That's jazz music!

We are watching "The Princess and the Frog" and it's the scene where Naveen arrives in New Orleans.  Lucy says "hey, that's jazz music!"  I love this child.

Car Seat Safety

This is an important topic to me.  I usually keep my thoughts to myself on controversial topics but on this one I can't keep my mouth shut.  It's important to me that every parent/caregiver/driver be aware of the safest way to transport kids.  There are lots of car seat choices out there and they all do different things.  You need to know your child's height and weight to pick the best seat for you.  There are infant seats, booster seats, convertible seats, and so on.  Just a small amount of research will guide you in the direction you need.  Here is a basic guide to seats, from Healthy Children.

Age Group	Type of Seat	General Guidelines
Infants/toddlers	Rear-facing only seats and rear-facing convertible seats	All infants and toddlers should ride in a Rear-Facing Car Safety Seat until they are 2 years of age or until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat's manufacturer.
Toddler/preschoolers	Convertible seats and forward-facing seats with harness	All children 2 years or older, or those younger than 2 years who have outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit for their car safety seat, should use a Forward-Facing Car Safety Seat with a harness for as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height allowed their car safety seat’s manufacturer.
School-aged children	Booster seats	All children whose weight or height is above the forward-facing limit for their car safety seat should use a Belt-Positioning Booster Seat until the vehicle seat belt fits properly, typically when they have reached 4 feet 9 inches in height and are between 8 and 12 years of age.
Older children	Seat belts	When children are old enough and large enough to use the vehicle seat belt alone, they should always use Lap and Shoulder Seat Belts for optimal protection. All children younger than 13 years should be restrained in the rear seats of vehicles for optimal protection.

Take a look at this article.  It's titled "Car Safety Seat Checkup" and goes over the safety guidelines for seats and tries to ensure you have your child in the best seat for them.  As a reminder, NEVER put a child in a seat with an airbag.


What I've recently learned about is "extended rear facing" commonly referred to as ERF.  I knew nothing about this when Lucy was younger otherwise she would have been ERF like we are doing with Penny.  I believe deep down in my heart that this is the safest and best way for small children (3 and under) to travel.  It's a life or death situation.  Did you know that the #1 cause of death (as of a 2000 study from HRSA) for ages 1-4 is from car accidents?


Here are some clips from the AAP recomendations:

In a new policy published in the April 2011 issue of Pediatrics(published online March 21), the AAP advises parents to keep their toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat. It also advises that most children will need to ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age.  

“A rear-facing child safety seat does a better job of supporting the head, neck and spine of infants and toddlers in a crash, because it distributes the force of the collision over the entire body,” Dr. Durbin said. “For larger children, a forward-facing seat with a harness is safer than a booster, and a belt-positioning booster seat provides better protection than a seat belt alone until the seat belt fits correctly.”

From the same article above here is the clip that convinced me to ERF.  How can you read this and do otherwise?

New research has found children are safer in rear-facing car seats. A 2007 study in the journal Injury Prevention showed that children under age 2 are 75 percent less likely to die or be severely injured in a crash if they are riding rear-facing.

That "severely injured part" gets me.  Here's a great report on neck injuries and crash protection.  A child's neck is better protected RF than FF at this young age. 


Many people I know say they think there child will be uncomfortable ERF.  Here is an article from Consumer Reports addressing concers about the child's comfort.

My baby's legs are really bent against the seatback.

One of the most common concerns for parents is that their child's legs are bent and appear uncomfortable against the seatback, and in that position are at a higher risk for injury in a crash.

First, children are far more flexible than we are and most likely aren't uncomfortable in this position. Second, crash data shows that lower-extremity injuries (such as those to the legs) are rare for children who ride rear-facing and are as likely to happen rear facing as forward-facing. Riding forward-facing does increase the risk of head and spinal injuries however, which are far more serious than a broken leg.

I can't reach or see my child to hand him a drink or snack.

Regardless of your child's orientation, passing a snack is a risky move, because drivers tend to turn the steering wheel when they're reaching, which could lead to an accident. Eating in the car is not a 'best practice' in general, since being secured in a separate seat delays your ability to respond, should there be any choking, spilling, etc. Allow time for snacking before you head out, or plan a few minutes to stop during your trip for a bite or drink.

My child is eager to turn forward-facing now that he's 'big.'

Though parents may be eager to graduate their children to the next step to mark their growth (and potentially to make things easier for themselves), the fact is that each step forward to the next type of child restraint actually marks a step down in terms of overall safety for the child. For example, for children who could potentially ride either way based on their height, age and weight, forward-facing is less safe overall than rear-facing. Similarly, for slightly older children, using a booster seat is less safe than a forward-facing harness. Be consistent and don't make exceptions—such as "I'll let him sit forward-facing in Grandma's car"—and children are less likely to object.

Here is a look at our RF carseat installed in our Honda Element.  I'm showing you this because I have to climb inside our car to buckle Penelope in.  It's difficult and sometimes painful but I hope this shows how dedicated we are to protecting our children.  Not to show off but to show you have important this is to us.

Here is the side Penny is on

Her seat and the reason why I have to get in the car.  I have to put her in from the other side. 

 So happy, she loves her seat.

Just another shopping trip

Love the Lucy-sized shopping cart!!! <3

We have a walker!

It's official!  Penny started walking last night!  She's been taking a step or two here and there for a few weeks now but last night she took about 5-6 steps and Daniel was home to watch it!  Today she's taken several more steps and she's liking it!

I need to blog more!

Penny has started standing all on her own, without any help.  She's taking one or two steps here and there.  She'll be walking soon! 

First day of PRESCHOOL!!!!

Lucy's first day of preschool has come and gone.  After all our counting down, it's passed!  She said she had a lot of fun and enjoyed playing.

We go there early, as did many other families.  Here are a couple of us goofing off while waiting.

 

Waiting....

After class with her craft.  She was so excited!!!

Those darn phosphate-free detergents really irk me!

I'm in the process of trying to find a good recipe for dishwasher soap because I am so tired of spending lots of money of crappy pre-made stuff.  About 4 years ago I noticed that my dishes began to develop this white film that would NOT come off.  First I thought it was the "new" Cascade soap I was using that was "environmentally safe".  I wrote to them and they said it wasn't their problem and gave me coupons for several of their products.  I tried other detergents but by that time most of my dishes were ruined.  Years later and I find out thru an article a friend posted on Facebook that it all had to do with phosphates being taken out of commercial detergents.  After some further research I found that most people are not having a problem with this ingredient being left out but several are... those with hard water it seems.

I love this picture I found, the caption says "Have fun cleaning dishes like it is 1900 again!"


Thus began my journey into homemade cleaners (well, it started with dishwasher soap but has gone further into all natural and homemade cleaners in my house).  Well, the point of this little post is just this one KEY ingredient:

LEMI SHINE!

This is the description from Amazon "Lemi Shine is a natural detergent additive that removes hard water stains and buildup, iron stains, and hard water haze often seen on glassware. When added to your normal detergent, Lemi Shine will make your glassware and silverware look like new again. Now that phosphates are being phased out of dishwasher detergent, many people are noticing this hard water haze staining their glassware. Lemi Shine can take care of this issue without harming the environment. It also works well when diluted in a spray bottle for removing hard water stains from countertops, shower doors, shower heads, and faucets. It also does a great job at removing iron stains from toilets, washing machines, and any other affected areas. Try Lemi Shine today! (also try Lemi Shine machine clean, and Lemi Shine Rinse agent!)."  So before you get all upset like me  just get yourself some of this and all will be well again :-)