I get it!

Thanks so much for your feedback on my parenting questions! I feel like I understand so much better now. I hate when you hear you aren't supposed to do something, but they don't explain why. Now I'll make better choices because I know the consequences. What are they? Here's what I gleaned from your wisdom:

• If a child is under 18 months old, they shouldn't get much more than an hour of TV viewing p/day. That should not include commercials because they cause most of the problem (they move so quickly and are so flashy, which can cause ADHD/problems paying attention to things that aren't so flashy). Try to limit their TV time to quality, age appropriate programming with few or no commercials.
• The juice question... Juice has a lot of sugar (as much as soda) and even though it can count as a fruit serving, children 1-6 should recieve no more than 4-6 oz. p/day. Although Fructose (the sugar in juice) is a "good" sugar, it should be watered down. It sounds like most moms do half water, half juice.
• The best veggie advice I got was to keep trying. It can take 15 tries for a baby to decide whether he likes something. Introduce a large variety, and don't give up.
• Cheerios do have a lot of fiber, so there is such a thing as too many, but probably only if it was all he ate. He's been fine. Just use "moderation in all things".
• The play pen: Don't neglect your child, but let them learn to play by themselves. They'll let you know when they are done hanging out in the play pen.
• A serving size of fruits or veggies is 1-2 Tablespoons. I'm doing better than I thought! See this site for more information about child serving sizes: http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/experts/fb/toddler_serving_sizes.html
• I finally understand why a bottle in bed is a bad thing! I didn't get it because I didn't know how it was causing bottle decay any more than a bottle during the day. The trouble starts when the child falls asleep with the bottle in their mouth. The liquid keeps dripping and sits on their teeth, causing their teeth and gums to decay! Yuck. Isaac never falls asleep with the bottle in his mouth, but I've stopped putting the bottle in bed with him anyway. I want him to be able to soothe himself to sleep. He cried for 45 minutes last night before he finally went to sleep, but I'm sticking to my guns!

Thanks so much for your feedback! It was very helpful!

Why should I?

OK. Time for some feedback. I'm trying to be more informed and do a better job of parenting. I realized that I've worked my way into certain routines that may not be the best, and I'd like to improve. So, I'm going to ask a few questions, and I'd like to hear your answers! And one need not assume that I'm totally failing in these areas. Just wanting to learn more. I'm wearing my "no hurt feelings" filter, so bring it on!

• How bad is watching TV for kids? I've heard that a child should only view 1-2 hours max of media p/day. What's the consequence for too much screen time?
• Is 100% fruit juice bad for my son? How much is okay? He loves it.
• Can you teach me some tricks for getting my son to eat vegetables? What types do you feed your baby?
• Is there such a thing as too many cheerios consumed in one day?
• Is there a recommended "maximum amount of play pen time"?
• How big is a serving size of fruit or vegetables for a one year old?
• Is putting an 11 month old to bed with a bottle of formula a bad thing? Why?

Thanks in advance!

Footage of Isaac's first step!

Isaac's First Step!

Isaac turned 11 months old on Saturday, and that night he decided to take his first steps! It's so funny because he crawled the day he turned 8 months old. He'll probably walk on his first birthday. We were at Nathan's church basketball game (which they won, by the way) and Isaac kind of lifted one foot. So my friends and I decided to see if we could catch him taking a step on video. We caught his first real step! Yay for Isaac! I am going to add a video once I figure out how (we just got a 'Flip' camcorder, and I'm learning). Here are a few still shots from the video until then. I know that the video will be better, but this will have to do for now! It's all in sequence (frame by frame)...

Combating the Winter Blues...

