Page 7 - Family & Parenting
Family & Parenting
Travel
July 18, 2013
For years, I have dreamed of visiting Chicago and spending the day in The Shedd Aquarium. I never really thought it would come to fruition but I continued to dream. This summer my dream came true when our family drove through Chicago on our way to a preacher's conference in the Detroit area. It was just as amazing as I thought it would be and even though we spent 6 hours there, I could go back again.
The Shedd Aquarium is located on the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan. It is the largest indoor aquarium in the world, with more than 8000 aquatic animals. Depending on when you go, there are always special exhibits. Our family had the opportunity to see the Jellies and to participate in the new Stingray Touch.
When you decide to visit the Aquarium, the first thing I recommend doing is deciding what times you would like to be there and which exhibits you want to see. Our family decided to buy the All-Access pas
s which allowed us to do everything The Shedd has to offer including
Family & Parenting
Travel
July 18, 2013
We're thinking of taking a day trip to the beach. I wanted to go longer, but my husband thinks it will be a big hassle with the baby. I've been trying to think of everything we'll need to make the trip go smoothly:
1. I'm thinking some sort of sun shade is in order. Although there are some really amazing sunscreens out there, I've read that you shouldn't use sunscreen on babies younger than six months. So an umbrella or tent/cabana is going to be necessary to keep the rays off that baby-fresh skin. I love that this cabana is made using UPF 50 fabric and folds up for easy transport. (These sunscreen wipes look really convenient - might have to snag a pack for our toddler!) 2. Something to carry the babe in. I don't think pushing a stroller over the sand sounds like much fun to me, so I'd probably bring our Ergobaby carrier, and a beach-y bag to carry all of those teeny weeny baby things. Plus we can use the carrier's hood to help shade her little bald head :) 3. And,
Family & Parenting
Travel
July 09, 2013
When my husband and I were on a recent trip to Italy we visited Castello di Ama and did their winery tour. The winery has an amazing Chianti Classico, Olive Oil and an amazing art exhibit.
Before planning the trip we had to plan how we would carry our one-year-old daughter, Ava around. It was Ava’s first trip to Europe and the terrain at the winery was not ideal for a stroller.
We found the perfect solution to our problem, the Ergobaby Organic Baby Carrier. The Ergobaby is easy to put on and it fits to your size. The fabric is high quality. The Ergobaby holds your baby in an ergonomic, natural sitting position. Not only was it great for my daughter, my husband managed to carry Ava through the vineyard tour without getting a sore back.
We spent the day roaming through the vineyards and Ava was all snugly and slept most of the trip. The day was really sunny but the Ergobaby had a cover that protected Ava from the sun while she slept. She loved the carrier and it certainly
Family & Parenting
Travel
May 29, 2013
If you decide to vacation at Walt Disney World or Disneyland with baby in tow, rest assured that Disney does a phenomenal job of making even the smallest guests feel welcome. Here are my top 10 tips to help ensure that you and your little one make magical memories at the Happiest Place on Earth.
1. Make use of the Baby Care Centers
Disney offers baby care centers in all 4 theme parks at Disney World and in both theme parks at Disneyland Resort.
Open during regular park hours, each facility is complimentary to use and includes a private nursing room with rocking chairs, changing room with tables, feeding area with highchairs, plus a mini kitchen with microwave. Some even offer "miniature" toilets and sinks.
There is also a little room with a TV, some picture books, and kid-sized chairs. A nice place to unwind or get cool for a few minutes.
Baby food, diapers, wipes, sunscreen, over-the-counter medications, and clothing are also available for purchase.
Here are the locations of the Baby Care
Family & Parenting
Travel
March 13, 2013
From: Babble, Ergobaby Travel Collection: Best Yet? "It sounds ideal: same adjustable padded shoulder straps (it fits both my 6’8” husband and 5’6” me), same waist belt, and same zipped pocket in front, but it can fold into itself to become as small as a wrist-clutch. Frankly, that’s good news to me whether it’s for stowing in my suitcase or carry-on or whether it’s for storing in my spare closet." Ergobaby Travel Collection Emotional Benefits of Getting Outside
Spending time in nature with your baby can strengthen the bond between you. The simple act of holding your baby close, feeling their warmth, and sharing new experiences together can create strong emotional connections. It’s also a wonderful way to reduce stress and improve your mood. When my littles were extra fussy, I’d take a walk around the neighborhood. Even though I don't live in an area with trails and surrounded by nature, simply behind outside changed everything. A little vitamin D does wonders!
