Is Spanking Helpful?

Spotlight On: YouTube's Philosophical Parent

Check out this short, eight minute video response addressing spanking.

Breaking News

Researcher Finds a Clue to the Mystery of SIDS

A physician and researcher at Seattle Children’s Hospital made another breakthrough in his research into Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), a mysterious disease that leaves grieving parents looking for answers that science has yet to provide.

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The latest finding supports his earlier work, which indicates that SIDS babies don’t necessarily have a problem with their brain. Instead, Dr. Daniel Rubens’ research has indicated that problems with hearing and the inner ear may be linked to SIDS.

His newest study, published in a journal called Neuroscience, shows that inner ear dysfunction in mice results in an inability to wake up and move away from a suffocating environment.

The theory is that babies can move into positions that restrict their breathing while asleep, and those with hearing impairment in at
least one ear don’t have the automatic survival mechanism to rouse and reposition themselves.

Source: Read more.

Adventures in Baby Food Making

Strange Tofu Combination

...that my girls' can't seem to get enough of is tofu with bananas and blueberries. It smells as terrible as it sounds but my girls inhale it like it's ice cream. Wut?!

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Here's how you make it:

• Tofu, firm
• 2 bananas
• 1 small carton of blueberries
• (optional) breast milk

Slice the tofu and lay flat on paper towels to absorb excess water. The boxes of tofu I buy yields approximately six slices. You can place paper towels on top of the slices as well to sop up maximum amounts of water. I recommend making the extra effort.

That's a tough as it gets.

Afterward, combine all ingredients with a food processor until fully incorporated. The bananas can be stubborn and might need a little help making their way to the blades.

Add breast milk if you would like the consistency to be a little more liquid.

The end result is going to be a gorgeous purple color. Fun!

Side note: I have one baby who is a vacuum cleaner. She eats everything. My other little one? She's the pickiest little thing I've ever met but this combination is probably her all time favorite meal right now.

For the Smiles

Not Run...

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Pro Tip

Blankets in Bed



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(Cute baby...but not mine)

As most of you can probably relate, I am still terrified of SIDS and/or suffocation when the girlies are sleeping. However, another SIDS factor is poor air circulation, so I like to keep the fan on. Well, during the day that causes their little arms and legs to get cold. I just can't win!

Well, my brother-in-law recently recommended we start the girls out with crocheted blankets. There are holes all over the place and it's almost impossible for them to get tangled up enough to the point of being in harms way. Perfection! I still only allow blankets in their cribs during naps (day time when I'm awake and keeping an eye on them via the Foscam monitor.)

The crocheted blankets have been AWESOME! They're substantial enough to keep their skin warm but light enough that I don't have to worry about anything bad happening. And let's be real, this is Texas! We don't need anything too crazy for warmth right now.

For the Smiles

Shout Out!

Question of the Week Results

How long did you pump/nurse?



Seasonal Considerations

Guide to Fruits and Vegetables

Here's a one page guide showing which fruits and vegetables are in season throughout the year. Try to plan your solids introduction around what will be fresh and readily available.

And here's a quick preview:

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OXO Customer Service

Fabulous!

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OXO is a brand I've written about previously. I purchase a lot of their products, and specific to baby items, I love their OXO Tot Baby Block Set, which I mentioned previously.

I pulled a set out of the freezer the other day to discover one of the 2-oz containers had a crack running all down the side. It was completely ruined and I had to throw it away. I purchased these from amazon.com, but sent a letter directly to OXO customer service. In less than a week, I had a response in my inbox and a free replacement piece in the mail headed my way - no questions asked - no receipt needed, no picture of the damaged product, nothing.

On a scale of 1-10, how likely am I to praise this company and recommend them to others? 20!! They're amazing. Customer service is so important to me and this experience was top notch.

What companies have you had good experiences with? Bad experiences? Share in the comments!

For the Smiles

The Epitome of Sleep Deprivation

...or is it just mommy brain?