I feel like I'm suffering a bit from "the winter blues". So, I did a little research and Cornell University has some sound advice. I thought I'd share since I can't possibly be the only one suffering from the lack of warmth and sunshine. You probably already know most of this information, but reminders are good, right? Anyway, here's what I learned:

1. We need sunshine (whether real or artificial... like with a light box) because it helps restrict the secretion of melatonin in the brain. Dictionary.com says, "Experiments have shown that at high doses melatonin lowers body temperature, decreases motor activity, and increases fatigue". Find ways to get sunshine! Especially early morning sunshine.
2. We need aerobic exercise. It helps improve our moods and relieve stress. Exercise helps us feel good because it releases serotonin in the brain. Dictionary.com says, "In the brain, serotonin acts as a neurotransmitter that is involved in the control of pain perception, the sleep-wake cycle, and mood". It has been found that one hour of aerobic exercise outside is as effective as two and a half hours of indoor aerobic exercise. So bundle up and go for a walk!
3. We need a healthy diet. In the winter time, we want to eat junk food and drink soft drinks because carbohydrates are sometimes effective in increasing serotonin levels. But the momentary relief doesn't last! It's better to eat larger portions of complex carbs (like rice and pasta) and healthy simple carbs during meals like fruit and fruit juice. Junk food ultimately decreases our energy, so it's not really going to help us feel better. I don't think I'll ever give up my milk chocolate, though.
4. We need regular sleep. I'm just going to quote the source on this one: "Because many college students tend to go to sleep late and wake up late, those suffering from the winter blues are often asleep when the morning sun is up and shining. This sleep-wake schedule limits the number of hours that those with the winter blues are exposed to sunlight. Winter blues sufferers should make an effort to expose themselves to sunlight in the early morning. Take a walk outside or lift the curtain in your room as soon as you rise. Also, try to limit sleep to 8-hour periods on a regular schedule. Oversleeping and fluctuation in sleep-wake schedule causes increases in levels of melatonin during sleep, which can contribute to feelings of depression. Set a regular bedtime and wake up at the same time each day. This will give you more energy during the day and reduce feelings of depression."

Do you have any other tips for combating the winter blues? Please share!

Want more information? Check out this site: http://www.gannett.cornell.edu/healthAtoZ/healthAdvice/winterBlues.html

Ashley Tagged Me! Here Are 5 Things I Love...

1. My husband. How could I not? He sees me for the woman I can become, not for the one I'm struggling as right now. He's so lovable and supportive, he works hard, and he makes me laugh all the time. I love you, Nathan.
2. Motherhood. It's not easy, and the rewards are so unique (and sometimes hard to see). But motherhood is priceless and wonderful, and worth every single poopy mess I've dealt with (or will deal with). Isaac is so precious to me, and I'm excited about our future children as well. I want to "treasure motherhood" more.
3. Peace. Whether I'm gaining it from reading a good book, studying the gospel, or taking a hot bath, it's all about the peaceful, quiet, meditative moments. Without them, I'd go mad (and I have. Just ask my husband).
4. Food. I know. It's such a simple thing. Our bodies need food to survive. So how awesome is it that we get to enjoy it so much? Hurray for food! Especially the kind that is healthy and tastes great!
5. Education. I don't take all the opportunities that I should to learn more and gain skills, but I'm so grateful for the education that I have, and that I live in a place and time where there is an almost infinite amount of information for my betterment.

First Hair Cut!

We gave Isaac his first hair cut about a week ago, and he freaked. He always cries like he's about to die when I vacuum or use the blender, so I wasn't exactly expecting a walk in the park. Nathan used the clippers on him and it was awful. He cried and cried. I bathed him afterwords to try to calm him down, and he started crying when Nathan walked into the room. He was Ok with his daddy later that night, but seriously! What a traumatic experience. It's all over now, and he looks like a little baby marine. I hope he won't need another hair cut for awhile! Here are the before and after pictures...

BEFORE...

(I kind of wish we'd kept it this way a little longer)

AFTER...

CHRISTMAS...

New hobby...

So, I know. I should be posting Christmas pictures and stuff. But I don't feel like it right now, so I'm not going to because if it feels like an obligation, I dislike it. And then we'll have another blog strike. Nobody likes that, right? Patience my friends. You'll have pictures of Isaac's first magical Christmas soon.

I'm in the mood to show you what my latest hobby is. It's called stitchery (kind of like embrodiery). I tea died the muslin, traced the patterns on, and then hand stitched the pictures. Anyway, it's kind of time consuming, but I find it quite relaxing. And I'm super proud of myself because I actually stitched more than a dozen projects for gifts, and I'm still not sick of doing it. I'm even designing some of my own patterns. Here are just a few of my projects...

My very first completed project

I designed the next three...

