My new rocking airplane:
More fun at the park:
How I entertain myself at work:
Palo Alto Jr. Museum and Zoo:
Friday, May 25, 2012
March 2012
Bath-time Fun:
My new rocking airplane:
More fun at the park:
How I entertain myself at work:
Palo Alto Jr. Museum and Zoo:
My new rocking airplane:
More fun at the park:
How I entertain myself at work:
Palo Alto Jr. Museum and Zoo:
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Mothers Day
As I get older I realize that the typical lotion basket or chocolate box isn't going to cut it for my mom. I really got creative this time and thought about the things she loves and uses and tried to add to one of those collections. She has a cute flag holder in her front yard that she changes out for the seasons and holidays. She has collected quite a few over the years.
But she didn't have a Mothers Day flag!
So I found a great mothers day flag that I could personalize for her to have forever. It has her 4 grand children's names on it and room to add #5 when Ashley and Brandon have their little girl in July.
Here is Ryder next to her Birthday Flag she put up for Ryder when we were visiting in January, just a few weeks before his first birthday:
But she didn't have a Mothers Day flag!
So I found a great mothers day flag that I could personalize for her to have forever. It has her 4 grand children's names on it and room to add #5 when Ashley and Brandon have their little girl in July.
Here is Ryder next to her Birthday Flag she put up for Ryder when we were visiting in January, just a few weeks before his first birthday:
Monday, April 30, 2012
Radio Silense
To say that a thesis is a lot of work is an understatement. But I am so amazingly proud to say that there really is a light at the end of the tunnel. I can see it! I can taste it! It is the most AMAZING feeling to be so close to the end. All I have left is to print and bind this baby and sign my life away next Monday!
Working part time, having a 1 year old that I take to work and have with me all day, and researching/writing a masters thesis has been an insane endeavor. It is not for everyone. Not even the most organized and balanced individual can do this. Sacrificing weekend of precious family time to sit in crappy library chairs was no fun!
Knowing I have earned this masters degree is due to sacrifices and hard work is bitter sweat. I would never take on something like this again if I knew how much time it would take away from family. So many events and invitations were turned down.
On May 19th I get walk down the aisle with a masters hood on and and celebrate this great accomplishment with family. So excited to have this done with and get to relax and get to a years worth of projects I've procrastinated on!
Working part time, having a 1 year old that I take to work and have with me all day, and researching/writing a masters thesis has been an insane endeavor. It is not for everyone. Not even the most organized and balanced individual can do this. Sacrificing weekend of precious family time to sit in crappy library chairs was no fun!
Knowing I have earned this masters degree is due to sacrifices and hard work is bitter sweat. I would never take on something like this again if I knew how much time it would take away from family. So many events and invitations were turned down.
On May 19th I get walk down the aisle with a masters hood on and and celebrate this great accomplishment with family. So excited to have this done with and get to relax and get to a years worth of projects I've procrastinated on!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
Cloth Diaper Stripping
We have been cloth diapering here for about a year. There really is a learning curve, as there is for most new things. But the outcome of a clean, rash-fee, padded tush is well worth is. We've had some stink issues and some ammonia smell and rashes recently and i thought I'd fill you'll in on what I have learned. And give you some resources.
Detergent Build up VS other things building up (ew!)
1) Dawn - 1 T Dawn in the washer and rinse until 0 suds
(#15 on http://www.bumgenius.com/help.php)
There are just the simple stinky issues that typically are build up of detergent. We stripped with dawn and the diapers seemed better but never 100% stink free. I could put the clean diaper right up to my nose and take a whiff and still smell something. This was supposed to get any residue out of the diapers.
2) Calgon - 1/2 c and soak overnight and then wash as normal
(http://pinstripesandpolkadotsllc.blogspot.com/2011/12/stripping.html)
Then we tried Calgon. We soaked all the diapers all night and then washed them as we normally would. This was to strip and hard water deposits out of the diaper. Then we were still getting amonia burns 2 weeks after the Calgon. So, I got more help.
