Peanut and Product

During the last several months, I have had several friends announce their pregnancies. During my pregnancy with Dustin, I spent a considerable amount of time reading the Baby Bargains book and multiple, multiple websites and reviews of baby products to ultimately come to a conclusion about which items to purchase for my little man. I just love to pass on all of the good information that I found and that information which was given to me by many wise mothers who have walked the path before me!



And so, in honor of pregnant mothers who are making their registry lists, below I have listed a few of the products that have worked so well for us! As a bit of a disclaimer--none of the manufacturers have paid me to endorse their products. In fact, anytime I endorse a product, person, service or place on my blog, it is because I genuinely like their product/service/place/person.



First, let's talk about SIDS. While there is no product out there that will prevent SIDS, there are a few that I have used to reduce the risk of SIDS to Dustin. I was particularly paranoid about SIDS, since Dustin was born with a significant lung condition. But, there is lots of great advice out there; based on years of research and the number of infant deaths attributable to SIDS is at an all-time low. There are a few things that I have learned and implemented in our home:

• No co-sleeping;




• Firm mattress;




• No smoking around baby;




• Use a ceiling fan;




• Use a pacifier;




• No bumpers or blankets in the crib; and




• Back to sleep!

All of the above are certainly not absolutes. More detailed recommendations can be found at the American Academy of Pediatrics website, and other reputable organizations that provide education about SIDS. The above points were the rules that we followed, based on our own research. That being said, there are a few products that we use or have used that have provided us with more comfort regarding the chance for SIDS:

The product above is the Anglecare Motion Sensor monitor. The flat blue piece goes underneath the mattress and detects if the baby is no longer moving, including breathing. While this product does not reduce the chance of SIDS, it gave me comfort that if Dustin were to stop breathing the monitor would alarm. This product worked great, until Dustin began rolling all over the crib--at which point the monitor would alarm because it simply could not detect Dustin's movement (the pad is too small to cover the entire crib). By that time, Dustin was big enough to move around on his own and turn his head.

The second product that I still enjoy using is the breathable bumper. I elected not to use a bumper in Dustin's crib, after reading reports of severe and fatal injuries to infants who got caught in the soft fluffy bumper. But, we had troubles with Dustin waking up in the middle of the night with his little hands and feet stuck between the slats of the crib. And so, we found the Breathable bumper. The bumper is made of a very light netted material, which allows baby to breathe if his little head gets caught up against it. I really like this product!

This next project is a fun one. It is the excersaucer that Tim picked out. I must say, this was the Mercedes of excersaucers, but turned out to be well worth it! It comes with a play mat that baby can lie on and play with some of the removable parts. Once Dustin was older, he enjoyed playing in the circle. Now, the circle has been taken apart, to form half of figure eight. Dustin can walk around it and continue to play with all of the toys. And, the fun will continue with Dustin's brother or sister.

The last product review for the evening is a sheet set from Clouds and Stars. This was, bar none, one of the best gifts that I received. I received the gift after Dustin had been home for several, several weeks. By this time, I had struggled with changing wet sheets in the middle of the night. (If your baby mattress fits the crib snuggly, it is so hard to change the sheet.) This set completely took away that frustration! The bottom portion stays in the crib, while the top "sheet" simply zips in. So, when your baby wets the crib, there is much, MUCH greater ease in the changing. And, when I went to search for the URL for posting, I noticed that the set is a bit cheaper on Amazon!

I have been thinking about baby products more frequently lately. Our little "Peanut" is now approximately 12 and 1/2 weeks in uterus! Dustin will soon have a little brother or sister and we will have to replenish our baby products!

When I picked up Dustin from the daycare today, I received some good news! Apparently, my blog has now earned me with a referral fee for a parent who chose to sign their son/daughter up at Creation Kingdom after reading about it on my blog!! (Reminder--see disclaimer, above.) Of course, this is so unintended and unexpected!! I am pretty excited and this has now motivated me to update my blog more regularly. So, whomever you are -- THANK YOU!!

The Costs of a Child

MSN Money recently reported that the cost of raising one child is $270,000 through the age of 17. This calculation does not even include the costs of college tuition. This so called "cost" has been reported all over the news and media during the past few weeks. Last week, I saw a very nice power point presentation going over the "costs of raising a child". I searched for the power point so that I could share it here. Unfortunately, I did not have success in locating the presentation. However, I did find the words that accompanied the slide and have reproduced them below:

The Cost of a Child
What do your get for the estimated $160,140.00 a child will cost you over your lifetime?
Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
Glimpses of God every day.
Giggles under the covers every night.
More love than your heart can hold.
Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
A hand to hold, usually covered with jam.
A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, building sandcastles, and skipping down the sidewalk in the pouring rain.
Someone to laugh yourself silly with no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.
For $160,140.00, you never have to grow up.
You get finger-paint, carve pumpkins, play hide-and-seek, catch lightning bugs, and never stop believing in Santa Claus.
You have an excuse to keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh, watching Saturday morning cartoons, going to Disney movies, and wishing on stars.
You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.
For $160,140.00, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof, taking the training wheels off the bike, removing a splinter, filling the wading pool, coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.
You get a front row seat to history to witness the first step, first word, first bra, first date, and first time behind the wheel.
You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren.
You get education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.
In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there with God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost.




