep problems. It is so difficult to sleep train an infant with sleep problems, but it’s well worth it. Now, we all are sleeping just fine. And, safe, might I add.

Oh, and I’m taking this recall as a lesson. I, personally, found the product to be defective but instead of reporting it, I simply stopped using it. What will I do next time? Speak up! There are so many stories of recalls and unsafe products out there, we really all have to drive defensively through life, don’t you think? I mean, it works for safety on the roads, why couldn’t it work off the road?

Come to find out exercising doesn’t fully counter the effects (think diabetes, heart disease, etc) of time spent sitting down in front of a computer, a steering wheel, or a TV. Apparently all activity is not equal, according to a recent article in the New York Times.

You know, I hate to hear about studies like this. Being a mom of a toddler and an infant who is quickly trying to crawl, I do feel like I get tons of activity all day long. On occasion, I find time to go to the gym, but mostly I just drop at the end of a day feeling worn out. So while I may get more low-intensity activity than my husband (he uses a computer all day long), I think that he’s in better shape than I am.

Let me just back up and say “low-activity” doesn’t quite describe running after children all day!

So back to being active vs. sitting…It’s funny, this New York Times article is specific enough to make you think, but too general as to make any real assertions. Food for thought, as it were.

God what I wouldn’t give to sit down all day and then top that off with a good work out.
photo credit: mikebaird

After countless nights and days blended together dealing with screaming children, I found myself thirsting for relaxation. However, as any parent knows, relaxation and parenthood are mutually exclusive. So what to do? It’s pretty simple: breathe. Though not that simple to remember to do. Enter yoga.

Now, I don’t have time for a yoga class. If I did, I might actually go, but more likely I’d pick an item from my ever expanding to-do list and accomplish something. So I dug up a yoga deck of cards from Rodney Yee that I’ve had for ages and put it beside the bed.

I’ve promised myself that each night, before getting into bed, I’ll do one pose. Just one pose. I’m keeping my expectations low so that I’m sure to stick with it. If I said I’d “do yoga” before bed and left it open, then I’d find excuses (valid or not) to not do it.

The one pose is concrete and precise. It is, in a word, doable.

By the way, have you seen a yoga deck? It’s a deck of cards, each one with a different pose. Each card has a photo of Rodney Yee in a pose with an accompanying description of the pose. Back when I actually went to yoga class and was given this yoga deck, I mistakenly thought the deck was too simple. But now I see its worth: the descriptions. In class, the teacher talks about a pose and may even come to adjust your body. But the deck gives more description than I’ve typically heard in a class, so it’s quite informative.

I started out choosing a card at random and doing that pose. I kind of liked the serendipity of that – like the first night I picked the cat/cow pose (the one where you’re on all fours and you bend your back up and down while breathing). That day my back was actually hurting me a lot so I thought, “wow, exactly what I needed!”

Now I actually shuffle the deck and choose one that works. Like last night. I needed help breathing out some tension after a long day dealing with lawyers and rage-a-holics. So I chose child’s pose (where you curl up in a ball, face down, and extend your arms). It really helped me release some pent up emotion. For real. Just laying there, closing my eyes in a nurturing, protective pose actually helped my mind let go, my breath to deepen and opened my body up for the tension to leave.

I’m actually kind of amazed that I’m quickly looking forward to the end of the day so that I can do my pose! Which, oddly enough, inspires me to breathe more regularly throughout the day.

Just one pose a day is doing this!

If you don’t have access to a yoga deck and you don’t know (or remember) enough poses to do this on your own, then here’s a link to Daily Candy‘s Yoga for sleep video. Pay no mind to the distracting music and fake night’s sleep. The yoga advice from Tara Stiles is pretty solid.

Alternately, the Rodney Yee 50-Card Practice Deck that I use is below.

If you, too, are in need of breathing, then try this and let me know how it goes. Happy sleeping.

I admit it, some nights I’m so beyond tired that when I put my wee one to sleep I’m barely keeping it together. Come to find out, I could be contributing to her poor sleep habits. Nothing like being able to blame myself for yet another thing my child does (or doesn’t do, as the case may be). URGH.

According to a new study, the emotional availability of the parent at bedtime greatly impacts an infant’s sleep pattern throughout the night.

The study just published by the American Psychological Association found that an infant reacts (positively or negatively) to the mom’s emotional state when going to sleep. Part of me says, “well, duh!” but another part of me thinks that they may be on to something good here. Good to know at least. Good to experiment with, I should specify.

The upshot of the study: the more emotionally available you are at bedtime, the more your tyke sleeps. So, turn down the lights, turn on the sound machine and turn up the positive emotions…

photo credit: peasap

There’s nothing like lounging in a nice bath, letting the bubbles and hot water melt your stresses away. (Man, did Calgon have it right when they made that commercial ages ago…”Calgon, take me away!”) Anyway, back to the here and now…I found this bath set made of bamboo that brings to mind a calm, serene, quiet spa. Nothing like my house, to be sure, so maybe, if I use this bath set, my house will become this way?

Here’s to hoping.