3) Vinegar - Soak all the inserts in venegar over night and rinse in warm (no detergent)
(https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Diaper-Therapist/141387209252417)
The owner of this page did a lot for me. She looked up water tests, etc to help with my specific issue, machine, water, routine, diapers...etc The end result was an overnight vinegar soak of the inserts, warm rinse cycle the next day, layed them out to dry, stuffed and wore them. 2 nights with no burns yet. No smell at all either.
The rest is from The Diaper Therapist - On a pH scale, ammonia is a basic. Vinegar is a mild acid. What you want to do is pour the vinegar right on your clean, wet diapers. The vinegar will help chemically neutralize the ammonia. Wring the vinegar through the fabric really well, let them sit overnight, and then just rinse them. ammonia comes from leftover organic (waste) trapped in the fibers. I see this a LOT with HE machines. Limiting the amount of water to a diaper wash reduces the amount the urine and soil are diluted. A long hot wash will only go so far if there's a small amount of water pushed through the fibers.
Redwood City - There's a couple things to look for when you're reading the water quality assessment. The first is 'Hardness', but also check the 'Total Dissolved Solids'.
Hardness (as CaCO3) ppm N/A 8 - 104 53
Total Dissolved Solids ppm 1000 N/A 27 - 174 95
So in this case, your 'hardness' which comes from calcium is only 53PPM. That's pretty low. But the bigger picture is clearer when you look at Total Dissolved Solids- which is 95PPM. So it's not just Calcium, Limescale, but also minerals, salts, and metals. Overall 95 isn't very high. Looking at the bigger picture I would say that the HE Washer is almost certainly the big culprit in the stink problem.
more resources:
http://thecloththatcounts.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/the-ultimate-cloth-diaper-care-resource-page/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Padded-Tush-Stats/159712977409653
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Diaper-Therapist/141387209252417
https://www.facebook.com/DiaperJunction
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Spray-Pal/110702932361414
https://www.facebook.com/everythingbirth
Detergent Build up VS other things building up (ew!)
1) Dawn - 1 T Dawn in the washer and rinse until 0 suds
(#15 on http://www.bumgenius.com/help.php)
There are just the simple stinky issues that typically are build up of detergent. We stripped with dawn and the diapers seemed better but never 100% stink free. I could put the clean diaper right up to my nose and take a whiff and still smell something. This was supposed to get any residue out of the diapers.
2) Calgon - 1/2 c and soak overnight and then wash as normal
(http://pinstripesandpolkadotsllc.blogspot.com/2011/12/stripping.html)
Then we tried Calgon. We soaked all the diapers all night and then washed them as we normally would. This was to strip and hard water deposits out of the diaper. Then we were still getting amonia burns 2 weeks after the Calgon. So, I got more help.
3) Vinegar - Soak all the inserts in venegar over night and rinse in warm (no detergent)
(https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Diaper-Therapist/141387209252417)
The owner of this page did a lot for me. She looked up water tests, etc to help with my specific issue, machine, water, routine, diapers...etc The end result was an overnight vinegar soak of the inserts, warm rinse cycle the next day, layed them out to dry, stuffed and wore them. 2 nights with no burns yet. No smell at all either.
The rest is from The Diaper Therapist - On a pH scale, ammonia is a basic. Vinegar is a mild acid. What you want to do is pour the vinegar right on your clean, wet diapers. The vinegar will help chemically neutralize the ammonia. Wring the vinegar through the fabric really well, let them sit overnight, and then just rinse them. ammonia comes from leftover organic (waste) trapped in the fibers. I see this a LOT with HE machines. Limiting the amount of water to a diaper wash reduces the amount the urine and soil are diluted. A long hot wash will only go so far if there's a small amount of water pushed through the fibers.
Redwood City - There's a couple things to look for when you're reading the water quality assessment. The first is 'Hardness', but also check the 'Total Dissolved Solids'.
