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Today is a very hot, sunny day here in St. Louis. Maya and I spent the morning at the outdoor pool for her swim lessons. I saw children running around in hats, long sleeve shirts and saw moms reapplying sunscreen over and over again. It was so nice to see so many kids having fun and so many parents enjoying themselves while keeping their kids protected from the sun. Protecting our children while they play out in the sun is very important. Sun protection is their best defense against skin damage and skin cancer. It is our job as parents to make sure their skin is protected.
It can be hard sometimes, especially with older children, to make sure they always have sunscreen on, are wearing a hat, and have protective clothing on. I think making sun protection a priority from the very beginning will help as your children get older. They will eventually know that before they head out the door they must have sunscreen on. It will be sort of like the seatbelt rule in the car. No sunscreen, no outside play!
Here are a few tips on making sure your children stay protected while they have fun in the sun this summer.
- Avoid the strongest rays of the day. The suns rays are strongest during the middle of the day. On really hot, high sun index days try to avoid being outside in the direct sun.
- Cover up. The best way to protect the skin is to cover it with clothing. Use loose fitting, cool, comfortable clothing to cover your child’s skin. You can even buy clothing with built in SPF protection.
- Provide a shaded area for play. If you will be spending a lot of time in the sun, like at the beach or the park, make sure there is a shady area for them to spend some time and cool down. Take a large umbrella or a tent along with you. Encourage your kids to take a break from the sun by hanging out in the shade.
- Use sunscreen. Apply sunscreen before you head out the door and then reapply every 2-3 hours, or after your child has been in the water, all day. If your child will be in the water make sure to use a waterproof sunscreen. Even on cloudy, cool days your child should still have sunscreen on. The UV rays are still damaging to the skin even if the sun itself isn’t out.
- Use hats and sunglasses to protect your child’s face and eyes from the sun. Hats are especially important for fair haired children or babies will little or no hair. It may be a battle to get your child to keep the sunglasses on but try it anyway.
Playing out in the sun is what summer is all about. Kids would spend all day outside if we let them. You can help your child stay safe in the sun by being careful, keeping them protected and monitoring their sun exposure.
Have fun this summer and stay safe.
There is nothing cuter than a sleeping baby. So peaceful, so beautiful, not a care in the world.
Babies require a lot of sleep. On average a baby requires 12-18 hours of sleep in the first few months. This often comes in short bursts of about 2-4 hours at a time. For a parent who is sleep deprived it is easy to just let the baby sleep whenever and whereever. However, habits can become established very early. Babies can begin to confuse their days and nights. They can begin to pick a prefered sleeping spot that is not the spot you ultimately want them to sleep in, like the baby swing or your arms. Establishing good sleeping habits early can be a godsend later as the baby gets older and sleep is more structured.
Establishing good sleep habits begins with a few simple things.
- The first thing you need to do is to teach your baby the difference between day and night. This can be done by keeping night time feedings very low key. Don’t turn on a lot of lights, keep everything quiet and put the baby right back to bed. During the day keep the baby awake for longer periods and try to establish that day time is the time for interaction and play.
- It is never to early to establish a bed time routine. Very early on babies will pick up on the pattern of when things are done. By keeping the same routine for bedtime every day your baby will begin to recognize that it is bedtime and as your baby gets older the transition from awake time to sleep time will be a lot easier.
- A baby that can put him or herself to sleep is more likely to sleep well and beable to fall back asleep on their own if they wake up at night (not for a feeding). At about 6-8 weeks old your baby is ready to begin learning how to fall asleep on their own. Instead of rocking the baby to sleep or nursing the baby to sleep try rocking or nursing until they are really relaxed and then laying them down awake. It may take some time but eventually they will figure it out.
- If you want your baby to sleep in their crib or bassinet then you need to start that habit early. It can be tempting to just let them sleep in the swing or laying on your chest because you don’t want to disturb them. However, a baby will very quickly get used to sleeping like that and may (very loudly) protest sleeping anywhere else. If you want them to sleep in their crib you have to start putting them there for sleep early.