Regardless, the set does look like it offers some good pampering: It includes all the “essentials” (except the wine, of course) like a bath brush, a nail brush, a foot file and massager. That massager would work wonders on the shoulders, where tension tends to build, don’t you think? For baby, the bath mitt looks extra soft and gentle. And, to top it off, they are made from natural materials, so they are nice to the environment, too.

Checkout the bamboo grooming set at Nature Next.

So much mess, so little time to clean. A nursery can get pretty gross what with all that pee and poop and spit up. And, when you’re pressed for time, cleaning it properly can easily be put on the back burner…trust me, I know.

I once grew black mold in my baby’s laundry hamper because, in a frenzy, I tossed the burp cloth soaked with spit up in the hamper then promptly forgot about it. For a LONG time. EEWWW. I feel slightly embarrassed admitting to that, but hey, I’m a frazzled, busy mom who gets little sleep so stuff happens.

So, I’m here to share with you a few cleaning tips from one mom to another. And, Dr. Benjamin Tanner has a few ideas, too…he’s a microbiologist who specializes in testing and development of disinfectants and other antimicrobial technologies who sent me a few cleaning tips that I incorporated here.

Here’s the skinny – get a good cleaner you trust and get jiggy with it. I, personally, like the all natural cleaners like Seventh Generation or Mrs. Meyers. In fact, you’d be surprised at how much hot water and plain old soap can actually clean. I know – radical idea…soap and water!

I don’t like chemicals around the babies because I just don’t know what will or won’t happen with exposure. A lot of people like to keep anti-bacterial hand sanitizer or wipes in a baby’s room, for those really messy moments when the room somehow takes a poop bath before your very eyes.

I, personally, don’t keep these things next to the changing table because I don’t like them. I use baby wipes for my hands (and the changing pad and the wall and the floor) if things get really gross. Dr. Tanner recommends a good disinfectant spray. And, did you know that you should wipe the area that you disinfected after the spray dries? I didn’t. Makes sense, though, no?

The key is to pay attention to “hot spots” like the changing table, laundry hamper, floor and toy chest. Wipe these down early and often and that should about cover things. I realize that I’m not offering anything ground breaking here…maybe just a gentle reminder of things you already know.

There is no real silver bullet to cleaning…unfortunately. Now, if someone could just tell me how to wiggle my nose like Bewitched and then presto, everything would be clean…

photo credit: fdecomite

Feed your baby, get back into your skinny jeans. Now that’s what I’m talking about! A recent New York Times article asserts that breastfeeding contributes to post-partum weight loss. Go figure (so to speak).

Whether you are nursing at the breast or pumping your milk out, making breast milk burns roughly 500 calories a day. Add that to the constant activity of having a baby – all that walking, jiggling, sitting then standing, standing then sitting – and you’ve got yourself a damn good workout regimen.

Ahh, if it were only that easy. Sadly, weightloss, like most everything having to do with birthing a baby, is rooted in one’s genes. Whether or not you eat a ton or eat like a bird, breastfeeding does have something to do with your post-partum slim down, but how much is debatable. I mean, if you eat tons and burn tons then you could lose weight. If you eat next to nothing, your metabolism (and your milk supply) may slow down, causing you to NOT lose weight. If you eat tons and nurse tons and don’t lose weight – well, blame your mother…

No, seriously, don’t blame your mother especially since, if you’re reading this, you just became one and you wouldn’t want anyone blaming you.

But, can’t you just see the new work out class in your gym: PUMP it up…breast pump supplied, bring your own tubes. If only!

photo credit: ODHD

I’m not talking about the six week check-up go ahead, I’m talking about three or four months into having a new baby. I read an article in this month’s Parenting Magazine about going from “mommy” time to lover” time, about how to make the transition so that you and your partner can have better sex. It got my attention – of course it got my attention…anything that says “better sex” gets just about anyone’s attention.

Some of the recommendations: sex up your day while a mommy. Wear sexy undies, even if you’re wearing sweats. Think dirty thoughts. Meditate. Drink wine. Wow – nice ideas if you don’t have kids.

And now back to reality…anything underneath sweats is still covered up by the sweats. While there is a chance that my mommy persona may occasionally remember that I’ve got a leopard print thong on, what is more than likely to happen is that I’ll look in the mirror and just see tired ole me in baggy (and more than likely dirty) sweats.

As for dirty thoughts, I have plenty of those. They go something like this: eewww, spit up down my hand, sleeve and pants. Oh well, what sense in washing them now? Dirt encrusted little hands pawing at my shirt begging to be picked up…so much for wearing white. So, for mommies, I venture a guess that dirty means a whole different thing.

And finally, meditating and drinking wine. Can someone explain to me the difference? I mean, I get the whole “let’s drink a glass of wine and feel sensual” thing, but for me (and this might make me a bad person) wine is a much coveted BREAK from the craziness around me. Just a sip; just that first sip even. It’s like relaxation in a glass.

I do see how that might lead one to think sexy thoughts. Really I can. Only, it kinda just allows my body to go from blocking all that exhaustion so I can get through the day to becoming unwound at the end of the day. And by unwound, I mean lying in a pile of frayed yarn on the floor.

So, as much as I applaud the notion that you can channel your inner sex goddess as a mommy, I have my reservations. Maybe THAT’s my problem.

photo credit: balinto

Dora the Explorer is everywhere. My personal favorite marketing ploy is putting Dora on diapers. My child knows way too much about Dora and she doesn’t even know Dora has her own TV show. She’s that omnipresent. Now, it looks like Dora is making our kids fat. Well, maybe Dora isn’t alone.

Turns out that food labeled with cartoon characters “tastes” better to children, according to a new Yale University study. Maybe it’s the “I want it” factor, who knows? But, it’s safe to say that if a child sees a cartoon character that they know and love, said child is gonna want to leave the grocery store with WHATEVER that cartoon is hawking. And the child won’t even know why.

Sad.

While Dora has been seen on some healthy foods, the majority of the foods she promotes is junk food, along with all of her other cartoon cohorts. To me, this gives marketing a bad name – yes, we all know marketing is manipulative, but as adults we choose to be fooled…kind of. Kids, on the other hand, don’t know their strings are being pulled. The power of suggestion at work.

Like I said: sad.

As if getting our kids to eat healthy wasn’t hard enough.

Uh Oh Pasghetti Os – at least, that what we used to call them. Campbell’s SpaghettiOs with Meatballs have recalled (voluntarily) 15,000,000 pounds of SpaghettiOs. Now that’s a lot of pasghetti! These are the products being recalled:

• 14.75-ounce cans of “SpaghettiOs” with Meatballs, bearing the identifying product code “U5″ on the bottom of the can.
• 14.75-ounce cans of “SpaghettiOs” A to Z with Meatballs, bearing the identifying product code “4N” on the bottom of the can.
• 14.75-ounce cans of “SpaghettiOs” Fun Shapes with Meatballs (Cars), bearing the identifying product code “KS” on the bottom of the can.

Because of a routine inspection, a problem with a cooker at the Paris, Texas plant was discovered. Apparently, the food inside of these cans was not cooked properly. Bacteria could be growing inside the cans. Yuck. No illnesses have been linked to the recall, but still the company thought it prudent to get the cans off of the shelves. Um, yeah, that would be a good idea.

To find more specific details about the recall here is the USDA’s official statement.

So, if you have any Campbell’s SpaghettiOs, check the lot numbers on your cans. Consumer questions regarding the recall should be directed to Campbell’s Hotline at (866) 495-3774.

Another recall: Marie Callendar’s Cheese Chicken and Rice frozen meals. An investigation by the Centers for Disease Control linked the Marie Callendar’s frozen meal to 29 cases in 14 states of Salmonella poisoning.

Salmonella infections can be life-threatening, especially to those with weak immune systems, such as infants, the elderly, and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy. The most common manifestations of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within eight to 72 hours. Additional symptoms may be chills, headache, nausea and vomiting that can last up to seven days.

Here is the product: 13-ounce packages of “Marie Callender’s Cheesy Chicken & Rice White Meat Chicken and Broccoli over Rice Topped with Rich Cheddar Sauce.”

Each package bears a label with establishment number “P-45″ inside the USDA mark of inspection.

Consumers with questions about the recall should contact ConAgra Foods at 1-866-484-9610.

I think I’m careful, I really do. We keep all sorts of things little hands shouldn’t be able to touch out of reach. But I read this story in the New York Times about a baby who swallowed a lithium cell battery and now I’m beginning to wonder how safe our house really is.

Apparently, a 15-month-old boy swallowed a lithium cell battery and got sick. The parents brought him to the doctor and when they couldn’t figure out what was wrong they X-rayed him. There was the battery. They operated as soon as they could but the battery had already done its damage. The boy died of complications from a chemical reaction in his esophagus. Turns out, batteries (especially lithium cell batteries) can begin to do serious damage within two hours of being swallowed. Two hours!

Now I’m not usually scared by stories like this but it got me thinking…how long has it been since we baby-proofed the house? I usually keep a watchful eye on my tots, but then again, I do, at times, take my eyes off of them. Seriously – who doesn’t? It’s is down right impossible to keep all things out of babies’ mouths.

Bet you don’t have random batteries lying around your house, either. However, most batteries that kids get a hold of don’t come from lying around on the floor – they come out of electronics laying about. Think about it – almost everything has a battery these days, even some books! Most kids toys that are battery operated have screw closures, but what about your remote control? That’s got an easy to remove plastic cover and how often do kids get ahold of those?

For me, the take away lesson here isn’t to become scared of my shadow but to take yet another hazard sweep through the house. And to plan on doing that repeatedly – maybe even once a month, just to stay on top of things.

On my list of things to watch out for:

• batteries (duh!)
• pills (cuz some look like candy)
• strings and ribbons (choking hazards)
• chemicals (not just cleaners, but hair & shave products)
• electrical outlets (are they all covered?)

What about you – do you have any hazards that pop up in your house? How do you handle the baby proofing thing (because I know some people don’t believe in it)?

photo credit: scalespeeder