Kids and Technology Article

This article was passed on to me from one of my fellow UMass MEd classmates.  I am not sure as to how accurate the survey was but claiming that 81% of all children have an online presence by the time they are age two seemed high.  Additionally, the article claimed that "high tech devices should unequivocally not be used as babysitters, but practicality being what it is, sometimes you have to bow to reality."  So Nickelodeon and Disney Channel are not good alternatives for babysitters?  I hope you enjoy this read.

Kids and Technology: Parenting Tips

Can Infants Smell Food?

It seems that every time my wife and I attempt to eat a meal together, Baby Carter decides that he must be a part of the festivities.  It doesn't matter if he just fed or not; he always cries (even from a deep sleep) when we are preparing to eat.  I don't think infants can distinguish smells like children can, (but I am no expert) so I did some research online and found an interesting article about infants and their sense of smell.  According to the article, infants can sense amniotic fluid minutes after birth and some can go as far as distinguishing the difference between breast milk and formula within 12 hours of birth.  Additionally, the more skin on skin contact a baby has with his/her mother, the more likely they will to recognize via smell when she is in the vicinity.  The article can be found at http://www.parentingscience.com/newborn-senses.html. 

Unfortunately, it was difficult to locate any tangible articles regarding an infant’s ability to distinguish food smells in the house.  I didn’t think it was possible for Baby Carter to smell us cooking dinner but he always manages to wake up as we sit down to eat.  It is hard to enjoy a nice meal with a screaming baby serenading us at the dinner table.  I did, however, find an article about an infant’s ability to taste.  Apparently, infants can taste four of the five major tastes: sweetness, bitterness, sourness, and umami.  Infants cannot taste saltiness until they are about 4 months old.  So if an infant can sense four of the five major tastes, should he have the ability to sense food smells?  Many of the blogs I found on this topic provided no scientific evidence that infants react to food smells but I did find many parents that are convinced their babies get hungry when they are cooking certain foods.  I am convinced that in Baby Carter’s case; he is hungry all the time and he gets upset when he does not sense mommy close by.  Maybe someone with more experience or knowledge can offer some helpful insight on this topic?

Red Sox or Yankees Update

Since my wife (huge Red Sox fan) and I (huge Yankees fan) cannot agree on what team Baby Carter should follow, we have decided to let Baby Carter be a Minnesota Twins fan.  We are fortunate enough to have a cousin pitch for the Twins this season so we will be sporting #56 jerseys until he is traded or he decides to retire.  Let's go Terry Doyle!  Baby Carter is your biggest fan!

First Visit From My Mother-In-Law

This past week marked the first of many visits from my mother-in-law and I have to admit it was an overall enjoyable visit.  She allowed my wife and I to be in charge as new mom and dad.  I was shocked!  By no means is my mother-in-law an overbearing "do it my way or the highway" type, but I expected some friction as with many mother-in-law/new dad relationships.  She was very helpful around the house and I know my wife appreciated the breaks between feedings while Nan (that's what she wants to be called instead of grandma) entertained Baby Carter.  If I had one complaint, it would be to let Baby Carter have a moment to himself.  I came home from work and Nan would be holding Baby Carter.  I came home from umpiring a baseball game and Nan would be holding Baby Carter.  I came home from the gym and (Yup you got it!) Nan would be holding Baby Carter.  Nan time with Baby Carter may have been a little excessive, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that this is her first grandchild.  Furthermore, it is the first infant she has held and cared for in 23 years.  Nevertheless, I am convinced that Baby Carter enjoyed every moment with her.  My mother-in-law and I may not agree on everything but she cares about us and Baby Carter and she would do anything for him.  For this, I am grateful to her and I hope we can continue to work through our differences and give Baby Carter the happy and healthy family he deserves.

I try to make a point with every blog post I write so I guess the point of this one is for the new dad's out there to give their mother-in-laws a chance.  Although you may not see "eye-to-eye" with them, give them a chance to show you that they want nothing more than to be a part of you and your new baby's life.  Thanks for your help this week Nan!

Albany, NY Photos

Cool Photos, a gallery on Flickr.

I came across these beautiful pictures of our future home, Albany, NY. I can't wait for my first NY snow storm!

Hand Sanitizer, Chernobyl & Conjunctivitis

Is it normal to want to wear a full body Nuclear Biological Chemical (NBC) protective suit every time I walk into the pediatrician's office?  We visited the pediatrician's office a few days ago and everywhere I looked there were sick children coughing without covering their mouths, vomiting all over themselves and their parents, scratching visible rashes and others visibly sick with some form of virus or bacteria.  Our pediatrician's office is very large with a staff of at least 7-8 doctors and 20 or so nurses.  They were all running around like ants in an ant hill trying to keep up with the charts, children and phone calls.  I must have squirted hand sanitizer into my hands 10 times in a 30 minute period (yes, that is once every 3 minutes!).  I felt the urge to rub the hand sanitizer all over my body but the bottle was almost empty.  I guess an empty bottle of hand sanitizer is par for a pediatrician's office?  What I don't understand is why when you call the pediatrician's help line about a possible issue with your baby, they always seem to want to see your child as soon as possible.  Walking a potentially sick baby into a pediatrician's office is like walking through Chernobyl completely naked.  Nevertheless, this past week marked another pivotal day in the life of Baby Carter as he was diagnosed with his first infection; Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye).  Apparently, infants can contract Conjunctivitis from their tear ducts not being fully opened (formed).  The ironic part of treating Conjunctivitis was the medication made Baby Carter's eyes look more gooey and unpleasant than before the treatment.  I guess the prescribed medication is better for Baby Carter than dad's solution of more hand sanitizer!

Here is some more good information I found about Conjunctivitis for those who are interested. 

Conjunctivitis (CDC)

What Is Day Care Worth?

This has been a very busy week.  I had to return to work after a fun yet sleepless 10 days of paternity leave.  I have to admit, I never thought I would miss Baby Carter's sweet cries for attention or the dangerous yet impressive diaper changing missions, but something about not holding mini-me made me miss him like crazy.  My wife plans to return to work in 4 weeks which would require day care for Baby Carter.  As a military family, we rate the benefit of on-base day care but the waiting list for infants is 8-12 months.  Our  second option is a family friend that we trust who also has her own infant to care for.  Are two infants too much for a young mom to handle?  I have met many parents with twins and triplets so I assume a strong mom can handle caring for multiple infants.  Furthermore, how much do we ask a family friend to watch Baby Carter?  The base child care program has very reasonable prices but to offer a friend a similar contract may offend her.  On the other hand, if she requests a price north of reasonable, it may not be worth the trouble or money to have my wife return to work.  Additionally, if my wife does not return to work, she can spend more quality mommy-baby time with Baby Carer.  Does anyone have any pointers to add to this discussion?

Daycare Costs: Is Working Worth It?