We have a gift certificate on the way from Chapters for $100, and I've been trying to contain my excitement about buying up a big pile of children's books for Sara. This kind of shopping opportunity requires some research and planning, and although we already have a good selection of books, I've had no trouble compiling a list! I just haven't added up the cost... (and yes, I realize these links are to Amazon... I just like their site.)
1. Alligator Pie by Dennis Lee. This is a Canadian essential kids' book!
2. Picture This by Alison Jay. With vibrant folk-art inspired paintings and a simple large-type word format, this picture book makes an ideal first-word book. Each turn of the page reveals a new perspective on what has come before and gives a hint of what's to come.
3. Who Lives Here? by Tanya Roitman. Vertically stepped pages create the architecture of the tall, tall house, and die cuts hide and reveal each of the animals in this gentle story about friendship and learning to share. Rich, traditional folk art accompanies this retelling loosely drawn from a Russian folktale the author enjoyed as a child.
4. Count the Birdies by Matthew Porter. Based on Japanese woodcuts, this beautifully designed and crafted board book that not only helps children learn to count, but to recognize colors as well.
5. The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle. The author of "The Hungry Caterpillar"'s eloquent text and brilliant collages turn the simple life cycle of a plant into an exciting story, a nature lesson, and an inspiring message of the importance of perseverance.
6. Counting Kisses by Karen Katz. We have her 'Daddy Kisses' book and love her style!
7. The Wheels on the Bus by Paul O. Zelinsky. This is Sara's favourite song and the book is beautifully illustrated.
8. Petit Connoisseur: Art by Karen Salmansohn. A good way to introduce little ones early on to the beautiful and amazing world of art.
9. The Balloon Tree by Phoebe Gilman. Another Canadian classic for little girls with big imaginations.
10. Russell the Sheep by Rob Scotton. It's about sheep with an illustration style I love. What other reasons do I need?
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
a spot of tea?
I haven't mentioned it, but all week we've been giving Sara bum tea. What's that, you say? Well, let me tell you.... she got a nasty diaper rash, her first, after we switched her to size 3 diapers (Pampers Cruisers instead of Pampers Swaddlers). The weird mesh lining in the Cruisers is the culprit, I'm pretty sure. We learned that diaper rash is fast to set in, and can take forever to cure even though we switched to Pampers Baby Dry diapers. We tried Penaten, Zincofax, and some Sudocream samples from a baby show, but it just got worse to the point where our poor baby's butt had raised red patches that were almost raw.
Our pharmacist told us to make a combo of hydrocortisone cream (0.5%) and the Life brand of Canesten. Not to be gross, but apparently diaper rash can become like a yeast infection. Finally, progress was made and her skin started to heal! Strangely, the mix of the cream and the diaper gave Sara's bum an aroma that I can only describe as 'eau de chicken broth'.
But it was still red, so off we went to the doctor. His prescription was to brew some chamomile tea, let it cool, and dip unscented kleenex in it to use as a diaper wipe with every change (except the poopy ones). I was impressed with this old school style remedy, and lo and behold, this stuff is magic!! We noticed an improvement immediately, and after a couple of days, poof... no more rash.
So we've been calling this concoction 'bum tea', and since chamomile is one of my fave teas, my evening mug of it now has a new connotation it never had before... and chicken soup just might too.
p.s. For a week now, Sara has been rolling over -- both ways! I feel silly for getting worried before!
Our pharmacist told us to make a combo of hydrocortisone cream (0.5%) and the Life brand of Canesten. Not to be gross, but apparently diaper rash can become like a yeast infection. Finally, progress was made and her skin started to heal! Strangely, the mix of the cream and the diaper gave Sara's bum an aroma that I can only describe as 'eau de chicken broth'.
But it was still red, so off we went to the doctor. His prescription was to brew some chamomile tea, let it cool, and dip unscented kleenex in it to use as a diaper wipe with every change (except the poopy ones). I was impressed with this old school style remedy, and lo and behold, this stuff is magic!! We noticed an improvement immediately, and after a couple of days, poof... no more rash.
So we've been calling this concoction 'bum tea', and since chamomile is one of my fave teas, my evening mug of it now has a new connotation it never had before... and chicken soup just might too.
p.s. For a week now, Sara has been rolling over -- both ways! I feel silly for getting worried before!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
here little fishy...
Ian came with us to our Diaper Fit mom & baby swim class this morning and took some pictures at the end when we 'docked' the little boats. Some of the babies, like Sara, like having a towel behind them -- this is also perfect for drying off the toys because she puts everything in her mouth. She even tried eating the boat today!
She has fun until the end when most of the babies start to fuss a little. If there's time we go into the shallow warm pool afterwards. She loves being swished about in the water!
She has fun until the end when most of the babies start to fuss a little. If there's time we go into the shallow warm pool afterwards. She loves being swished about in the water!
Sunday, September 23, 2007
mmmm... rice cereal
So Sara's first bites of 'solid' food were not a resounding success, but they weren't a total failure either. We started by getting her used to the highchair, which she quite likes!
Then as I started spooning rice cereal into her mouth, we had some of these faces:
But we had a lot more of these faces:
She ate less than a teaspoon on Saturday, and about a teaspoon this morning. Part of the problem, I think, may be that I gave it to her after her bottle -- and both mornings she was full and didn't quite finish the bottle. I'm pretty sure I read to do it in this order at the beginning, but I think tomorrow I will try cereal before the bottle to determine whether she needs to get used to the cereal or if she was just full before. I don't know... more trial and error!
Then as I started spooning rice cereal into her mouth, we had some of these faces:
But we had a lot more of these faces:
She ate less than a teaspoon on Saturday, and about a teaspoon this morning. Part of the problem, I think, may be that I gave it to her after her bottle -- and both mornings she was full and didn't quite finish the bottle. I'm pretty sure I read to do it in this order at the beginning, but I think tomorrow I will try cereal before the bottle to determine whether she needs to get used to the cereal or if she was just full before. I don't know... more trial and error!
Friday, September 21, 2007
bring on the food
This weekend will be a big one in little Sara's life - and for us too, as parents - our baby girl is starting solids! I've been busy washing and sterilizing highchair trays, spoons, bowls, sippy cups... oh my. When we got these things at my baby shower, this stage seemed SO far away.
The box of Heinz rice cereal, chosen after much research and added confidence knowing it was once Pablum, is on standby on the kitchen table beside the highchair. Even though it's more work, I'm looking so forward to watching Sara try different foods... especially since food is a great love her dad and I share. I do plan to make her produce by steaming, pureeing and freezing it once a week. This is the perfect time of year to start too. We'll be making trips to farmer's markets to buy locally grown and organic produce like sweet potatoes, squash, apples... yum! It will be fun, but I'm taking what we feed her pretty seriously too. I'm not going to make strained meats (mmm, strained meats) but I think it's so important to make responsible food choices from the beginning.
Speaking of which... I'm realizing that we need to make greener choices for household cleaning products very soon. It's not because some celebrity is telling me so, it's because I don't want my little babe breathing fumes or having her hands and mouth touching surfaces that have been cleaned with harsh chemicals when she starts moving around more. So, it looks like we'll also be restocking our vinegar, baking soda and Borax!
I must admit I find the idea of changing from a strictly formula routine to breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack pretty confusing at the moment, but we'll see how it goes!
The box of Heinz rice cereal, chosen after much research and added confidence knowing it was once Pablum, is on standby on the kitchen table beside the highchair. Even though it's more work, I'm looking so forward to watching Sara try different foods... especially since food is a great love her dad and I share. I do plan to make her produce by steaming, pureeing and freezing it once a week. This is the perfect time of year to start too. We'll be making trips to farmer's markets to buy locally grown and organic produce like sweet potatoes, squash, apples... yum! It will be fun, but I'm taking what we feed her pretty seriously too. I'm not going to make strained meats (mmm, strained meats) but I think it's so important to make responsible food choices from the beginning.
Speaking of which... I'm realizing that we need to make greener choices for household cleaning products very soon. It's not because some celebrity is telling me so, it's because I don't want my little babe breathing fumes or having her hands and mouth touching surfaces that have been cleaned with harsh chemicals when she starts moving around more. So, it looks like we'll also be restocking our vinegar, baking soda and Borax!
I must admit I find the idea of changing from a strictly formula routine to breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack pretty confusing at the moment, but we'll see how it goes!
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