- Keep your baby’s schedule fairly standard from day to day. Put them down for naps around the same time, put them to bed at night around the same time. As they get older and are sleeping few times but for longer periods each time the schedule will help you ensure they are getting enough sleep when they need it.
- If your baby starts a sleep habit that you don’t like or that you don’t think is good for them, such as catnapping, sleeping only in the baby swing, confusing days and nights, etc, work on correcting the habit early rather than later. The longer you let it go the harder it will be to correct.
With babies sleep begets sleep. A well rested baby is going to sleep better than an overtimed baby. You will learn early on to recognize your baby’s sleepy signs. Put your baby down for sleep as soon as your begin to recognize those sleepy signs, once they are too tired it will be harder to get them to fall asleep. If you are concerned about your baby’s sleep patterns be sure to discuss them with your child’s pediatrician.
Just as baby’s need their sleep so do parents. Being overstressed and overtired makes parenting difficult. By establishing good sleeping habits early on you will be laying the ground work for better naps and better night sleep later on. When your baby sleeps better so do you.
I can't believe she is 19 months old!!
There are days when I still feel like Maya was just born yesterday. I look at her and can’t even begin to believe that she is already 19 months old. Where does the time go? Although I feel like she just got here I also can’t remember what life was like without her. I feel like I’ve always known her and she has always been a part of our life.
She is doing so many new things. Independence is her big thing right now. She has to do everything by herself. She has to eat her food all by herself, walk up and down the stairs by herself, tackle the slide without any help, to name a few. She gets upset if you try to help her with something she feels like she can do all by herself. She is even trying to dress and undress herself. I still have to help her but she is starting to the get the hang of it.
Eating yogurt all by herself.
Trying to decide if she can do it by herself.
Another big change recently is her vocabulary. Over the last few months she has gone from only a few words to well over 100 and a few 2 word phrases. She will pretty much try to repeat anything you say to her. A few of my favorites right now are statue, vacuum, shower, right back, and “my mumma” (which is what she always calls me!!). Not only are the number of words she can say growing but she is starting to perfect a few words too. For example she used to say “da du” for duck but now says “guck”. She can talk you ear off, I still especially love when she babbles and laughs at her own jokes.
One thing that bugs me about this age are her temper tantrums. Boy can she throw a fit. I think we have a little drama queen on our hands. Luckily she isn’t crazy with the fit throwing (most of the time). Usually she is pretty easy going and good. However, when she doesn’t get her way and is feeling a bit emotional the screams come out, the crying starts and into fit mode she goes. It can sometimes drive me crazy.
I am still breastfeeding her before bed, although I am starting to get sick of it so I think I’ll start weaning her soon. She is very attached to it but I think she’ll do okay. I’m proud of myself for sticking with it even with a rough start. I know it did her and I both a lot of good.
Her appetite is awesome. She eats really well at all her meals. I’m so glad her extreme pickiness went away. There isn’t much she won’t eat now. A few of her favorites are a bagel with cream cheese, cheese stuffed pasta, bread of any kind, fruit of any kind, tomatoes, cheese, chicken and anything sweet. So far her nut allergy hasn’t posed to much of a problem yet. We read the labels carefully and haven’t come across too much that we wanted to buy but couldn’t.
It is hard to believe that she will be two in just 5 months. I know a lot is going to change between now and then. I can already see more of the little girl in her and less of the baby. I can’t wait to see what she does next.
Such a little ham 
With summer right around the corner and temperatures already on the rise now seems like a good time to talk about beating the summer heat during pregnancy. Most pregnant women will tell you that just being pregnant makes every thing feel hotter to begin with. Even on a cool spring day (or a cold winter one) pregnancy often makes you feel like it is hot outside already. Being pregnant in the summer can be very uncomfortable, especially if you are in the final months of your pregnancy. Being uncomfortable already the added the hot summer heat to the mix will likely just make you feel down right miserable. When I was pregnant with my daughter I spent my 5th – 7th months of my pregnancy battling the heat and humidity of a St. Louis summer. It actually wasn’t as bad as some people had warned me it would be, but I definitely felt the heat more than usual. I think the key to surviving the summer heat is to avoid spending too much time out in it and dressing to stay cool.