Hardness (as CaCO3) ppm N/A 8 - 104 53
Total Dissolved Solids ppm 1000 N/A 27 - 174 95
So in this case, your 'hardness' which comes from calcium is only 53PPM. That's pretty low. But the bigger picture is clearer when you look at Total Dissolved Solids- which is 95PPM. So it's not just Calcium, Limescale, but also minerals, salts, and metals. Overall 95 isn't very high. Looking at the bigger picture I would say that the HE Washer is almost certainly the big culprit in the stink problem.
more resources:
http://thecloththatcounts.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/the-ultimate-cloth-diaper-care-resource-page/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Padded-Tush-Stats/159712977409653
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Diaper-Therapist/141387209252417
https://www.facebook.com/DiaperJunction
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Spray-Pal/110702932361414
https://www.facebook.com/everythingbirth
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
MSPI Resources:
MSPI - milk soy protein INTOLERANCE - dairy and soy and intolerance - it is the large protein their body can not digest
- sometimes 3 days to get a reaction, sometimes hours
- symptoms - colicky, crying, uncomfortable, gassy, mucus poop, exzema, blood in poop
- should grow out of it
though these can vary greatly child to child:
ryder - all of above
kate - exzema, rashes
weston - mucus (like a perpetual cold)
-to begin - no milk products, no animal milks, no soy
-after all symptoms are gone - 30+ days sometimes, you can add 1 item back and see if baby reacts
ryder always continued to react. Kate was able to add soy back in
other allergy testing - I eventually did pediatric allergy testing, just 10 items (dog, cat, milk, eggs, soy, nuts...)
ryder is allergic to soy = no reintroduction
TO DO:
-read labels
-ask questions
-take calcium
-probiotics for baby (easiest to mix into cold baby food at 6mo +)
Cocyntal - natural relief of colic symptoms associated with colic, including gas pain and irritability.
Gripe Water - love it! expensive, so you can just use strong camomile tea (main ingredient in gripe water)
Whole Child Wellness - Belmont - Kandice the nutritionist
Great websites:
MSPImama.com (facebook and blog)
intolerantoffspring.com
kellymom.com (http://kellymom.com/momblog/professional-handouts-set-2/)
Hidden Dairy Cheet Sheet:
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/food-sensitivity.html#protein
- sometimes 3 days to get a reaction, sometimes hours
- symptoms - colicky, crying, uncomfortable, gassy, mucus poop, exzema, blood in poop
- should grow out of it
though these can vary greatly child to child:
ryder - all of above
kate - exzema, rashes
weston - mucus (like a perpetual cold)
-to begin - no milk products, no animal milks, no soy
-after all symptoms are gone - 30+ days sometimes, you can add 1 item back and see if baby reacts
ryder always continued to react. Kate was able to add soy back in
other allergy testing - I eventually did pediatric allergy testing, just 10 items (dog, cat, milk, eggs, soy, nuts...)
ryder is allergic to soy = no reintroduction
TO DO:
-read labels
-ask questions
-take calcium
-probiotics for baby (easiest to mix into cold baby food at 6mo +)
Cocyntal - natural relief of colic symptoms associated with colic, including gas pain and irritability.
Gripe Water - love it! expensive, so you can just use strong camomile tea (main ingredient in gripe water)
Whole Child Wellness - Belmont - Kandice the nutritionist
Great websites:
MSPImama.com (facebook and blog)
intolerantoffspring.com
kellymom.com (http://kellymom.com/momblog/professional-handouts-set-2/)
Hidden Dairy Cheet Sheet:
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/food-sensitivity.html#protein
GoDairyFree.org (recipes and help)
http://www.zestbakery.com/ in san carlos
restaurants:
http://www.mspimama.com/p/web-resources.html
-call ahead
-biggest issue i find is butter and vegetable oil (typically has soybean oil in it)
http://dianaibclc.com/2012/01/08/so-what-can-i-eat/
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