Are you an organ donor?

We've all seen the commercials....

Who is Taylor and what was her gift? Some one posted a video on their Facebook and then I understood. It's powerful and heartbreaking all at the same time.

What an amazing moment. Inspirational.

If you aren't already registered as an organ donor and would like to or if your drivers license says you are but you want to double check, visit this website taylorsgift.org. 

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions.

When you decide to have a baby you don't realize all the decisions you will have to make. To vaccinate or not to vaccinate? To circumcise or not to circumcise? Home birth or hospital? Epidural or no epidural? Finding the "right" pediatrician. To breastfeed or not and if so, how long? The list goes on and on and on.

For example, extended rear-facing or not? What the heck does that mean!? That's exactly what I thought. When I did my research I found a ton of information about car seat safety that I was not aware of. It's scary how many parents are NOT using their car seats properly. Four out of five safety seats are used incorrectly, with an average of three mistakes per seat, reports the Washington, D.C.-based National Safe Kids Campaign. Here are the most common mistakes...

#1 - Car seat too loose

#2 - Harness too loose on child

#3 - Turning the child to a forward-facing position too soon. 

#4 - Rear-facing infant seat not at a 45 degree angle

#5 - Using the retainer clip (chest clip) incorrectly

I see this ALL the time. I can't tell you how many times I see babies buckled into their seats (either in person, pictures and even on reality TV) and the chest clip is all the way down to their stomach. I might have also made this mistake if it weren't for all the car seat education we received from the nurses while Connor was in the NICU. It is so so so important to have the chest clip up at armpit level. Otherwise it will not properly hold your child in their seat and in an accident and they are at risk of being ejected.

7/13/11 Connor in his infant car seat at 7 months old

#6 - Harness straps through the wrong slots

#7 - Not using a booster seat

#8 - Using a seat that's been recalled

You can read the article that lists all 8 of these mistakes and how to fix them here.

Before having a baby I knew nothing about extended rear-facing. I thought you just followed the law. The law is that your child must be in a rear-facing car seat until they are 1 years old and 20 pounds. However in March 2011 the American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement saying they now recommend keeping your child rear-facing until they are 2 years old or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat.

When I heard this I had no idea why they would recommend something but it wasn't "law". So I did some research. It only took me watching a video demonstrating crash test dummies of a child rear-facing vs. a child forward-facing for me to make a decision.

I will 100% keep Connor rear-facing for as long as possible, preferably until he reaches the maximum weight of 40 pounds for his seat.

9/24/11 Connor in his convertible car seat at 9 months old.  Rear-facing of course! :)

I was so shocked when doing all my research on car seat safety. I wish they gave parents more education before they left the hospital but because of liability they don't. Which baffles me. Obviously parents aren't getting the education they need if so many parents are making mistakes. I don't think parents don't want the education but rather they don't know they need it. It's scary to think so many parents are unknowingly putting their child's safety at risk. So I'm passing on this information in the hopes that some one will see it who didn't already know these things. Who knows, like the video says...maybe it will save a life.

***UPDATE***

It's only been 2 hours since I published this post and shared it on my Facebook wall and already I have learned 2 more important safety facts. This just further supports the fact that even though parents want the information it is hard to find, these were 2 facts that I did not come across with all my researching online. I'm kind of shocked. How many more facts are out there that we still don't know?

Thank you to my friend Erin for sharing these with me. 

#1. Do not use aftermarket products (head supports, warm blanket like inserts etc.) with your seat. If it doesn't come with your seat then it has not gone through the rigorous crash safety standards. Although some of the blanket inserts (example: The Bundle Me) can be made safe to use with just a pair of scissors. Check that out here. Along with the explanation of why these things are not safe.

Last winter I used an insert in Connor's infant seat to keep him warm. I thought since it had big holes to fit the straps through that it was safe. Now I feel guilty for not knowing that is wasn't. 

I also use aftermarket strap covers (in the hopes of making the straps more comfortable for him) but will be taking them off immediately.

#2. Do not put your baby in their car seat with bulky winter jackets on. For further explanation read this.

If you have any other tips, please leave a comment. YOU could save a life!

1 Year Ago Today

As I plan Connor's 1st Birthday I can't help but think back to this time last year. I was 29 weeks pregnant (7 1/2 months).

 
November was such a special time. Connor was so active and I loved feeling him in my tummy. My baby shower was also that month. We had the shower at the golf course Andrew and I had our wedding the year before, which made it that much more special. It was a great party, I was surrounded by great family and friends. We were absolutely spoiled, we got everything we needed and then some.

