::bacon + eggs::

I am really digging Mahar Drygoods. They offer beautifully handcrafted baby+kids items that you may not find elsewhere. It's not "crafty" in a bad way...just really simple, modern gear designed and made by artists and craftspeople.

Just take a look at the Bacon + Eggs Breakfast Bib by Sheriff Peanut. The all cotton bib is coated with clear vinyl in the front for easy cleanup. Each bib is handmade by the artist, so each bib is unique. It's not really a bib you'd use for a drooler or babies who are already eating solid foods by themselves (i.e. no catch-all pocket at the bottom of the bib). But it is perfect for those who are experimenting with semi-solid foods.

::puff mommy::

It was our two-year wedding anniversary on Tuesday. Architectdad found time in his busy schedule to spend time with us ;-) I told him "no presents", since we just spent mucho $$$ on the beagles dental cleaning. BTW, if you have pets, make sure you have their teeth cleaned and checked by a veterinarian every 3 years; otherwise, you will not only end up with a HUGE dental bill, you may also end up with a very sick animal. The bacteria in their mouth can infect the jaw bones, and if swallowed, the germs could get into the pet's body and cause systemic infections.

Anywho, architectdad gave me a Burberry down puffer coat in anticipation of the upcoming winter season. Of course, on Tuesday, the high temp for the day was over 90 degrees! Needless to say, I didn't have a chance to try it out ;-) Although, as two cold fronts move into our area today, the temp will drop down considerably, so it won't be long! The good thing about a puffer coat is that it is not only warm, but also light. Sure beats lugging a heavy wooly coat around the playground.

Now if I could just convince him O needs her own Burberry quilted jacket...

::let's roomba::

I have never liked vacuuming. Architectdad was always the one pushing that horribly loud machine around the house. Now that I am the mom of a crawling, soon-to-be-walking, baby, I am obsessed about cleaning!

As a fellow mom, V is even one step ahead of me. She even steam cleans every week! To save me some time and grief, she let me borrow her Roomba vacuuming robot. I love this thing! Granted, it is no Dyson. But man, it sure is nice to turn the Roomba loose while O and I are getting our Starbucks and come home to a cleaner house.

The older Roomba models have a small bin capacity, so if you have dogs, you'll need to empty the bin often. There are models with the Intellibin option, which will let you know when the bin is full. Also, there are many parts in which dog hair and people hair can become entangled. The Roomba holds its battery charge for quite a long time. For a 250 sq ft space, the Roomba could definitely go around the room multiple times. Some models will also return to the charging dock on its own when the juice runs out. You can even preset a cleaning schedule for while you are out of the house.

There is one little glitch that bothers me: the Roomba gets caught in the tassles of our Turkish rugs all the time and can't seem to get itself out of the mess. I've come home a couple of times to find it stuck on a rug and making a pathetic little whining noise.

A brand new Roomba model has just been released. It has a completely different look, a bigger bin and more suction. The company also claims that it now has an added "anti-tangle technology." We plan on getting one, so look for my review soon.

Look for remanufactured older models on Amazon.com for a very reasonable price.

::upward mobility::

As O starts to discover her physical capabilities, I have stretched mine to the limit. Since she is always on the floor now, I vaccum the entire apt EVERYDAY (NOTE: I LOVE MY DYSON VACCUM). It may sound crazy, but like most babies, O is able to find the most minute scrap of potentially dangerous objects and stick it in her mouth.

Also, chasing after her is whole new experience. I used to be able to sit her down and do some housework while she's playing with her toys. Now, I have resorted to vaccuming and doing laundry only during her nap times. If I can't get something done during those times, it will have to wait. Although, the high chair has come in handy. Just strap her in the high chair and give her some cheerios and sippy cup, she is set for a few minutes.

Sooo...along with the increased mobility, comes babyproofing. I still cannot believe we are already at that stage! Since architectdad is super busy at work, we've decided to hire a service,
Safe Start Baby, to assess the apt and install child-safety devices. V suggested it months ago, but I kept putting it off thinking O is not there yet. Well, once she started crawling, she wants to learn how to fly.

If you have the time and would like to babyproof your domicile by yourself, you can certainly purchase the devices offered by the service and install them. Most baby superstores have a decent selection of products as well.

My only advice is this: babyproof before your baby is actually mobile. Because once they start crawling, they WILL get into every nook and cranny of your house. If your house is already babyproofed by then, you can allow your baby to explore without constant worries.

