Babies & Kids Blog

Today on Facebook one of my friends mentioned that her daughter had been up all night, every hour on the hour. Lots of people made suggests about what could have caused the all night cry-fest, and most of them were: “Teething? Is she teething? Do you feel any teeth coming through?” Teething can be the cause of interrupted sleep, but so can growth spurts, which most people don’t even think of. Parents magazine explains:

Babies grow astonishingly fast. By your little one’s first birthday, he’ll have tripled his birth weight and grown eight to ten inches. Even his head—which is about one third the size of an adult’s at birth—will grow faster in his first four months than at any other time. “A child grows more rapidly during his first 12 months than in any other period of his life,” says Gregory Plemmons, M.D., medical director of the pediatric primary-care practice at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, in Nashville. “What’s interesting is that these increases in weight and height aren’t slow and steady—they appear to happen in fits and starts.”

Researchers are still trying to figure out exactly when and how these periods of growth occur. Some experts think that they last between two to seven days and happen at predictable ages—10 days, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months. Others say there’s no set schedule and that the timing varies from baby to baby. But moms recognize a growth spurt when they see one. “I’ve had mothers swear that their babies grew overnight,” says Michelle Lampl, M.D., Ph.D., a growth researcher and associate professor of anthropology at Emory University, in Atlanta. “They tell me their child’s legs were suddenly longer or the diaper or socks seemed much tighter.” Dr. Lampl’s own research backs them up: She’s found that babies can gain a whopping one to three ounces and grow almost a centimeter in length in 24 hours, followed by days to weeks of almost no growth at all. (read more)

image: parentdish

You don’t see much of Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s daughter Sunday Rose and that’s a good thing. She doesn’t seem to be as much of a paparazzi obsession like Suri Cruise is. However, I did happen upon this photo of Sunday and Keith in NYC this week and I was struck by how quirky and cute she is! Sunday is 16-months-old and she and dad having been hanging out in New York while mommy promotes her new movie Nine.

Sunday is wearing teeny tiny toddler Uggs. I know Uggs are pretty much out for us grown ups, but they really still do look cute on little kids.

Ugg Boots: $90

If Uggs are out of your price range, here’s a great alternative:

BEACH FEET Toddlers Boots $24.99

Beach Feet boots with Australian merino wool lining offers ultimate style and maximum comfort. Beach feet warms you in cold temperatures, and keeps you cool in warm weather. Imported.

image: celebritybabyscoop

Mini Boden (the children’s division of English clothing company Boden) sells funky, unique and durable clothes for children. We are big fans at my house, but we don’t often get to shop from them because our budget is pretty tight and their shipping cost is a little high at $10. I was thrilled to see that right now BodenUSA.com is offering 11% off plus FREE SHIPPING and returns and I immediately put it to good use and got these adorable shirts for my little girl:

Marl T-shirt $20.00 17.80

Soft cotton marl t-shirt with a little dog logo, because surely nothing beats a four legged furry friend with a waggly tail.

Monster T-shirt $28.00 $24.92

Some monster fun for the doomy days of winter. Pure cotton and made for rough and tumble with your brother or dog.

Logo Marl T-shirt $24.00 $21.36

Wear with anything from your oldest jeans to your most grown up skirt. Fun logos and cheerful stripes on our softest cotton marl.

Free shipping saves you $10! Awesome!

Find more deals and Boden coupons at CouponMountain.com.

We’re in the middle of the grocery store, and there’s a food battle brewing. My 2 year old managed to spot her favorite treat in the aisle as we zoomed past–Fruit Snacks. Those little sticky nuggets of brightly colored corn syrup are her idea of the perfect food. I’d like to avoid them altogether. I’m not totally strict about food, but there are some things you just have to avoid and I think buying Fruit Snacks constantly leads you down a path to more and more junk food. So, how do I take her to the store without her suffering a dramatic breakdown what I say “NO!” Dr. Sears is here to help….

Maybe you like to shop with your kids. Maybe you don’t. Either way, there will be days when you and your children go grocery shopping together. Here are some ways to get the job done.

Make a list. A shopping list gives you a sense of purpose. It ensures that you will remember to buy the foods you need, and it keeps you from buying foods you don’t need or want in your home. Enlist your children’s help when you make your list. Tape a list of grow foods to your refrigerator and ask your children to check them off when they are used up so that you can add them to your shopping list. Ask your kids which grow food they’d especially like, including, of course, a few acceptable treats. You might compare your shopping list with the traffic-light list. (Maybe you even have it posted on your refrigerator.) Be sure your shopping list contains mostly green-light grow foods, and perhaps a few yellow-light foods. Ignore the red-light foods. (read more)

image: earlyedcoverage

Find printable grocery coupons at CouponMountain.com.

