Friday Fun Facts

Because "smart" is such a vague term, I thought I would break down the brain-boosting benefits of motherhood into the five most likely "smart" attributes: perception, efficiency, resiliency, motivation, and emotional intelligence. All of these categories have been supported by many animal studies as well as some human studies designed to show how mothers have an edge. 

The category of perception deals mainly with the five senses. A study I found very interesting showed that pregnant women had sharper "visual acuity" than women who weren't expecting. This study certainly didn't imply that expectant women suddenly had 20/20 vision, but they were more aware of detail that they may have overlooked prior to pregnancy. Other studies have also showed that pregnant women have an enhanced sense of smell which researchers believe serves as a way to protect the unborn baby from foods that are potentially harmful.

Furthermore findings show that expectant women can experience a boost in motivation, fearlessness, and the ability to multitask and cope with more stress. Exciting new research also suggests that oxytocin — a hormone important to labor and breastfeeding — improves a moms' capacity for learning and memory.

Emotional intelligence is the most definitive category in which mothers benefit. This brain boost for moms acts as the ability to see the world through someone else's eyes. In most of life's relationships, if you don't agree with a person you can just walk away, but you can't walk away from your child. At least, not if you want to be a good parent. Instead, you've got to stretch your mind to understand their point of view. In no way did any of these studies suggest that women who weren't pregnant were lacking in any of the five researched areas but instead they simply confirmed that the changes women were noticing in themselves were in-fact valid and accurate. 

Friday Fun Facts

When someone says to you..."that they're as strong as an Ox", I'm sure a baby is not the first visual that come to mind. However pound for pound, babies are stronger than many animals including an ox. As unbelievable as it may seem, an oxen is actually the best example of comparable strength in the animal kingdom. A baby's strongest muscles are in their legs. 

Friday Fun Facts

As hard as this may be to believe babies can't cry. They can scream and holler for what they want or need, but newborns technically can't cry. When baby is born his or her tears ducts are not fully developed. Tears don't actually begin to flow until babies are about three weeks old. In some cases, it isn’t unusual for babies not to shed their first tears until four or five months. 

Friday Fun Facts

You may not know it when you hear goo-goo ga-ga but babies actually try to communicate almost all the time. It isn't easy because they can't make the same sounds that we adults understand as words. Because of this we often assume the sounds they're making are meaningless. On the contrary the sounds your baby is making are not just cooing & wooing, it IS language, all sounds are language.  Babies do not waste their breath saying nothing, remember just because you don't understand their language doesn't mean they don't clearly understand it and know what they are saying.  It is very important to listen & respond to your baby's effort to communicate. It is vital for a baby's communicative development that their caregivers acknowledge that they are in fact talking and being heard. 

Fun Facts Friday

It may seem as if baby is completely distracted when you try to get there attention. But truthfully babies actually have superb attention, interest, and enthusiasm for everything that surrounds them. 

Babies can pay attention to up to 10 things at once instead of focusing on one thing at a time like adults do. This is one of the primary reasons why babies learn so quickly. Don't be fooled, babies may not pay attention to what we want them to, but they ARE definitely paying attention. As parents and caregivers if we can determine some of the things that they pay particular attention too we can share in the joys of their discoveries. 

Fun Facts Friday

After doing research on the topics I post in my "Friday Fun Facts" blog feature I can usually come to a conclusion that I agree with and feel confident about supporting, but this subject has me seeing and agreeing with aspects of both sides...what are your thoughts? 

PRO: "Motherese" is a brand of chatting better known as "baby talk" and can be important to development. Together, the wide smiles, high pitch, exaggerated expressions and repetition succeed in drawing and holding a baby’s attention. This encourages babies to become an active part of two-way interaction, motherese seems to be an important tool in building and deepening the emotional bond between adults and babies, and serves as baby’s first introduction to language and communication skills. 

CON: A recent study suggests that speaking to your baby or young child using "motherese" instead of more complex sentences may set a poor example and could possibly hinder their communication skills. The same research shows that by using more complex sentences some babies will learn the right terms and forms of language early on and develop a higher ability for language comprehension as they grow. 

Born Free Baby!!!