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Trend Alert

Fanicures

They're the next big thing! The ombre hair is long gone - traded in for a 'mom' haircut - but now it's time to break out the nail polish and get to work on my fanicure!

Wut? A fanicure is nail art that celebrates sports. It's football season, baby!

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What team(s) are you rooting for this season?

I'm a Red Raider through and through. Get your guns up!

Question of the Week Results

Did you drink caffeinated coffee during your pregnancy?

Be sure to check out the current Question of the Week in the right-hand column!

Make It

Baby Food Edition

Zucchini

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Yields: 12 ounces

Le Zucchini

 

Chop off ends

Optional: Peel skins - this is a good idea for younger infants (4-6 month olds or to ease digestion issues)

Chop and steam

Blend and add liquid (milk, formula, or water)

Get more baby food ideas on the recipe tab!

Announcement

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Ad-Free

Babies and Babbles is now Ad-Free!

We like ads as much as we like tv commercials, so we got rid of them!

Thank you to all of our loyal subscribers and followers. We hope you enjoy our postings from here on ad-free.

...and Happy Hump Day!

Websites I Love

Wholesome Baby Food

Wholesomebabyfood.com is your one-stop-shop for infant food recommendations. I like it because it's very conservative in nature, so I trust they're not trying to force me to feed my infant food before they'll be ready.

This chart is awesome for infant meal planning! I have a copy hanging on my refrigerator and refer to it each week when we go grocery shopping.

Pros:

• Printable materials (like the chart linked above)
• Tons of information and answers to all of my questions - so far!

Cons:

• Quite a few advertisements on the page
• Some conflicting advice (peaches - whether to remove skin or not)
• Not very many pictures to go along with the recipes - you can find those on my site!

Question of the Week Results

How old was your baby the first time you left them with a babysitter?

Be sure to check out the current Question of the Week in the right-hand column!

Products I Love

Highchairs

The Fisher-Price Space Saver High Chair in Pink Circles is my top pick for our girls' highchair needs.

We have a smaller house with a modest breakfast area that (barely) accommodates a round table and four chairs. There was no way we were going to fit two full sized highchairs in this space, as well. We entertain fairly regularly, so removing two of the full sized chairs wasn't an option.

These highchairs are great because they can sit on the floor if the other chairs are needed for guests. 'Installing' them on a chair is quick and painless.











Pros:

• Tray is dishwasher safe.
• Cover is machine washable. I also wash the buckles.
• Straps are adjustable.
• This thing is convertable! It turns into a booster seat when your LO is ready.

Cons:

• Tray does not fit in my dishwasher unless I want to do an entire load for one tray with nothing else on the rack.

Bonus: Check out some of the passive aggressive reviews for the Tan version. Yikes! Why do people feel the need to vent about their spouse in an Amazon review? Seriously??

Make It

Baby Food Edition

Peaches

Prep time: 1 hour
Yields: approximately 16 ounces

Le Peaches - I used three.

Remove pits.

Cut into sections and cook. I chose to steam them in the microwave.

Here they are - cooked to optimum mushiness.

Remove skins - this was a daunting (timely) process. I am definitey looking for a better option. Any suggestions?!

Food processor (before)

Food processor (after).

I didn't even add milk to this - plenty of liquid - but not too much! Perfection.

I'm on the look out for an easier way to make peaches and will report back with my findings!

In the mean time, check out more homemade baby food recipes here!

Question of the Week Results

What Was Your Baby's First Food?

Be sure to check out the current Question of the Week in the right-hand column!

Make It

Baby Food Edition

Bananas

Prep time: 2 minutes
Yields: approximately 8 ounces

This recipe is so easy, it's almost insulting (or maybe it actually is...) What's your excuse?

Peel the banana and mash it with a fork.

Add breast milk to desired consistency and voila. It really is that easy!

Check out more homemade baby food recipes here!