Scooters are more popular than ever and there are tons to choose from! Look for one that is appropriate in size for your child. You don’t want them hunching over when they’re riding it. Also, for younger kids you might want to look for a wider foot deck so they don’t fall off as easily. Most kick scooters are very light weight and easy to travel with so you might want to get a travel bag so you can take it along with the family on outings. Here are some really neat choices:

Micro Flex Kick Scooter $169.99 $119.88

An ideal commuting companion, the Micro Flex Kick Scooter will appeal to urban hipsters, college students, teens, and anyone else who wants to cruise around in style. Designed with a flex deck, which is constructed of fiberglass and wood, this lightweight aluminum scooter allows for great bend and stability while riding around. A modular design allows you to change the deck from a shorter to longer length to customize your riding preferences. The adjustable handlebars allows for riders of different heights while padded hand grips offer a comfortable fit. The Flex folds for easy storage and portability.

Italtrike Two-Wheeled Scooter $204.00 $159.99

Recommended for ages 2 to 4 years with ergonomic handle designed for smaller children. Made in Italy and very cute!

Razor E200 Electric Scooter 219.99 $149.99

These are SO cool! Cruise around the neighborhood in style with the Razor E200 electric scooter. Boasting an adjustable handlebar that adapts to riders of all sizes, an ultra-quiet chain-driven motor, and a handy twist-grip throttle accelerator, the E200 is the perfect device for teens and adults wanting to speed over to a friend’s house or head to the park. Unlike Razor’s E300S and E500S scooters–which offers a seated ride–the E200 requires you to stand while zipping through town. But standing in the E200 isn’t a problem thanks to the full-size deck and frame, which are custom designed for ages 12 and up. Once you’re on the move, the variable-speed motor ramps up to 12 miles per hour–fast enough to have fun, but not fast enough to be a menace on the street or sidewalk.

Find affordable scooters at Smarter.com.

Maclaren makes some of the most popular strollers around. They’re a big hit with suburbanites and urban dwellers alike because they’re simple to use and don’t take up a ton of room. This week, Maclaren had to issue a recall of their strollers due to reports of children severing their fingers in a hinge on the stroller. To remedy the situation, Maclaren is offering to send a hinge cover to keep little fingers safe. Do you have a Maclaren? If so, read on:

On Monday the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a stunning recall of some 1 million Maclaren strollers that were released nationwide from 1999 through November of this year. Maclaren, the 42-year-old British brand, is wildly popular among the young-urban-professional set. The strollers are light, compatible and upscale but not terribly expensive (the recalled models cost from $100 to $360).

This recall doesn’t just involve one specific model. Stop using any single- or double-umbrella stroller with Maclaren written on it, says the CPSC. The problem: Maclaren received reports that 12 children had their fingertips amputated after they placed their fingers in the hinge where the stroller folds. “This is a very serious hazard,” says Scott Wilson, spokesman for the CPSC. “We know child behavior, we know kids like to explore and sometimes put their fingers in places where they shouldn’t be. But finger amputations that result from using a product that parents expect to be safe is unacceptable.” (read more)

If you have a pre-school aged child, chances are they LOVE Dora! Dora is a big hit at our house.

Airing in 2000 as one of the first cross-cultural animated children’s programs, Dora the Explorer became a phenomenal hit, entertaining children and introducing young Americans to the Hispanic culture. Formally aired on the CBS television network, and now a prominent series on Nickelodeon and sister channel, Noggin, the extremely successful Dora the Explorer franchise has created a recognizable house hold name and hosts products ranging from videos to toys and children’s clothing.

In the series, Dora is an adventurous, bilingual, Latina heroine who lives inside a computer. Determined, positive, helpful and caring, Dora is always ready for adventure. Children learn by watching Dora journey through her world, gathering objects and clues to ultimately help a person in need or perform a good deed with her faithful Backpack, Map and her best friend Boots.

Not only is the popular program entertaining but the interactive aspects allow children to develop reasoning, problem solving and communication skills when the curious little explorer asks her audience at home questions to help her along her way.

Here are 3 cool Dora toys that would make great holiday gifts!

Fisher-Price Dora Lil Quad $76.25

The Dora Lil Quad from Fisher Price Power Wheels is a cute and sporty battery powered piece of equipment. The Dora Lil Quad from Power Wheels is a 4 wheeler with a cargo rack on the back which helps make it the perfect vehicle for real driving adventure.