Yep. I'm going to get pretty artsy fartsy with this. They'll only get better from here!

Meeting Santa!

Isaac met Santa at our ward party on Saturday. I didn't know how he'd react, but he did really well. He wasn't excited, but he didn't cry. This Santa was really cute and funny. I wanted to get in one picture with Isaac, and Santa said, "Why don't you sit on my lap, and have him sit on yours? I won't tell Mrs. Claus". We had a good time at the party. It's starting to feel like Christmas! I wish I had my shopping done!

THANKSGIVING

Now, to back-blog a little. I didn't take very many pictures during Thanksgiving, but here are a couple cute ones. We went to my Uncle Mike's for dinner, and these pictures are with my cousin Lindsey's kids, and with my sister in-law Ashley (she and Peter are providing a cousin for Isaac next year!) It was a fun day. I should have taken pictures with Grandma and Grandpa Roundy. They were there too! Shame on me for being lazy with the camera.

Family Fun...

Nathan went to an all night Halo party at his brother's house, and I have a hard time sleeping when he's gone. So, I figured it was a great time to blog. I got such a fun surprise last week. My little sister Amanda called and told me she was coming to town. It was for a funeral, which isn't good news, but I was so excited to see her. We are close, and it's hard to live so far away (she lives in California). We had a sibling party, and 5 of 6 kids were there (Adriane, Amanda, me, Donovin and Glen). Our oldest sister Erin lives in Washington state and couldn't come. We had such a fun time hanging out. Here are a couple pictures of us...

Glen, Donovin, and Amanda

Adriane, Amanda, Donovin, me and Isaac

Adriane, Amanda, Donovin and Glen

*

Nathan had a day off from work and school Wednesday (something SO precious and rare). So, we decided to go hang out downtown and just be together as a family. We went to the Clark Planetarium at The Gateway. They have a lot of free exibits there, so we didn't have to spend a dime. We had such a fun time. Here are a couple of pictures.

At front exibit

On the Moon

Crawling on the moon

Hubble Exibit

Isaac and Nathan watching "Newton's Dream" exibit

Wow. That space man makes Isaac look tiny!

Family photo on Mars

*

And here are a few other pictures I can't resist sharing. I know I'm partial, but I think Isaac is the cutest baby in the world...

He is actually snorting here.

What baby doesn't love paper?

Favorite playplace: The frontroom window.

A Real Update!

Time for a Gosselin family update! Isaac is 9 months old now, and he is crawling like crazy. He started the day he turned 8 months old. And he started pulling himself up to stand at the coffee table a week after that. It’s no surprise that he’s had a lot of bumps and bruises lately. The doctor thinks he’ll be walking by Christmas. Isaac had thrush from the end of September until the beginning of November, and has had the cold twice. He’s getting all four of his top middle teeth at the same time. As you can imagine, he hasn’t been his usual always pleasant self. But he’s still a good baby. He was still a little sick on Halloween. In September Isaac and I went with my friend Jess and her daughter Izzy to Silver Lake, and also to the zoo. You'll see pictures of all this in the slide show. In other family news, Nathan is chugging along with his job and school, and is working on pharmacy school applications. I'm doing the usual fun stuff that moms get to do, and I love it most of the time. I can't believe Isaac is 9 months old this month! Enjoy the photos...

The Pictures...

Yes, I'm finally posting...

There's nothing like a good game of tag to get me to finally post (Thanks Morgan!) I swear that I'll get new pictures up soon. I better because Isaac is crawling, pulling himself to standing position and saying Da Da. And he'll be 9 months old next Monday! Ahhhh!

Ok, so here's the deal with this game of tag. If I tag you, go into your photo files, pick the 4th file, and the 4th picture in that file. Mine happens to be a picture of my Isaac when he born. I was going to say "when he was small", but at 9 lbs 12 oz. he really wasn't ever that small. Oh, memories.

4 seems to be the key number here, so I'm tagging MaryAnn, Ashley, Kristie and Carrie (that is if you four haven't given up on my blog).

Not yet...

If you are wondering when I'm going to add more pictures and news, the answer is: Not Yet. I know I've been neglectful here, but I just haven't wanted to take the time. I promise I'll think about doing it soon.