Surviving the heat of the summer while pregnant is possible. All it takes is a little planning and some creativity. Here are a few things you can do to survive the hot summer heat:
- Wear cool, breathable, comfortable clothing. Buy clothing that is light-weight, loose and breathes well.
- Avoid spending a lot of time outside during the hottest part of the day. Plan your errands and outdoor activities for the early morning or the evening when it is a little cooler.
- Stay hydrated. Drink lots of water. Take water with you when you go out.
- Don’t over do it. It is important not to over do it while pregnant any way, but the heat makes it even more important to know your limits.
- Exercise is important during pregnancy but exercising outside during a hot summer day is probably not a good idea. Consider keeping your exercising inside where it is cool, or in the water.
- Take the time to rest and put your feet up to avoid lower leg swelling.
- If you are over heated take a quick, cool shower and lay down for a few minutes too cool down and relax.
The most important thing is to do what you can to stay cool and don’t over do it. Staying hydrated is super important. Being pregnant puts you at an increased risk of over exposure illnesses such as heat exhaustion, dehydration and heat stroke. Doing your best to stay cool and avoid spending too much time in the heat and sun will help you avoid these heat and sun related illness. If you have any concerns be sure to discuss them with your doctor.
What did you do to keep cool during the hot summer months of your pregnancy? Any tips for other moms-to-be?
We just returned from a great family vacation in Branson, MO and Table Rock Lake. This was our second trip down that area, the first time being last year around this same time.
Branson is located in southwestern Missouri just a short drive from Springfield, MO and the Arkansas border (here’s a map). That area of Missouri is absolutely beautiful. Lots of rolling hills, lakes and rivers everywhere, and the vegetation is very lush and green. We enjoy going there because not only is it just a short 4 hour car ride from St. Louis, but it is also very relaxing and fairly inexpensive.
A nice shot of the green, rolling hills
We loved the place we stayed last year so we decided to stay there again this year. We rented a 1 bedroom/1bath condo at the Stillwaters Resort. The rooms are well decorated, spacious, and clean. The resort itself is a great family spot as they have 3 pools (including one that is great for little ones), a nice little park, lakefront condos so you can get a fabulous view of the lake, water access, boat rentals, and an onsite restaurant. The condos have kitchenettes so you can make a bunch of meals at home to save some cash. We got a great deal because we went during of the very beginning of their summer season and they were having a 40% off sale. The rooms are a bit pricey if you pay full price but the resort is always having sales. Branson is full of hotels, resorts, campgrounds, and cabins so you should be able to find a place that meets your needs and price range.
Maya enjoying the balcony of our condo
One of the things I like most about going to Branson for a family vacation is the large array of activities available. Everything from amusement parks, water activities, hiking, shows, and shopping. There is pretty much something to make everyone in the family happy. We didn’t go to any shows because I didn’t think Maya was old enough. She probably would have done okay at one of the dinner shows, but I didn’t want to risk it. Probably next year we’ll try to see something. However, we were able to fill every day with fun activities and still wanted to stay longer and do more. A few of the things we did were; swimming in the hotel pool, hanging out down by the water (Maya loved throwing rocks in the water), went to the beach, rented a boat, ate some great food, toured the Stone Hill Winery, went hiking, and did a little shopping. We had a fabulous time and made some great memories.
A break during our hike to throw rocks.
Playing in the sand at the beach
During our boat ride
We spent 6 days down there and could have stayed so much longer. I love how relaxing it is, how nice everyone is, and how many things there are to do. If you live in Missouri a trip to Branson is a great little family getaway and you can do it without spending a ton of money. I’ll admit that before I went to Branson I had a pretty negative image of it. I thought it was going to be just a bunch of weird shows and an amusement park, with not much to offer a city girl like myself, but I was nicely surprised at all it had to offer. I definitely think we’ll try to take another trip down this year (we’ll probably camp next time because renting a condo every time gets too expensive).
All in all we had a great trip again this year and I definitely recommend this Missouri spot to anyone looking for a nice family vacation.
I’ll leave you with a nice shot of Maya enjoying an ice cream sandwich on our condo balcony!!
Yummy ice cream sandwich!!