One of the great features on the Dora Lil Quad from Fisher Price Power Wheels is the design of the buttons. The large push button on the handlebar is great because it allows little hands to use it with ease. The Power Wheels is also fantastic because it provides an exciting, but safe speed for baby as it goes about 2 mph on hard surfaces.

Product Features:

• Dora Lil Quad is for ages 12 to 36 months
• Power Wheels has a maximum weight of 40 lbs.
• 4 Wheeler with cargo rack
• Designed with toddler friendly features
• Large push button handlebar for simple stop-and-go operation
• Built-in footrests on the Power Wheels
• Drives an exciting, but safe, 2 mph on hard surfaces
• Dora Lil Quad includes a 6 volt battery and charger

Fisher-Price - Dora the Explorer’s Let’s Get Ready Vanity Play Set $66.99

It’s time to get ready for a fiesta! Choose which party you want to go to and then get ready together with Dora using the Let’s Get Ready Vanity Play Set. With over ten accessories for you and Dora, you’ll be able to brush Dora’s long hair or pretend to style it with the crimper, curling iron and hairdryer. The vanity knows which styling tool you are using. To add to the fun, there are songs and over 100 interactive phrases!

Dora the Explorer 3-Wheeled Scooter $39.75

• For riders ages 3 and up; fun scooter includes a Dora the Explorer backpack
• Durable steel frame will hold up to 150 pounds
• Measures 10 inches long by 4-1/2 inches wide by 12-1/4 inches tall
• Three wheels makes it perfect for new riders to stay balanced
• Adorned with Dora graphics on the frame and bright purple accenting

Shop through a variety of Dora the Explorer toys at Smarter.com.

The holiday shopping rush is beginning! One thing I always struggle with every year is stocking stuffers. You want to get something that the kids will enjoy but you don’t want to spend a fortune when you’re already laying down serious cash for Christmas gifts as it is. Here are some great ideas for stocking stuffers at great prices!

Gund Sesame Street Plushes $3.95 each

Children will love to snuggle with the Gund Sesame Street Plushes.The famous public TV stars come to life in these 12″ plushes. Select from Cookie Monster, Big Bird and Elmo. Crafted from polyester fibers with plastic stiffeners; surface washable. Each is filled with plastic pellets. Fun for playtime and cozy for naptime.

My First Purse $4.95

My First Purse comes with plush pieces to help your toddler pretend she is a grown-up lady. Soft purse has double handles and a fabric-magic closure. It comes with: Key ring with 2 keys, Lipstick, Credit card, Cell phone, Compact with mirror and powder puff.

Set Of 30 My First Crayons $8.95

The special design of the Set Of 30 My First Crayons makes them easy to hold. Children can also stack them for even more fun. These crayons are big and easy to grasp, and the hollow centers make them lightweight. Bold and bright, these chunky crayons are great for coloring and making original creations. For ages 2 and up.

Find Lakeside Collection promotional codes and deals at CouponMountain.com.

Over the years, there have been tons of studies to learn more about the cries of babies–what do they mean, what do they want, do mothers recognize their own baby’s cries, etc.  A new study reveals an amazing fact about babies–they cry in their native language. For example, German babies have their own cry, French babies cry “in French” and so on. This is so cool!

The scientists said that fetuses start to pick up on the melody of ambient language during their third trimester in the womb. They can’t hear all of the phonetic details of their mothers’ speech, but they can perceive the overall patterns or phrases and sentences. Imitating those patterns probably helps newborns endear themselves to their mothers, the researchers theorized.

The findings, by scientists at the University of Wurzburg and the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Germany and the Ecole Normale Superieure/National Center for Scientific Research in France, were published online in the journal Current Biology. (read more)

Aren’t babies just amazing little creatures?!

image: about.com

If you are expecting or have a baby, you probably know about Vera Bradley bags. They are the hottest mommy accessory right now. They’re definitely feminine. Most of them come in pretty soft colors with floral designs, and they are quilted which adds interesting texture. Check them out!

Vera Bradley CARGO SLING in RASPBERRY FIZZ $49.99

A large sling bag to carry it all! Makes a wonderful “Mom” bag! This bag has two gusseted flap pockets with Velcro closures on the front, plus a large slip pocket on each end big enough for a baby bottle or umbrella, or bottle of water, and a full zippered compartment on back. Look inside to find three quilted inside slip pockets and comfortable, adjustable shoulder.

Vera Bradley Baby Bag $54.99

Everything to keep a new mom organized and on-the-go: Wide zip top, two inside pockets, front slip-in pocket plus two more (one on each end) accented with trim, full pocket on back. Includes a 24″ x 14″ terry-covered changing pad.

Shop for discount Vera Bradley baby bags at Smarter.com.