::sleep schedule::

For those of you who would like to try using a sleep schedule for your baby, here is my free, unsolicited schedule:

7:30 AM wake-up time; open all the blinds/curtains to let the daylight into the nursery
8:00 AM breakfast
9:00 AM 1st nap – even if she does not look tired or show signs of sleepiness, put her down for a nap anyway; close blinds/curtains to make room dark again; make sure the environment is as quiet as possible; comfort her; do not talk to her or play with her once you put her down

FIRST NAP SHOULD LAST 1-2 HOURS, GENERALLY ABOUT 1-1/2 HOURS

10:30 AM wake up from nap, take her out for a stroll in daylight and interaction with other people
12:00 NOON lunch
1:00 PM 2nd nap – again, even if she does not look tired, put her down for a nap anyway; close blinds/curtains to make room dark again; make sure it is as quiet as possible; comfort her; do not talk to her or play with her once you put her down

SECOND NAP SHOULD ALSO LAST 1-2 HOURS, GENERALLY ABOUT 1-1/2 HOURS

2:30 PM wake up from nap, take her out for a stroll in daylight and run errands etc.
4:00 PM snack
5:00 PM 3rd nap (usually short) – only if she needs it
6:30 PM dinner
7:00 PM start bedtime routine – bathe her, read her a story, sing her a song, whatever works for you and her; turn off as many lights as possible, make the nursery as quiet as possible
7:30 PM bedtime – comfort her with soothing massage; tell her goodnight and you love her, before put her down for the night; do not talk to her or play with her once you put her down

::cio or ap::

Do you let your baby CRY-IT-OUT or do you subscribe to the ideas of ATTACHMENT PARENTING? I honestly don't think it should be mutually exclusive. We do not practice either exclusively. However, for those of you who have met O in person, you probably know she is a happy, happy baby...pretty easy to be around. And she has a great sense of humor! I think she will be attending clown college with M*x when they get older ;-)

Lately, I have noticed that a lot of moms/dads who practice AP think that it is a cardinal sin against Dr. Sears' Eight Principles if you let your baby cry herself to sleep. I respect their opinion, but at the same time, I wonder: if O, at 9 months of age, still refuses to nap and sleep at night, would I be able to keep up with her mentally and physically? I seriously doubt it. Not only would she be exhausted, architectdad and I would be a total mess.

When O started sleeping 10-12 hours/night at 7 weeks of age, we thought we were home-free. Not so. As O developed a sense of her surroundings, she started to refuse going to sleep at night. We tried comforting her and picking her up whenever she cried, but it was not working. Finally, I decided to let her cry it out. It was the most difficult thing I've ever had to do. Architectdad fought against the idea for a long time, but as soon as O started to sleep through the night again, he finally came around. However, like AP parents, we do not let her cry during the day, but then again, she rarely cries.

O is very attached to me and her dad. She is also very friendly to people around her. She is fearless and fun. She rarely fusses and eats well. To give you an example, she has her very first cold right now, but she is still happy and smiling, has not fussed once. She even giggles when we use the bulby-thing to suck out the snot! I may be tooting my own horn, but why not? I am ecstatic that we haven't screw her up!!! Yet...

In the end, architectdad and I follow the Eight Principles of AP pretty closely, without knowing it. Therefore I do believe the method has a lot to offer new parents. However, as with anything else, I am always up for improvisation and alteration. How about you?

::rett syndrome::

Rett Syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects almost exclusively girls. It causes lethality in males during the embryonic stage. It is an X-linked genetic mutation that is usually not inherited from the parents.

Infants with Rett Syndrome usually do not develope symptoms of the disorder until 6-18 months old. Neurological development tends to plateau after this brief period of normal development, and is followed by regression of previously acquired skills. Psychomotor abilities rapidly decline between 1-2 years of age. Early features are similar to those of autism. It is, therefore, easy to mistakenly diagnose Rett syndrome for autism. The symptoms vary in severity, depending on the girl.

I was introduced to Rett Syndrome by a friend of mine whose daughter was recently diagnosed with the disorder. E is such a wonderful, lovely girl. With the help of her incredibly patient parents and knowledgeable therapists, she is thriving. A recent landmark research study has shown that Rett Syndrome symptoms can be reversed in a genetic mouse model.

To learn more about Rett Syndrome, please visit the Rett Syndrome Research Foundation. You can also donate money to the Foundation by giving what you can here. (NOTE: Please put "Fairfax, VA" in the Program Area box.)