Baby Boutique now on Facebook!

Hey gals!

Want to join our group over on Facebook? We've got a discussion board set up to talk about all things MOMMY! :)

To join, go on over to Facebook and then search for The Baby Boutique Board and click to join.

A new report links California furniture ingredient to birth defects, cancer

This article highlights a disturbing discovery that all parents should be concerned about. Take a minute to check it out.

Embroidered Hair Clips for Your Baby Girl!

I'm just in love with these gorgeous hair clips! I discovered them kind of by accident, got some samples, and knew that we had to offer them at the boutique.

Each pair of clips is hand embroidered by a talented mom in the USA. They are really, really nice and very well done. We have six designs to choose from right now, with more to come in the future. You can check out all of the designs here!

Bless Them (by The Down Syndrome Express)

When I was in fifth grade, I spent the night with my friend, Karen. Her parents took us to the drive-in to see my first PG movie, Bless the Beasts and the Children. The Carpenters sang the title song, and they were my favorite group, with many of their songs touching me deeply. The movie ended with the tragic death of a character I had gotten quite attached to, so I found the whole experience very poignant and it has always stuck with me emotionally.

Here is an excerpt from the song:

Bless the beasts and the children

For in this world they have no voice

They have no choice

Bless the beasts and the children

For the world can never be

The world they see

Light their way

When the darkness surrounds them

Give them love

Let it shine all around them

I realized recently that I think of this song every time I think of a child, especially one with special needs. And because all the emotions of seeing that movie, hearing the song, and being so deeply moved by the music of The Carpenters, I have a very special place in my heart for ANYONE who seems to be in an underdog position.

Although I did not understand how to show compassion to special needs people when I was a child, now that I am a mother of 4 typical children and 1 special needs child, I have a huge amount of that compassion. Compassion is good, of course, but I have read much by parents of special needs kids who say they see their kids as no different from the others, in terms of how the parents treat the kids. Setting boundaries, setting expectations, all those things are still in place with their special needs kids.

I have struggled with figuring out how to set boundaries for my little guy who has Down syndrome. I wonder if it is reasonable to expect someone who is delayed in several developmental areas to understand or be able to practice self-control at age 2. The doctors told us that a child with Down syndrome can learn, and indeed I have seen that in Kepler, but it is very challenging to me to have appropriate expectations for this little guy.

And then the chorus of Bless the Beasts and the Children floats through my mind, and I think, “All I want to do is give him love, and let it shine all around him.” If we surround him with love, perhaps all the rest will take care of itself. In the meantime, I look for wisdom on how to deal with him throwing his spoon and bowl at the end of every meal.

Where has my lil baby gone? by Sadie's Young Mommy

Where has my lil baby gone? Sadie is becoming more and more independent and mobile everyday.

She is still tiny and my lil baby girl but she has started trying to walk now and it just puts me in shock at how fast ten months went. She pushes behind her lil push toy hippo and walks all over the apartment now..

she also loves to hold onto our hands and walk around. I believe she is determined to figure out this walking thing
since she will cry sometimes and just get mad at crawling so we will help her stand up and then ta da laughing
Sadie once again :)

We also just recently moved to a two bedroom apartment...that was a crazy move and we are still unpacking bits
here and there...but the most exciting of all about moving is Sadie has her own big room now and she sleeps through
the night now!!! I was so used to getting up with her 6-7 times at most through out the night so it took me awhile to get use to
either getting up just once to nurse her or not at all!! Now I just sleep though :) It is so nice to sleep again....Friday night
she slept from 8:30-6:30 then slept in till 10am!!! Threw both my husband and I off since Sadie is usually our trusty alarm
clock between 7-8:30. And last night she slept from 9-7 so a full nights rest again :) I am just so thankful to God that she is
sleeping much better now and not demanding to be nursed every hour. She obviously needed her own space to rest better..she
even is taking naps better. Granted this might change due to teething or what not...(she is on her third tooth..getting them
all at once) but for now I am just so happy to finally get some goodnight sleep :)

The pictures are of Sadie playing at the Sciencenter...she loves going there and hanging out with her friends and all the new toys
and fun stuff to explore.