Just for fun here are some of my status updates from Facebook this time a year ago. 

Nov. 3, 2010 - 29 weeks today! YAHOO!!! It's getting closer and closer! I can't WAIT to hold my sweet boy!! ♥

Nov. 5, 2010 - 75 days to go...give or take a couple. ♥ 
(I actually had him 39 days later.)

Nov. 6, 2010 (a year ago today) - Went shopping today with my BF Danielle and I got my dress for my baby shower and a dress to wear to Christmas! Love them! 
(I never had a chance to wear the adorable dress I got for Christmas because Connor was born 6 weeks early so I was no longer pregnant. Hoping I need a fancy black dress to wear when I'm pregnant with baby #2)

Nov. 9, 2010 - Off to run a couple errands and pick up some food. This preggo is HUNGRY!!!  

I cannot believe how much has happened in a year, it's been a amazing journey. This time last year my days were filled with imagining what Connor would be like. Who would he look like and what kind of personality would he have? He's more than I could have ever imagined. I'm more in love with him than I thought was physically possible. I can only imagine what the next year has in store for us and I'm sure it's going to be amazing. 

Random

Random (adjective)  -  Having no definite aim or purpose.

1. I HAVE to have the front door locked while I am home. Even if Andrew is home.

2. I'm a clean freak.

3. When I am really upset/angry, I like to take a drive to clear my head.

4. Connor is 10.5 months old and I have the "itch" to have another baby already.

5. I'm a closet "Twilighter". OK maybe I'm out and proud! I've even been to Forks. :)

6. I'm not religious but I talk to God daily.

7. My Mom is one of my BEST friends.

8. I hate my feet.

9. I love to read. (Always looking for book suggestions)

10. I like things to be really organized.

11. I am a control freak but I try really hard not to come off as bossy.

12. I love spinach dip!

13. I'm still afraid of the dark and I probably always will be. Some how I know this is going to become a problem when Connor is older and wants me to check for monsters under his bed! EEK!

14. I HAVE to put my hands over my eyes during the REALLY scary parts of scary movies. I literally cannot watch those parts. 

15. I want to raise my son to be a strong man but also know it's OK to show his emotions. To teach him to treat women like queens. To teach him the importance of education. To have a sense of humor. To be accepting of people of all races, genders, sexuality. To be the change he wants to see in the world.  

16. I do not take out the garbage or clean up dog poop. The only 2 chores I despise.

17. It breaks my heart to hear women complain about their mother-in-law's because mine passed away before she technically became my mother-in-law.

18. I truly believe in John Edward and his abilities. My Mom and I have tickets to see him this January!

19. I've never had my hair professionally dyed, I'm a box job kind of girl.(I'm way too cheap!)

20. I am a giver not a taker.

21. I would prefer to spend every day of the summer at the lake.

22. I would do anything for Andrew and my son.

23. I need at least 8 hours of sleep to function but 10 to be fully recharged. Thanks to my son who sleeps 12 hours a night this is still possible. :)

24. I love going out to dinner.

25. I'm a carb girl. 

26. I day dream about what I would do if I won the lottery on a daily weekly basis.

27. If Connor had been a girl I really wanted to name him Charlotte even if my husband said he refused to name his child after a spider.

28. I've never broken a bone.

29. I love deli sandwiches. Turkey, jack cheese, pickles, mayo and mustard on a sourdough roll to be exact. :)

30. I used to be addicted to soda but I gave it up and now I'm addicted to Diet Peach Snapple.

31. I think everyone should watch the movie American History X. 

32. I was born February 18, 1985 at 2:22 pm.

33. I have 1 sibling, a younger brother who I call Brother.

34. I'm Pro-Choice but Pro-Life for myself. I do NOT condone when people use it as birth control. I think it should only be used if medically necessary, in cases of rape etc.

35. I suffer from anxiety but have since learned to manage it.

36. It took us almost exactly 1 year to conceive Connor.

37. I don't floss and I know how bad that is.

38. I ALWAYS have my toenails painted. I think it looks gross if they're not.

39. I want an excuse to wear my wedding dress again. Still thinking of throwing a girls night party for my married friends so we can all wear our dresses. 

40. I've only had 3 serious boyfriends and I married the 3rd one.

41. I've lost a lot of family members to cancer. 

42. I think people need to utilize the spell check feature more often.

43. I don't believe kids should have TVs or computers in their bedroom.

44.The first book I ever read by myself was Jennifer, Hecate, MacBeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth. I think I was in the 4th grade.