I personally enjoyed the PowerPoint presentation and the words to accompany are certainly well stated and absolutely true! My little man is priceless! So, what is Dustin up to these days?

• Little Man just turned 13 months old!
• Dustin is eating, eating and eating!! He will no longer eat baby foods, but wants to feed himself everything that the big people eat! And...a lot of it! On Sunday after church we went to Bob Evans--he at half a pancake (and not your mamma's silver dollar cakes), cantaloupe and his Cheerios!! We attempted kids night at Fazoli's this evening...he did not like is spaghetti. I am amazed by how much he can eat. And boy, if he does not get his meals in a timely manner...watch out!
• Dustin just learned to shake his head (as in "no"), but I don't think he knows what it means--he thinks it is funny. Daddy read a passage from the bible at dinner a few nights ago about not being with an adulterous woman--Dustin shook his head "no"!
• Dustin enjoys pulling himself up and holding onto our fingers to walk with us. A few weekends ago he walked around the house behind his lion walker that grandpa got him for his birthday! He walked for a long time! He will soon be independently mobile on the two feet! Below is a photo of Little Man with his walker:
  
  
  

• A few mornings ago, Dustin was in my room while I finished getting ready for work. When it was time to leave, I said, "Let's go Dustin!" Dustin crawled to the door! He is so smart!
• My Little Man used to be the cat's meow at daycare (the only boy amongst the girls). Last week, another little boy joined him! Little Man likes to play with his new little friend who is a boy!
• Little Man is still wearing size 4 diapers. He also wears 12-18 month clothing. He is very tall and is growing fast.
• He no longer likes the toothbrush. Mommy and Daddy have to pretend that they are also brushing their teeth (with his toothbrush) in order to get him to brush his teethers (and he has a mouth full). We will be making a pediatric dental appointment in the next month. I am looking for some recommendations for good pediatric dentists.
• Dustin went on his first kayaking trip a few weekends ago! He clearly enjoyed the ride, but not the lifejacket! Below is a photo:

And so, $270,000, WHAT A BARGAIN!!!!

A Visit with the Fishes

We had a good time today visiting the aquarium near Cincinnati!

We left shortly after church (stoping to have lunch, since Dustin decided it was time). Dustin was a little sleepy, since he did not have much of a nap before our trip today. He did still show excitement over the multicolored fish. I even petted a shark! Here are a few photos of our adventure:

Dustin and I playing on a big frog in the frog bog:

Two alligators laying on top of one another:

Jellyfish (hopefully we will forget about this image before our next swim in the ocean):

Daddy and Dustin (look at that face):

Ah, yes! Multicolored fishes are the best!

We have had a fairly low key couple of weeks. Dustin has progressed to eating mostly table foods--he wants to eat with Mommy and Daddy and loves to eat the foods that we eat! He is also now drinking his milk from a sippy cup. We bought the Born Free sippy cups and those have been the only ones that he likes! He has also taken to climbing all of the steps so that he can go into his room to play with the toys stored there. He is a pretty fast climb!

We have some other exciting news. But, we'll be keeping the suspense for a little while longer!

It's my PARTY!!!

Saturday was a BIG day in the Anderson household!! We celebrated one year of little miracle mans life!

It was a fairly crazy weekend with a total of 13 folks sleeping in the nooks and crannies in our house (that is not counting Tim, me and Dustin). Some of them even camped out in a tent in the yard! Other family members from out of town were in hotels and of course, mom in the RV! But, we did have a good time.

I just realized that I did not take any photos over the course of the weekend. The few photos that I did get were taken by my lovely neighbor (and friend), Meghan! And so, I implore you--if you are reading this and took photos over the weekend, PLEASE, PLEASE send them my way.

There were a few teary moments for me this weekend. Fortunately, I was able to hold them back. It was an amazing moment to celebrate the one year marker of Dustin's life after he has been through so much! We are so blessed by an amazing God!

And so, I will leave you with a few of the photos that I do have from the weekend (hopefully, if my pleas are heard, more will follow):

Dustins cake--not made by me, this time! Wow--Yummy!!

Dustin was so neat about eating his cake. He did end up with the colored icing on his face, though.

