Insparenting

I’m helping one of my best friends in planning and preparing her wedding. Some things like wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses, wedding cake, invitation, and venue are well planned in advance, from some months ago. We even have created the souvenirs for guests in great details.

However, there are always last minute things that we forget to prepare but necessary. The example is the gifts for bridesmaids and bridesgrooms, as symbol of our appreciation and special thanks to them. Some ideas for bridesmaid gifts are something general, useful, and beautiful like pashmina shawl, wraps, and scarfs, purses, bags, or simple jewelry. Any other ideas for these bridesmaid gifts?

Do you know that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer called mesothelioma? It is quite worrying. This mesothelioma attacks the membranes that surround many of the body’s vital organs. The most common form of this cancer is pleural mesothelioma, where the cancer attacks the pleural tissue surrounding the lung.

Although we don’t hear of this cancer too often, it is not rare among individuals exposed to asbestos, with about two to three thousand new diagnoses every year! Tragically, most victims who got the cancer were exposed to asbestos in the workplace without even been warned of that risk by the company. However, some were exposed through family members who bought asbestos home on their clothes, while some got is through home renovation projects. Much more tragic, right?

So, it will do us much good if we understand this situation and beware from now on.

With all of the varying advice on feeding your baby, you may just want to breastfeed forever.  Though you should always consult your doctor for the latest information on baby food, there are a few things you should expect in the first year.

When to introduce solids

Most doctors agree that solids should be introduced somewhere between four and six months.  However, if you had an especially large baby at birth or a little boy with a big boy appetite, your doctor might recommend starting your baby on solid food as early as 3 months.

What is “solid” food?

The term “solid” food is a bit misleading.  Typically, one of the first “solid” foods you will introduce is rice cereal diluted with formula or breast milk.  This food is extremely runny doesn’t appear to have any solid properties about it.  As your baby adjusts to eating from a spoon, dilute her food with milk or formula.  This will also help your baby adjust to the new flavors in solid food.

How to introduce solid foods

The most important thing about introducing solid foods is that you introduce them one at a time and wait at least 3 days between new foods.  This way you can monitor for any allergic reactions because it can take up to three days for signs of allergy to show up.  Always check with your doctor, some doctors recommend waiting as long as 7 days between new foods.

First Foods

Although your baby’s first food with probably be cereal, you can start introducing fruits and vegetables around 6 to 7 months.  Some good first vegetables are:  sweet potatoes, peas, or carrots.  Try to stay away from fruits that are to acidic like orange or other citrus fruits.  But your baby probably would like banana, peach or applesauce at this stage.

Foods to stay away from

There are few key foods that you should never introduce until after the baby is 1 year old.  These include honey, fish, peanuts and strawberries.  All of these foods can cause severe allergic reactions and if given to your baby too early, she could develop an allergic reaction she wouldn’t otherwise have had.  There are a few other foods that won’t necessarily hurt your child but it is really unnecessary to introduce at this stage while they are still developing their tastes.  These foods include sugar, soda or anything not naturally sweet.

Protein foods

You will want to begin introducing protein foods to your baby around 7 to 8 months.  These foods might include meats, cottage cheese or beans.  Remember that your baby probably still doesn’t have any teeth, or at least not enough to chew anything so your baby’s food should still be mushy at this stage.

Eating for the first year

The most important thing to remember about eating during the first year is to introduce new foods one at a time.  Your baby’s first year is a year of discovery.  As your child tries new foods feeding time will be an enjoyable experience for baby and parents alike.

I don’t with you ladies, but I play golf just for fun. I don’t even go as far as calling myself lady golfer or anything like that. Playing golf is only part of my socializing. Thus, all my golf equipment is usually the prettiest as well as the highest quality and durability. Well, I don’t think that any of my equipment will be broken any time soon.

Anyway, when I was looking for some great golf balls for me and my husband, I just came across this pretty golf balls for women. It is designed for softer feel, improved control and long distance with guaranteed cut-proof durability. And it also comes in pink as well as white colors. It is really great for show off, right?

Babies don’t talk so they can’t tell you when they’re sick or what’s wrong with them when you know they are.  So how do you know how to treat your sick baby?  Or how do you determine if your baby has a rash or a food allergy?  This quick reference guide will help you decide when it’s time to take your baby to the doctor or how to treat them if you don’t.

Diaper rash

Diaper rash can look like small dots of red or severe red bumps with blisters.  There are a variety of causes for diaper rash, but the most common are wetness and friction.  Try applying a rash ointment to the areas of discomfort.  If the rash does not clear within 72 hours, go ahead and call a doctor because it may be a different yeast type of rash that may need to be treated by a doctor.

Ear infections

Ear infections are very common in children under two.  There is a part in the ear, called the Eustachian tubes that allow air to circulate in the ear.  These tubes are often too small in an infant’s ear so they don’t always work properly.  Signs of an ear infection can include your baby tugging on her ears, fever, grumpiness, trouble sleeping and lack of appetite.  Contact your doctor if your baby has signs of an ear infection.  He may wish to treat the infection with antibiotics which help kill off the bacterium that builds up in the ear.  Occasionally, your doctor will have you wait it out, treating it only with pain killers to help reduce the discomfort.  This helps the body rejuvenate itself and learn how to heal itself.

Colds

You know the symptoms of a cold, you’ve probably had one this year.  Colds are characterized by a runny nose, watery or red eyes, a sore throat and possibly a cough.  Always contact your pediatrician if your baby is under 3 months of age or her cold last for more than 10 days. Otherwise the best treatment is rest, lots of liquids and love.

Food allergies

Symptoms of food allergies can range from mild to severe and may cause rashes, hives, diarrhea, abdominal pain, anaphylaxis among other symptoms.  Food allergies are very serious and this is why it is so important to introduce foods one at a time to your child so you can pinpoint the food that caused the allergy and avoid it from that point on.  If you are unable to determine what caused the allergic reaction, your doctor may be able to run tests to help determine your baby’s allergies.  The good news about allergies is that most babies outgrow them by the time they are 3 years old.

I wonder why some people think that being a mother is an easy job. We need to take care of the kids, our homes, the whole family matter, while we also have to work and earn some income. Not to mention that some of the days are very frustrating and emotional, since the kids just don’t want to listen to us or they just fight with each other, or some other problems.

After those frustrating and tiring days, it will be great if we can just lay backs in our dream backyards with relaxing outdoor furniture, drink something nice and cold, and enjoy the evening. To save ourselves from insanity, I think we really need to have that pretty backyards with one of those nice sets of relaxing outdoor furniture.