Archive for the "babies" Category

Fisher Price has a whole new holiday line out for your little ones.  My granddaughter who isn’t quite a year old just loves to hold and taste her Little People Toys and since I have dubbed myself the “toy and book” granny, I was thrilled with the latest catalog showing the new cute, cute toys sets for toddlers. 

Each season has a couple playsets to pick from and if money were no object, I’d buy them all!  The Trick-or-Treat Surprise consists of a moving bat, trick or treaters, a cute pop up ghost and a fold up take along house.  ring the door bell, press the door mat for fun sounds and pop the top on a peek-a-boo pumpkin.  If you aren’t into Halloween-they also have a Harvest Hayride with a little girl farmer and a scarecrow riding a tractor and pulling a wagon. 

Thanksgiving consists of a traditional dinner celebration with playful Pilgrims and Indian friends gathered around the table to give thanks for a fantastic fall feast.  A turkey platter, horse and cart and pumpkins round out the scene.  Or you might want to look at the Mayflower Play Set with a rolling ship , Pilgrim passengers and all the fun of looking out of the crow’s nest and dropping anchor.

But the one that appealed to me the most was the Christmas Nativity Set which would still be cute under the tree when your little one goes off to college.  The Nativity set celebrates the special day with an angel, shepards, three sheep and a sheep dog, a stable and the holy family.  You can add to that set with two more sets of the Three Wise Men and the Inn at Bethlehem.  If you had all three, you could set up quite a Christmas with fences, palm trees and background scenes. 

Fisher Price didn’t leave out Santa Claus either.  A 16-page full color story book goes with Santa, his elf and reindeer or there is a Christmas Parade set with a pull along train or even a Tree Lighting scene with Little People skating and sledding. 

All these fun holiday toys are reasonably priced and it will be hard to chose your favorite.  They are for 1 year old and up but I’d predict that they will be played with for many years to come. Go to the website and/or request the holiday catalog because it’s loaded with lots of other things you might like for your child or grandchild.  Way to go toy granny!!

The Musical Melodies bouncer from Bright Starts is a must have for any new mom.

Sturdy, flexible, and colorful, this bouncer helps improve motor skills in very small infants and has three adjustable seating variations to grow with your child as their skills and interests develop.

The chair has a great number of things you can use to change it so that the experience does not get boring for your infant, and offers a great deal of flexibility and re-use which any thrifty family will love. Built-in toy clips allow you to change out, add and re-arrange toys on the overhead hang bar to keep your baby’s attention and keep this great product fun.

The base of the chair also has a music function that plays a variety of different kids’ songs at a number of volumes, as well as a seperate vibrate function which is great for gassy or fussy newborns.

The Musical Melodies bouncer chair from Bright Stars is of the most affordable and practical bouncers out there averaging about twenty dollars in most of your neighborhood markets. You can get this great chair at Walmart, Target, Kmart, Babies R Us, and Toys R Us to name a few. Chair allows safety and security for babies 6lbs all the way up to 25 pounds and makes a great hang out spot for play, movie watching or general family time.

Help your infant develop their motor skills and have fun doing it! This chair is a must!

Mosquitos are an unpleasant nuisance and can ruin an enjoyable summer evening but they also carry West Nile which could be deadly especially to am infant. An ounce of prevention is much better than a infant howling with itchy red welts. Understanding what attracts mosquitoes is as important as understanding what repels them. Mosquitos like humidity such as perspiration and moist plants, dark clothing, carbon dioxide, floral scents, still air, early mornings or evenings and lactic acid which is released after exercising or eating salty or high-potassium foods. People who eat garlic are often not bothered by insects as much. Avoid taking your infant out at night and dump all old standing water such as rain barrels and items that have accumulated water.

You might want to try several of the suggestions below.

- Dress your infant or small child in long sleeves and long pants-even if it’s really hot you can easily choose a light fabric which will help cover their bare legs and arms. Mosquitos are attracted to bright colors.
- If you have mosquitos in your house your children and infants should wear loose long-sleeved pajamas and sleep under a light sheet.
- A moving fan may prevent mosquitoes from landing near a crib but be sure it is not within reach of the baby or small child.
- Children should never use a DEET concentration over 10% since beyond this concentration they can get systemic absorption and be more susceptible to the effect of DEET. Read labels carefully! There are repellents made specifically for infants for purchase in drug stores.
- Lemon eucalyptus mosquito repellent smells nice and has no DEET but you should check the label for suggestions for infants and toddlers. Organic eucalyptus and lemon balm oils are also both natural and effect. Two ounces of chopped garlic mixed into a cup of warm water makes a fairly reliable organic spray but it does smell bad. Soybean oil has also been known to be effective. Many parents say that Avon Skin-so-Soft can repel the majority of mosquitoes. Mosquitos may land but not bite.
- Use insect screen with fine mesh on windows and doors in the house and tents. Use a mosquito net over beds if mosquitos cannot be kept out but be sure the net is secure so that a baby cannot get tangled in it. A small net is great for a stroller when you have outside events-just drape over stroller and tuck in the edges. Some strollers even come with a bug net.

- Never allow children to apply their own mosquito repellent since they may inadvertently apply too much.

- Apply insect repellent to children’s clothing too.
- Plant marigolds around your patio area and places where children play. Marigolds are a natural insect repellent. Lemon grass is also a natural repellent. These plants help but do not completely repel pesky mosquitoes. Light citronella candles on your porch or patio too in the evenings when the family is out. Citronella candles reduced mosquito bites by 42% and citronella incense reduced bites by 24%.
- Make sure to trim your child’s nails. If the child has a bite it will keep it from becoming infected if he or she does scratch. Cold vinegar helps relieve the itch and sting.
- Check on the label to see if the makers of the repellent say that it is safe for young children. If they do not say it is safe, avoid using it on babies and toddlers. Make sure that the bug repellant is DEET free! DEET has been shown to be harmful to young children.

Baby Bottoms

Posted by: ArtInShamrocksin New Moms, Toddlers, babies, health
29
Jun

As the weather heats up, so does diaper rash and yeast infections.

Infants are more vulnerable to diaper rash in the summer. Heat, humidity and perspiration all can aggravate sensitive bottoms.

Diaper rash is a red, spotty inflamed rash. To prevent it change your child’s diapers frequently and let baby go diaper-free for 15 or 20 minutes. A brief sun bath in a sunbeam can also help. If its too late to prevent it use a squirt bottle with water to cleanse the area and avoid scented baby wipes. Be gentle and apply a diaper ointment that contains zinc oxide. This type of product soothes the skin and protects it from getting too moist. A very light dusting of unscented talc or even corn starch is also good after the ointment is applied. If the rash does not go away, talk to your doctor or if the rash includes blisters or pus-filled bumps you child might have a yeast infection or even a staph infection.

Candida (yeast infection) normally lives on our skins and usually does not cause a problem. But in the hot months of summer, children in diapers are targets for yeast infections. This rash is also red and usually bumpy. It can itch, burn and ooze a clear liquid. A child on antibiotics may also be more susceptible because these medications kill the good bacteria that keeps yeast in check. The rash is usually found in the skin folds of the diaper area and baby girls are slightly more likely to have a yeast infection. For treatment you can try an over-the-counter antifungal treatment such as Lamisil or Lotrimin AF but a call to your pediatrician is best.