It is often thought that it is good for a baby to spend time in a playpen, jumper or walker for stimulation. Although these devices can be quite helpful for very short time spans they can actually hinder a baby from learning how to move and explore the new world around them. When babies are given the opportunity to be on his belly on the floor, they will move and love every minute of it. All too often a baby is placed in a high chair, backpack carrier, playpen, car seat, or stationary walker, but a baby should be free to move on their bellies as much as possible, and confined, bundled up, or restricted as little as possible. This type of free movement stimulation promotes a sense of security, confidence and curiosity all while strengthening important neck and upper body muscles. 

Fun Facts Friday

While it may seem at time that your baby is just laying around not doing much...nothing could be further from the truth. Babies do a huge number of things internally, they are very intent human beings determined to overcome difficult circumstances such as blindness, deafness and immobility. At birth, a baby is born functionally blind, deaf, and immobile. Baby's bodies & brains are full of sensory and motor pathways that grow and develop through stimulation. Interacting with your child through verbal communication and eye contact really help with stimulation but even without your constant attention human instinct for self preservation is strong. Babies can self stimulate, by looking at their surroundings, listening intently to noises and by kicking and moving their arms & legs. While many of these movements may be involuntary they are inner connected to the sensory pathways that need to be strengthened.

Hold on Baby!

It's been said that if a mother doesn't hold or nurse her newborn child in the first few hours of life the bond between mother & child may not be as strong. Fortunately many experts agree that this is pure myth. It's been suggested that there is only one chance to do things right as a mother and although research does show that the first few hours of baby's life are an important bonding time these hours do not dictate the bonds that will last a lifetime. Experts have seen time and time again that mothers having 

C-Sections, cases where newborns are in need of immediate medical attention apart from their mother or in the instances of infant adoption, very strong life long bonds are developed quickly. A loving relationship over the child's lifetime more than make up for those missing few hours, days or even weeks of separation at the beginning of life.

Fun Facts Friday

Don't let the heat get to you!!!

Summer pregnancies can be difficult for a couple of reasons. There are so many more scheduled events that you feel obligated to attend but your energy levels are low and on top of that the summer heat & stickiness can be unbearable. Even when you in air-conditioning it may never feels quite cool enough. Happily with a little preparation and these simple tips can help keep you cool and enable you to manage and enjoy your summer pregnancy.

Tips for staying Cool & Healthy during your Summer pregnancy

•          Schedule outdoor tasks in the early morning or evening when the sun is lower and temps are not too high.
•           Avoid going out of doors when temps exceed 90F try to be near a fan or in air conditioning. 
•           Wearing light-colored clothing will help cut the heat.
•           Keep yourself well hydrated. Adding sports drinks can help to replace essential electrolytes.
•           Sipping on a yummy “mocktail” is a sure way to stay cool – try out the delicious recipe below.
•           Carry a spray bottle of water with you at all times.
•           Sunscreens not only protect against over exposure but also can help keep you cool. Start with a SPF 15 or higher 20 minutes before you go out and then reapply throughout the day.
•            Take several quick showers to keep cool.
•            Keeping your feet up will help reduce swelling.
•            Being careful of your salt intake will also help to minimize swelling.
•            If you take several short naps throughout the day your energy levels will stay elevated.
•           Asking for help when you’re feeling tired is a MUST.
•           Don’t make unnecessary commitments, if it doesn't absolutely need to be done don't do it.

MOCKTAIL RECIPE:

Pina Colada Smoothie: Combine 6 ounces frozen coconut yogurt, 1/2 a frozen banana, 1/2 of a 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple, and 1 cup milk; blend until smooth.

Fun Facts Friday

SUM-SUM-SUMMERTIME

In many areas of the US, August can be the hottest month of the summer. In this kind of intense heat your baby’s skin can burn fast. Fact is that even using sunscreen labeled specifically for children does not mean your getting the protection your baby’s skin needs. 

Here are a couple of important things to keep in mind to help insure your child gets the best skin protection possible this summer. 

UVB Rays are the shallow penetrating rays of the sun. They are responsible for tanning and even burning the skin it can also contribute to skin cancer and aging. UVB protection is measured by the Sun Protection Factor better known as SPF. The number that follows signifies how many times longer you can stay in the sun without getting burnt as apposed to going out without any sunscreen.