45. I vaccinate my child. :)

46. I daydream everyday about buying a house.

47. My favorite time of year is Fall and Winter.

48. I would prefer to be cold rather than hot.

49. I wear flip flops even in the rain.

50. I'm a perfectionist.

Pickles & Lemons

Ok...we've all done it right? Let our babies try something we know they won't like just to see their reaction. Like pickles...

I let Connor try a dill pickle and he loved it. I mean it, he really loved it.

Today after our Mommy & Me group, we went to lunch with my new friend Megan and her beautiful daughter Ellie. We met at the Mommy & Me group and turns out we went to High School together! Yep, we're from a small town. :)

While we were at lunch I noticed Megan had a lemon slice on her soda (random!) so I rudely grabbed it asked if I could have it and decided to do what all Mom's eventually do right? Let Connor try it just to see his cute face when he realizes it's sour.

He actually sucked on it for awhile before realizing it was sour. I wish I would have thought to have my IPhone ready to take a picture of the moment he realized it was sour, it was the cutest thing! But after a second he went right back to sucking on the lemon and eventually ate the lemon like it wasn't even sour.

I guess he likes tangy/sour things. Definitely my kid.

The First "Wordless Wednesday"

I'm starting something new...it's called Wordless Wednesday.  

Every Wednesday I will be sharing something I find interesting, funny, important, cute or maybe just silly.

So here goes...Wordless Wednesday #1!
  

Crazy busy weekend!

Thursday 10/27 - Connor and I attend a Mommy & Me group at our local Kaiser every Thursday, since it was the Thursday before Halloween everyone decided to bring their babies in costume! They were all so adorable! We tried really hard to get a group picture of the babies but being that they range in age from 6 months to 1 year, you can imagine how impossible difficult that was. But we tried and here is what we ended up with...

Friday 10/28 - Andrew works in construction and work has been slow so we are broke broke which means he has random days off. He had Friday off and we decided to take Connor to the pumpkin patch assuming it would be crazy packed on Saturday. Since Connor and I had just gone with our playgroup we knew our way around and showed Daddy our favorite parts, like the giant box of corn kernels! So we spent some time looking at the animals, taking silly pictures, playing in the corn kernels and then finally picking out the perfect pumpkin for Connor's first Halloween. 

Saturday 10/29 - Now that Connor is close to walking I decided I should probably get him his first pair of real shoes. Grammie offered to buy them for him, so off to the Outlet Mall we went. Other Mommies told me to go to Stride Rite for his first pair of shoes because they have stages. Stage 1 is for babies. You know the shoes that are just cute but serve to purpose. Stage 2 is for early walkers. Babies who crawl most of the time but are learning to walk. This is what stage Connor is in. Stage 3 is for babies exclusively walking. I picked a pair of shoes that I felt would go with everything. I didn't want to get him more than 1 pair of shoes because he'll soon need Stage 3. 

FUN FACT: He's a size 4 wide. Apparently he has "tall feet" aka fat chubby feet. :)

Sunday 10/30 - We decided to save the pumpkin carving for Sunday Family Day. Connor was in a horrible mood because he's teething and won't nap not very interested in carving pumpkins.
But after a little encouraging he played with some of the slimy gooey pumpkin guts. That is the correct term right? So I took a million a few pictures before he had a complete meltdown. Then Grammie took him in the house while Mommy carved a Monster into his pumpkin. Then Connor enjoyed his first spaghetti dinner (so many firsts!) followed by a pickle! 

Monday 10/31 - Fast forward to Halloween. It's also our Monday playgoup. We decided to go to a drop-in kinder gym that morning. Of course being Halloween all the babies came in costume. It was so much fun! Connor was all over the place. Maybe that's why I am EXTRA tired yesterday? 

That evening we took Connor over to his Great Aunt Carol's to trick-or-treat and see his cousins. His cousin's Zack and Daniel were dressed as Mario & Luigi and I thought Connor looked like Yoshi! So for the rest of the night he was Yoshi instead of just a silly dinosaur. :) 

Next we went to Grammie & Grandpa's for a quick dinner and a couple houses of trick-or-treating. Connor has no idea that this will soon be a day he and his stomach cherish. FREE CANDY! But for now he just had fun getting extra attention from everyone.

It was a long day and Connor was more than happy to put on his Halloween jammies, have a warm bottle and go to bed. 

I'm sure to him it seemed like any other day. To me however, it was another milestone, another first, another special memory of our new family of 3.

Mental Note: Remember to hand someone else the camera and ask them to take a picture of Connor and I, especially on special occasions such as his first Halloween. Sigh.