HRM Parent Blog

by guest blogger Deanna Cogdon Miller (her photos by local photographer Kerianne Brown)

Last week as I sat holding my eight week old while he slept, I noticed him making sucking motions with his mouth in his sleep. As I watched and listened to him, memories of his two sisters doing the same thing as they slept in my arms as newborns filled my head. I realized then that even though I thought I'd soaked in, taken a picture of or written down every little detail about them when they were babies, there are a number of things about the newborn stage (like sucking in their sleep) that I'd forgotten.

Knowing that I was watching the last newborn I was going to be bringing into this world, I decided to make a list of the things I want to remember about newborns so that I never again forget. Here they are (in no particular order) -

The Wrinkles. Remember how they don't even fit into their skin in the early days? Our little guy was 8 lbs 11 oz when he was born and he still had back wrinkles and lots of room to grow into his skin.

The Baby Package. Remember how when you pull them out of a car seat, swing or bouncy chair, their legs stay all curled up in a seated position? It's like they're giving you a head start on a good cuddle because it's the perfect position to put your arm under their little bum and snuggle them into your chest.

The Startle Reflex. Remember how a sudden loud noise causes their arms and legs to fly straight out to the side as if they were doing a starfish jump into a pool? My husband and I got such a kick out of this with our first daughter that I'll admit we clapped a few times to see if we could make it happen.

The Razors. Remember how you could trim, clip, bite or file those nails and they were still as sharp as razor blades? This is my third baby and I still haven't mastered the art of the newborn manicure.

The Wild Arms. Remember the lack of control? Swatting themselves in the head, rubbing at their face and scratching their cheeks with the previously mentioned razor sharp nails.

The Peck. For those who nursed, remember how they'd start pecking at you when they were hungry? I still can't help but think of a chicken or rooster when my little man starts pecking at my shoulder and then starts tilting lower and lower until he gets close to the source of his nourishment.

The Irresistible Scent. Remember that wonderful smell? I think it's a combo of their newness and the light scents used in baby soaps, diapers and baby detergents. Whatever it is, it feels almost euphoric to breathe it in when you hold them close.

The Noises. Remember the coos and their first attempts at talking? My personal favourites are the sounds of contentment that come when they're nursing - sighing and making satisfied little noises as they do one of the things that makes them the happiest.

And finally, that first smile. There's nothing like it. Most of us have probably written down the date of the first smile or taken a picture of the first smiles but what we should remember is the feeling that first gummy grin gave us. A feeling of acknowledgment, a feeling of happiness and most importantly, a feeling of connection. That one smile says "you make me happy", "thank you for taking care of me" and "I love you".

If I were going to create my own expression from an old one, I'd say "take the time to stop and smell the newborn". It really is a magical time and it passes far too quickly.

 

Deanna lives in Dartmouth with her husband and three children. When she's not reading stories, dancing to ABBA or burping a baby, she works in communications for Bell Aliant.

by Sarah Williams from HRM Parent 

Facebook, Twitter, iPods and Texting.  They have changed the way we communicate, network and stay in touch with our friends and families.   Of course on the other side they have significantly changed the way we write.  Our sentences are shorter, we use more symbols and our spelling isn’t the same as b4.  What would William Shakespeare say if he had to fit a monologue into 140 characters?  Would he be worried that we’ve lost the age old art of letter writing? 

Are you?

If so, then fear no longer as Jan 8-14^th is Universal Letter Writing week.   There’s no better way to keep the art alive than to celebrate along with us this year.   I have committed to put pen to paper this week and encourage you to do the same.  Write a letter to your son for him to read when he’s older. Write your local MP with those ideas or issues you have. Write a solider. Write the friend you’ve lost touch with. Write your spouse.  Write yourself.  Just write. 

I’m challenging myself to write at least one letter a day this week.  I’m going to write my parents and thank them for all they’ve done for me.  I’m going to write my 5 year old nephew in Ottawa to say hello, cause we don’t see him nearly enough and he LOVES to get mail.  I’m going to write my best friend's newborn baby to tell him what a great mom he has. I’m going to write my husband…although it won’t be a surprise for him since he’ll read this post before he receives his letter! 

I’m still narrowing down my list but hope to get on a roll and write to everyone on it before the week is over.  It doesn’t have to be long.  It doesn’t have to be on fancy paper.  It doesn’t have to be profound.  It just has to come from the heart.  The mere fact that you have taken the time to sit down and put pen to paper will mean more than you know to the person you are writing. 

Thank-you, I’m Sorry, I Forgive You, I Love You - whatever you want to say and whomever you want to say it to,  now is the time.  So grab a pen and dig out some paper and let the writing begin!  Who knows, you may find you get more out of it than you think, even with just one short note. It’s worth a try, isn't it?

Happy Letter Writing Week!

Sarah

Growing up as the baby of 5 kids, the lead up to the holidays was filled with the hustle and bustle of school concerts, recitals, family parties and of course lots of cooking and baking!!  To this day I don't know if my mother ever caught on to how many date logs I ate along the assembly line of rolling and dipping in coconut - they were always better warm! 

In fact, now that I think about it the lead up to the holidays was and still is just as exciting as the big day for me...and I was reminded of that all over again this morning.  What's the one thing that reminds you of the start of the holiday season? Spotting the first set of lights on your street? First stock of eggnog on the grocery store shelves?  Carols on the radio?

For me it's clementines!  

Yes, the lovely crafted wooden box of delightful tiny oranges perfectly nestled together and caringly covered with a delicate little mesh blanket to keep them safe.  So sweet and juicy - they are like pringles really, you can't eat just one!  Of course the clementines were only part of the package...as it was really the box they came in that intrigued me the most. Oh how I waited in anticipation for the last clementine to leave the box and my father to tap it out in the sink before offering it up to any of us kids. As the baby I never had a worry that anyone would trump me since to them it was just an old box, but to me it was an empty canvass of fun...a serving tray, grocery cart, hat, craft bin, shoe box - the list goes on.  

Flash forward 30 something years to this morning, in my own kitchen - the hustle and bustle of the holidays in full swing and my 4 year old daughter playing quietly in the corner.  "Look Mommy" she said and there before me was the sweetest sight...her favorite doll, softly swaddled and ever so carefully placed in her new "clementine box bed".  It was the best!

So enjoy the lead up to the holidays.  Sing the carols, drink some nog, bake the cookies and simply relish in the moments that bring you back. I've shortened my shopping list as of this morning and that clementine box will remain in our house for the rest of the holidays as a reminder of how our kids can find pleasures in the smallest of things and that it only take a box to bring out their imagination!

Sarah

 

There's just over four months left to save with your ABC Family Card - even if you don't already have one, there's still plenty of ways to save big with it in the time left, so make sure you scoot off to buy one asap, OK? At only $10 for the card, it's easy to save money at participating businesses, over and over again. Here's my top ten picks (but there are more ways - check out the full list of discounts here)*:

1. Enjoy our wonderful city and be a tourist with 25% off a family pass or one adult pass for the Harbour Hopper and Theodore Tugboat! You save $15-18 off a family pass, which more than pays for your ABC Family Card and still means savings! (If you only have one child under 5 though, you are probably better off using the 25% discount on one adult pass, saving $5-6, and paying full price for another adult and your child. Check out the rate pages for the Harbour Hopper and Theodore Tugboat to figure out what's best for you.) Theodore runs into September and the Harbour Hopper until late October.

2. Get your family's holiday photos organized! Now's the time to be booking for this, and with the ABC Family Card you can save money on your photos from five local photographers! Choose from a 10% or 25% discount on products and services, or receive free prints with your photography session, with savings starting at $30 and going up - another way for your ABC Family Card to pay for itself quickly! If you are planning family photos this year, make sure to check out the work of these wonderful local photographers.

3. Now that I have number two on the way, I've been reviewing my cloth diaper stash and seeing what I'd like to add to it. There's lots of options available: for the best selection, check out Nurtured and Enchanted Forest and get 10% off purchases; also Klassy Kids in Cole Harbour are now stocking cloth diapers and My Lil Package has a limited selection too! I love love love my cloth diapers and the thought of using them makes going back to changing diapers a *little* bit more tolerable!

4. Get those back-to-school haircuts at Sharkey's Cuts for Kids in Bedford, saving 10%. The kids enjoy movies and games while getting their hair cut without any fuss!

5. Who doesn't like pizza? Save 10% at Pizza Delight in Halifax Shopping Centre, Bayers Lake and Tacoma Drive in Dartmouth. Or head over to Smitty's in Dartmouth and kids under 10 eat free after 4pm! Mmmmm...food...

6. Looking to shed a few pounds before Christmas? Use your ABC Family Card to receive a free trial class with Outdoor Fitness at Point Pleasant Park or receive 5% off classes and workshops at Core Essentials in Dartmouth. Lemme know how it goes - I'll be at Pizza Delight... ;)

7. Oh, books, how I love thee, and how I love Tattletales. Get 15% off all merchandise at this local bookstore - this includes their wonderful selection of toys as well! I try to use the library as much as possible, but just can't resist the pull of books at a discount. I suspect I'll be doing a large portion of my Christmas shopping there...

8. And speaking of Christmas shopping, your ABC Family Card has lots of options for unique Christmas gifts at a discount for your loved ones! Check out our shopping section for all the details, but here's a few that pop out at me: the very cute custom glass tile photo pendants from local business Storybird Designs (save $5 - a great gift for grandma!), the impressive selection of toys and games at My Lil Package, and the fun science-related toys at the Discovery Shop. Christmas can be expensive - make sure you use your ABC Family Card to cut back on those expenses this year!

9. Last year my son participated in music classes with Andrea from Andrea's Music Studio , and our report is that Andrea is simply wonderful! If your child is showing some musical interest, why not try a free trial lesson in piano, guitar or voice at Andrea's Music Studio to see if it's time to pursue regular lessons?

10. If you want to escape the heat of the summer, head indoors for some air-conditioned fun at the Discovery Centre (free child admission with purchase of an adult admission), Aplaydia ($2 off admission), Fairlanes Bowling ($5 off an hour of bowling), or Tree House Cafe (10% off admission). And with summer going to an end, there will be lots more opportunities for indoor fun as we head into winter. Summer has been great though, hasn't it?

OK, that's a lot of ideas! For more ways, to save, check our the full list of discounts here. I really hope you find your ABC Family Card useful - I know I've been enjoying it this year! If you don't already have one, you can buy one online here, or for a list of participating stores that also sell the cards, click here.

* Check abcfamilycard.ca for a full list of discounts and exclusions. Offers mentioned may have restrictions.

Today we have a review of Teach My Baby, written by local mom-of-three Nicola Martel. Thank-you to Christy from Teach My  for sending us the Teach My Baby kit and Nicola for testing it out! (Oh, and my apologies to Nicola for the photo below as it is NOT a photo of her and Ben - very sorry for any confusion! ;)

I'm always on the look-out for fun things to do with my three kids, but I must admit that my youngest (Ben) doesn't always get top consideration when I purchase new toys and games. With two older siblings, he gets a lot of hand-me-down toys. Therefore, I was very happy when Charmaine from HRM Parent asked me to review the Teach My Baby kit for her. It meant something new for Ben to explore!

Ben and I began using Teach My Baby when he was 18 months old (the program is intended for children aged 6-18 months old). The kit's materials come neatly packed in a sunny yellow briefcase. With four separate units - Self, Sounds & Touch, First Numbers, and First Words - there is lots to play with, and a short guide is included to help the caregiver get started. This guide offers suggestions on how to use each unit, and general hints to get the most out of the Teach My Baby kit.

I made a big deal of the kit when I first opened it for Ben. We started with the Self unit: I read the board book to him and we looked at the flash cards. Best of all, we stacked the nesting blocks and Ben knocked them down! The kit's instructions stress the importance of matching - the baby faces in the board book are the same ones on the flash cards and on the nesting blocks. Also, each of the items in this unit comes with a mirror. I showed Ben the picture of a nose on the nesting block, and then we turned the block around to see Ben's nose on the other side.

The Sounds & Touch unit provides another board book, two-piece puzzles (that Ben attempted to put together), and touchy-feely cards. Again, the animal pictures on the cards and puzzles match the animal pictures in the book.

The First Numbers unit has five finger puppets and a corresponding storyboard. Holes in the storyboard provide places for the finger puppets to poke out. One side shows the animals' bodies waiting for their finger puppet heads. The other side has a picture of a zoo for free play. The finger puppets make a repeat performance in the board book.

The final unit, First Words, offers another board book and many one-piece puzzles that double as flash cards. Again, the pictures in the book match the puzzle pictures.

Obviously, an 18-month-old will approach the kit materials differently than a 6-month-old will. A young baby will not be ready to put the puzzles together right away. But babies grow quickly, and soon she'll be able to do the puzzles easily. Until then, Teach My Baby offers colourful books, fun finger puppets, touchy-feely cards, and sturdy blocks to enjoy.

The kit's strong point rests in encouraging one-on-one time with baby and her caregiver. This is a special time, with stories, block play, puzzles, and finger puppets. It is a time to get down on the floor with baby and give her your undivided attention. Overall, the kit provides fun activities and quality materials that will help caregivers engage with their babies in a positive way.

Teach My Baby and Teach My Toddler are now available at Uncommon Kids Gear in Halifax & Bedford plus online at www.teach-my.com.