UVA Rays penetrate much deeper and they do not physically tan or burn the skin, but they are the rays that are the primary responsible for skin cancer and premature aging. Because the UVA Rays are so powerful SPF will not protect against them. There are only four ingredients proven to protect against UVA Rays; zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, avobenzone, and mexoryl. Be cautious however as avobenzone and mexoryl are highly unstable and break down quickly in the sunlight. When selecting a sunscreen that will protect your little one from the harsh sun parents should look for sunscreens that contain no less 7% zinx oxide or titanium dioxide.  Even in direct sun these ingredients will protect against UVA rays for at least two hours.

Be sure your not using the best products on your baby's precious skin...check out  EWG's 2012 Sunscreen Guide (Environmental Working Group) 

Wednesday Chuckle

Fun Facts Friday

A Short, Sweet & Chubby Little Fact...

Although May 2011 has passed the following baby fact is true each & every May. If someone asked which month of the year the heaviest babies are born you might answer January or February after all the holiday eating, but truth be told the lovely month of May produces the chubbiest babies. On average babies born in the month of May weigh over a 1/2 pound more than babies born in any other month. The jury is still out on why this is so but I thought it was a very interesting fun fact worth sharing.

Wednesday Chuckle

there must be an easier way to tell someone to "GO AWAY"... 

Fun Facts Friday

It is often said that instinctively parents know by the sound of their baby's cry weather they are hungry, needing their diaper change or just tired. Don't worry if you still trying to figure out your baby's first language, it may take a little time to recognize the different tones of each cry. As time goes by you'll become fluent in "CRY" and will easily identify your baby's unique way of communicating their needs. From the loud shrieking of discomfort to a more subdued whimpering of fatigue, each request will be made with a different cry. Although "CRY" is the universal language for baby's they all "speak" it a little differently, in fact some baby's will howl for no reason at all. But no matter what their need may be more often then not you'll be able to meet it. just by the sound of their cry. 

Wednesday Chuckle

HILARIOUS!!! i don't think any other dog butt could pull off this look! LOL

More Than Monday

Every pair of sweet little feet is an inspiration to me! Look at how those little toes flex and bend to grip and balance as they walk.

This is what inspires me to create Mini-Mocs! See how the supple soft premium leather flexes easily with every natural movement of baby's walking feet. I never imagined that those tiny little toes could bring such BIG INSPIRATION! 


Inspiration comes in different ways on different days for all of us...

...What inspires you? 

Fun Facts Friday

Take a deep breath baby...

Babies look like little angels when they're sleeping. But often new parents spend a good part of each night bent over the side of their baby's crib, checking to make sure their angel is still breathing. Until you learn your infants breathing patterns, watching your baby taking irregular breaths can be nerve wracking. Rest assured that those slight pauses and then periods of rapid deep breaths are perfectly normal.  Occasional moments of irregular breathing is part of the development of the diaphragm, the muscle that enables breathing.  Pauses of up to 20 seconds are considered normal. By the time your baby is about 6 weeks old they should develop a more regular breathing pattern. 

Fun Facts Friday

Let's Go "Skin"ny Dippin'... 

Before babies are born they are suspended in a warm & lovely pool of amniotic fluid. During pregnancy your baby's skin is protected from this watery world by a coating of a white waxy material called vernix. After baby is born & their skin is exposed to the air and the vernix is rubbed away, the upper layer of their skin dries out and begins to peel. A baby's entire body may peel (but it's most noticeable on the hands and feet). it is important that you don't try to pick off the flakes -- by doing so you may end up removing skin that's not ready to be shed. Baby lotions do not stop this shedding and are not necessary. This "skin shedding" usually lasts one to two weeks.

Fun Facts Friday

Pucker Up Baby!!!

It is a common occurrence for many newborns develop a blister from vigorous sucking on a bottle or breast called a nursing tubercle. These blister are sometimes present at birth because of thumb-sucking in the womb. A sucking callus causes no discomfort to your baby. In fact, the overgrowth of skin stiffens the lip and may make grasping the nipple easier. The callus will disappear on its own in a few months, or it might come and go from day to day.