Dustin is Moving

Tim and I made an exciting decision today! We have decided to move Dustin to a new daycare, Creation Kingdom. We toured a brand new facility today, which will open its doors to precious creations, beginning next Monday. This news is particularly exciting to us, since we have several concerns regarding his current daycare situation. Creation Kingdom is a Christian based program which includes bible stories, songs and prayer time at meals! The daycare also offers an intentional curriculum for its attendees and a directed learning center that includes lessons in sign language and Spanish! I am also thrilled that the daycare offers nutritious meals that are cooked in their kitchen on-site (no corn dogs, hot dogs or chicken nuggets)!! While it would certainly be ideal for Dustin to be cared for at home, we believe that this new daycare is a wonderful alternative! We will be making the move as soon as possible.

Since the last post, Dustin had his follow-up visit at Vanderbilt with the infectious disease physicians and the surgeon. Dustin's labs demonstrated that his infection markers were all completely normal. Also, his chest x-ray looked better than it had since shortly following his surgery. His right lung was fully expanded and the fluid in the lung was minimal. Good news and a praise!

Following our Friday trip to Vanderbilt, we drove down to Greenville, South Carolina where we were able to visit with friends. It is always nice to visit good friends! Dustin was also able to meet my friend Amy's foster daughter. He crawled right up to her to check her out! Such a social little man!

Dustin was diagnosed with an ear infection yesterday. So, he has had a rough couple of days. He seems to be taking it all in pretty good stride and had a better day today. I am hoping that he will recover quickly and we will have a long healthy stretch--he has been through enough.

I have several recipes to post in the next few days and hope to catch up on my blogging. Until then...

Dustin -- 11 Months "Young"

Yesterday was Little Man's eleven month birthday!

We spent it in a fairly boring manner. Mommy was working at home, while Dustin played, played, played!! Dustin remains out of daycare, since there is pneumonia and croupe going around his room.

The lowdown on Little Man:

• As of April 29, you weighed 18 pounds, 6 ounces (within the 10th-25th percentiles).

• Also as of April 29, you were 30 inches long (within the 50th-75th percentiles). You are going to be a tall little boy!

• You wear twelve month clothing, sometimes fitting into the 12-18 month articles.

• You wear size 3 Pampers.

• You are eating everything that your Mommy and Daddy will allow!! Fruits, veggies and meat meals entice your pallets. Of course, you still greatly enjoy your cereal and your bottles. You have been taking formula since shortly after we came back from Vanderbilt, since the supply of breast milk ended. You get excited about puffs. YOU STARTED CHEERIOS YESTERDAY! You recently discovered the sensational taste of Daddy's buttermilk pancakes.

• You so wanted to try Mommy's hot fudge sundae yesterday. Mommy was stingy.

• You adore your doggy. You and Mommy used to play a game chasing Gervase around the house. Now, you chase Gervase all on your own. Gervase thinks your great and shows you with lots and lots of kisses.

• You are a mover and shaker--you make your rounds (crawling) all over the house.

• You are pulling up on the furniture and standing on your own.

• You love to open all of the cabinets that mommy and daddy have not yet baby proofed.

• You are so talkative.

• You enjoy flipping over backwards off of my lap and onto the floor.

• You are calmed by Mommy singing your favorite song--Jesus loves you.

• You are a fun loving, amazing little man who is utterly adored by his mommy and daddy!

Finally, today your Daddy took you for your first "professional" haircut! Daddy says that you did so well! The photos below show Dustin with his wild hair pre-cut and during his cut!

We're Home!

We finally arrived home late Thursday evening!

We are all very happy to be sleeping in our own beds again (especially Dustin, who smiled up at me from his crib). Most of all, Tim and I are very grateful to be home with little Dustin! We certainly believe that all of the many, many prayers raised up on Dustin's behalf were heard and answered! (This is totally happy dance worthy!)

Tim, Dustin and I have each been trying to catch up on all of the sleep that we missed during the month of May. I'm not certain that we'll ever fully catch up, but we are all feeling much better.

Dustin is making wondrous progress. He is now beginning to crawl, can sit up from a position of lying down and has returned to making more of the consonant sounds that he made prior to his surgery. His disposition also more closely resembles the pre-surgery Dustin. I am also relieved that his food intake is progressively increasing, since we've been home. This has been a concern of mine, given that Dustin had lost 3-4 pounds and was looking all skin and bones. He is beginning to fill out a bit.

It is so amazing and encouraging to see the rapid healing progress take place. Earlier this evening, I was even able to remove the bandage covering the chest tube site and replace it with a regular old band aid! The chest tube site is healing over quite nicely!

We were able to enjoy a little bit of pool time this past weekend. We were very careful not to get Dustin's chest tube site wet. We are also keeping him away from other kids and people in general to avoid any potential exposure to illnesses, at this time. Dustin very clearly enjoyed the change of scenery and the pool time.

Below are some photos of our fun time at the pool: