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Reduce Your Baby’s Risk Of Choking

May 14, 2008

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Saturday was a stressful day.  Not only were we getting ready for Mother’s Day, BUT our 22 month old, while eating a snack, began choking.  He started coughing and then SILENCE.  Terror seized his face (and ours) and, after struggling for what seemed to be 20 seconds, he dropped to the floor.  Already on the phone with the 911 operator (props to those folks who are so professional and able to deal with frantic folks like myself!), we gave our son the Heimlich and he coughed up the piece of lodged food in his mouth.  He began breathing again…WHEW! 

That got me thinking, what are the top ten things we can do to reduce our baby’s risk of choking?

1.  Never leave your child alone when they are eating!

2.  Make sure your child is upright when eating.

3.  Mash the food prior to feeding them.

4.  Don’t allow young children to play with toys that are designed for older children.

5.  Don’t force feed your child when they are crying.

6.  Encourage them to eat slowly and chew well.

7.  Check under couches, coffee tables, chairs and in between cushions for small items that your child could choke on.

8.  Until 4 years old, avoid: hot dogs, whole grapes, hard candy, popcorn, peanut butter, tube cheese, raw carrots, raw celery, large marshmallows, taffy, dried fruits like large apricots, cherries with pits, cherry tomatoes or any foods that are round and hard.

9.  Don’t let children handle coins.

10.  Avoid ‘chipmunking’.  Encourage your child to chew and swallow his food instead of storing the food in their cheeks.

Of course, taking these steps does not guarantee that your child will not choke.  So it is also important to know what to do in an emergency situation.  For more information on the prevention of choking and what to do in an emergency situation see below.  Do you have any other ideas for the prevention of choking in children?  Leave a comment for everyone to benefit from.

How to reduce your baby’s risk of choking

Preventing Choking Among Infants and Children

Children And Choking Hazards

How To Prevent Your Child From Choking

What Foods Should I Avoid Giving to my Child Because of Choking?

Choking (What to do in an emergency)

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We Got Press!

May 5, 2008

Woohoo!  Thanks to all of you who have voted for us on the Blogger’s Choice Awards, we have had some pretty good exposure as of late.  The latest exposure has come in the form of a write up (ok, so it is more of a quick blurb at the end of an article…but we’ll take it) in the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram.  You can read it HERE.  If you haven’t voted for us on the Blogger’s Choice Awards, we would SOOOOOOO love for you to do so.  We aren’t above begging.  Please, please, please vote for us.

Anyway, the article is actually about starting a family blog and we are big fans of family blogs because they are a great way to keep those close to you informed about your life, kids, etc…  However, you must take necessary steps to keep you and your kids safe.  Some blogging platforms (blogger, etc…) will allow you to make your blog private so only those folks to whom you give permission can actually see your blog.  Obviously, you don’t want to give away your address, but most bloggers will even conceal their names (use pseudonyms) as an extra layer of precaution.

Regardless, when handled appropriately, family blogs are a great way to keep the grandparents, aunts, and uncles up to date with pictures and stories.  We encourage you to start one.  Have a great week!

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5 Hints To Help Your Baby Sleep Through The Night

March 20, 2008

1.  Stick to a routine:  We are creatures of routine and operate well when a routine is in place.  What is your routine prior to bedtime?  Do you read?  Brush your teeth?  Wash your face?  The same principle applies here.  Come up with a routine prior to bedtime and stick to it.  Read a book to Baby.  Play the same soft music.  Rock Baby and cuddle with him.

2.  Try a pacifier:  Babies tend to have a natural sucking instinct, and it helps to calm them down.  pacifier at nighttime just might do the trick.

3.  Keep Baby active during the day:  This is not to say that the baby shouldn’t take naps during the day.  But, when Baby is awake, play with himsing with him, and surround him with stimulation.  The stimulation during the day will help promote sleep at night.

4.  Make the crib a place of refuge:  Do not put Baby in the crib as ‘punishment’ or ‘discipline’.  This only encourages Baby to view the crib as a ‘bad place’.  Baby needs to feel comfortable in the place that they sleep.

5.  Introduce more daytime feedings:  If you feed Baby more during the day, he will get more of his nutritional needs met prior to nighttime.  This is also a good idea if the daytime feedings are short or interrupted.

What are some techniques you use to get your baby to sleep through the night? 

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Five Things That Have Made Our Life As Parents Easier

February 28, 2008

We know this isn’t product related, but we thought, ‘Hey, why not?’

1.  Date night.  We have made it a habit to intentionally schedule one night a week as our night.  We get a babysitter and are gone for no more than 2-3 hours (usually dinner and coffee…but there are plenty of great sites dedicated to date nights).  This has become something we look forward to every week.  It’s a break from the crying, screaming, pulling on our legs, making bottles, etc…  It’s great.  It will usually take us 30 minutes to get our minds back in order before any real conversation begins, but, once we start talking, we realize how little we have been engaging all week.  Simply put…this is necessary time for us.

2.  Watching the kids sleep.  After a crazy and chaotic day, nothing says we can do it all over again tomorrow quite like watching our kids sleep peacefully and quietly.  For whatever reason, there is nothing more cute and heart warming than watching your babies sleep. 

3.  Shopping for groceries TOGETHER.  Two kids at a grocery store with one parent = a nightmarish situation.  Maybe your kids are better behaved, but it is impossible to walk around a grocery store and think that you will return home with all the necessary ingredients if you are by yourself.  So, most of the time, this is a weekend activity when both of us can go.  One entertains the kids, one shops.

4.  Chick-fil-a.  Yep, that’s right.  The fast food restaurant.  They have the cleanest play place in town.  It’s free, the kids love it, and you can watch them through the window while you eat the best Chicken sandwich ever. 

5.  Sign language.  One of the hardest parts of the toddler stage is the inability to communicate.  They want something, but they don’t know how to communicate with you except by grunting and pointing.  Teaching our kids sign language has bridged the gap between the time they can communicate but aren’t able to speak yet.  In addition, signing has proven advantages for the mental development of a child.  We highly encourage it.

So, what are some things that have made your life as a parent easier?  Cheers!

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Top 10 Baby Products We REALLY Love

February 14, 2008

TOP TEN BABY PRODUCTS WE REALLY LOVE! (in no particular order)

1.  BabyLove Slings

2.  The Little Author

3.  How Fast They Grow

4.  BabyLegs

5.  Loopa Bowl

6.  Bumpy Name Orbit Bottle Label

7.  HowsMyNanny.com

8.  Milk Bands

9.  Miss Priss Tutus

10.  TummyTs

What are some baby products that you love?  Happy Valentine’s Day! 

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