Sadie has this one friend who is almost two years old..his name is Aden...and they just love each other
so much its so cute...Aden will look around at nursery (church) for Sadie and when he sees her he yells out Sa Sa !! They hug each other, play together, and one day Aden decided to even carry Sadie around!!! that was a little scary turning around and seeing him holding her and carrying her...she was fine but it made both his mom and I hold our breath and run for the babies :)...Its so so cute
watching her interact with other babies and toddlers :) She loves other kids...as long as mommy isnt holding them we discovered she has a jealousy about sharing her mommy :) I was trying to help out a friend and hold her baby for a few minutes and Sadie acted like I had betrayed her for life...it was quite devastating for her...I quickly ran to her to let her know everything was alright...and I hope that she will learn to be okay with it. But for now Sadie has all of Mommy to herself :)

The Dark Side of Imagination by Military Momma

The other night my daughter Punka, went down (surprisingly) peacefully for her bedtime. Within an hour, she erupted in a bloodcurdling scream that sent me running for her door. I had never heard her scream like that before, so of course my mind involuntarily ran through worse case scenarios. Had she fallen out of bed and broken her arm? Was there an intruder in the house? What could possibly make her scream like that?

I reached her room to find the culprit was a wolf. Yes, a wolf. Apparently in the haze of her dimly lit room, my imaginative 2 year old had found the wolf’s eyes (which had been featured in Aesop’s Fables at Library Story Time that afternoon). I calmed her and asked her to show me the wolf, and she franticly pointed to the tiny lights on the smoke/carbon monoxide detector. I tried to soothe her fears with logic (not a toddler’s strong point), but that didn’t work. In the end, after retrieving Daddy (appropriately still dressed in cammo uniform and hunting make believe wolfs), turning on the light, and rearranging anything that might cast a shadow, she finally settle down to sleep.

The next night she saw birds in her closet – a small pile of clothes that cast a shadow. The night after that, a snake – the skinny outline of her lamp’s electrical cord. My husband and I were both baffled. We’ve never had this problem with my daughter before. You always hear about children being afraid of undescript monsters in the closet or under the bed. But that would be too easy…My daughter thinks monsters are funny. Monsters can be explained away. “Oh, monsters are just pretend. They don’t exist.”

How do you explain away a wolf? Or a bird? Or a snake? They’re all real animals she reads about or sees everyday. It’s not like I can censor them from her life like I could monsters and horror movies. Once again, I’m stumped by a two year old.

DebD, MilitaryMomma

www.DunkDesigns.com

Traveling Toddler by Military Momma

Ladies and gents, May I call your attention to the center ring as I attempt the impossible. I, Momma the Magnificient, will attempt fly alone with my toddler, and arrive at my destination sane! "Can't be done!" You say?...

...I agree, but hey I have to keep the dream alive right? So, back to reality. Me being me, I set off to prepare for this fated trip back to the East Coast by researching and planning. We're not new to long hauls and traveling by car for days, being an Army family, but planes are different. You can't stop for potty breaks and the occasional "my butt's asleep" pitstop. Add to that Mommy's huge fear of flying, and the general chaos of going anywhere alone with a very active and antsy toddler, and it seems like an all but impossible feat.

However, I am determined to try to make the best of it. After all, at the end of that very long plane ride is HOME. Grandma. Grampa. Cousins, Aunts and Uncles. I just have to make it through 8 hours on a plane and a short layover to gain 6 full days of the comforts of home. I can do this! (Or so I tell myself.)

In order to make this trip as smooth as possible, I've compiled quite the Traveling Toolkit chocked full of fun little activities and, well, bribes. My secret weapon: snacks and a portable DVD player. I've also bought a toddler book about first plane rides, a coloring book about airplanes, and toddler sized headphones shaped like teddy bears.

I added a GoGo Kidz TravelMate (an attachment for your child's carseat that converts it into a stroller of sorts, for an easier terminal to terminal dash!) to my arsenal, and I hope that it holds up to my expectations. Most of all I just hope beyond hope that the Tantrum Gods are good to us that day. Be sure I'll be giving a full report of the effectiveness of my battle plan after we return. Wish me luck!

DebD, MilitaryMomma
www.DunkDesigns.com