Cognitive Development
Family & Parenting
December 07, 2012
I see scary carseat/shopping cart situations all the time. I know you must see it too. Perhaps you're even in the habit of placing your baby’s carseat on top of the cart when you’re shopping.
Way back in the late 90's when my oldest son was a toddler, I saw a woman's baby fall off the cart at the drug store. I can still remember the sound that kid's head made when it hit the floor. She scooped him up and ran out with him while the store manager ran out after her. I don't know what happened after that but I remember being horrified by what I had just seen (and heard). That experience stayed with me and from that day on I have always been super-conscious about how my kids were secured in shopping carts. However, I am obviously in the minority because far too often I witness dangerous shopping cart situations. Sometimes I'll say something - in the nicest way I can, of course. But giving unsolicited advice to strangers can be more dangerous than playing in New Delhi traffic, so usually I just
Family & Parenting
November 29, 2012
The number of LGBT parents in this country is growing – and many people in the LGBT community have become parents through adoption. When looking into adoption as a path to parenthood LGBT people examine the same choices as straight parents do: domestic agencies, international adoption, foster care with possibility to adopt. The difference is that the legalities of same-sex couples adopting varies state to state with some states passing legislation prohibiting same-sex couples from petitioning jointly to adopt a child. These obstacles prevent kids in need being paired with loving homes. The good news is that more and more people are realizing that LGBT people can make wonderful parents and as public opinion changes, so will the laws - opening the doors for more kids to find a stable, loving and permanent home.
My partner and I decided I would carry and birth our two children – yet adoption is still a part of our parenting story - because we are lesbians. Even though we both equally wished
Family & Parenting
November 28, 2012
I’ve been blessed to have the opportunity to be mom to three little ones. Two came from my body, where they grew inside me, heard my voice and knew how I moved. I ‘wore’ them for 40 weeks before I ever saw their faces. My third child I met in an orphanage in Ethiopia. The first time I held him I loved him, but to him, we were strangers. Welcome to the world of adoption.
Just like many people who have adopted, somewhere in there we always knew that we would adopt. We assumed it would be down the road, maybe after our biological children had left the nest. But one day I clearly felt like God was saying "Why wait when those children are here now?" That was when I started doing a little research.
It's overwhelming to know where to begin. You can know that there are literally hundreds of millions of children that need parents, but how in the world do you know which one is yours?! Lots of prayer and discussion later we decided on Ethiopia. The process took a little over a year to complete.
Family & Parenting
November 14, 2012
When my husband and I started feeling the tug on our hearts to start a family, we couldn’t shake the feeling that God was nudging us to add children to our family through adoption, specifically international adoption.
We had no idea to where to begin. Where were we supposed to adopt? Every country has different guidelines, requirements and costs.
After months of late-night adoption and orphan care research and lots of prayer, we were discouraged and confused. We firmly believed in adding to our family through adoption, but we didn't understand why and couldn't figure out how to do it. We were just 22 and a completely ordinary young couple from the middle of Iowa.
Thinking international adoption wasn't meant to be, we still believed that caring for orphans was going to be an important part of our lives.
We looked into foster care, but at the time the door was shut. We looked into being house parents at a home for pregnant teens, but felt pulled in a different direction. We even were contacted
Family & Parenting
November 07, 2012
I knew at age 19 that getting pregnant would not be an easy task. What should have been a routine appendectomy ended up costing me a fallopian tube. Not to mention the fact I had suffered from PCOS pretty much since the onset of puberty.
So when I married my high school sweetheart at 23, I didn’t want to waste much time before starting a family. I knew it wouldn’t come easy for us. We started seeing a reproductive endocrinologist for treatments shortly after our first anniversary. After 18 months of medications and procedures, all unsuccessful, we decided to take a break. During this break my husband and I discussed adoption. My sister had adopted twice from Korea and we couldn’t have loved those boys more. We looked into domestic and international adoption but realized we could not afford such a great expense. We went back to the fertility clinic after a short break and started our first IVF cycle. The medications involved made me very sick and the procedure did not work. We had