Story time at the library can be a great bonding and social experience for mom and baby.

I just learned that September is Library Card Sign Up Month thanks to a BlogHer post I saw on Facebook. Can I just say, EVERYBODY needs a library card. Gone are the days of Dewey Decimal card catalogs and all that nonsense (no offense to my librarian friends). I reserve my books online, and get an email when they’re ready to be picked up, thankyouverymuch.

The kids LOVE going there to play and “shop” for free in the books and DVD’s. It’s also a big treat for them to do self checkout with the scanners and their very own library cards.

The Lexington Public Library has an amazing schedule of story times for all ages—6 months to teens. I really like the class called The Young & The Restless. I’m betting it’s a great place to make friends who can commiserate with you.

If your child is born at University of Kentucky Hospital, you’ll get Baby’s First Library Card in a goody bag. Can’t get any easier than that! However, the application process is super simple, so don’t let that hold you back. In fact, adults can apply online!

Please check it out. You’ll be so glad you did.

Sure you think about dentist appointments as an adult… (we hope) and even for your younger children who are learning how to brush brush brush! But what about for your baby? When should you take your child for their first dental appointment?

We asked Dr. Daniel Steckler, DMD a Lexington pediatric dentist to fill us in on the importance of dental care for your baby.

What is a dental home?

Did you know that tooth decay, even in the earliest stages of life, can have serious implications for a child’s long-term health and well-being?  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) compared the dental health of Americans from 1988-1994 and 1999-2002 and found a 15% increase in cavities among 2-5 year olds.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry strives to begin lifelong programs of preventive dentistry by recommending that a “dental home” is established by the infants 1st birthday.

During this first dental visit, pediatric dentists check for proper oral and facial development to determine whether the teeth are growing in properly and to detect early tooth decay.  It also gives the pediatric dentist a chance to walk through home dental care and proper diet habits for their children.  Establishing a dental home is also very important if children every experience any dental trauma.

Early preventive care is a sound health and economic investment.  Avoiding dental care to save money is usually a reason why kids are not seen until it’s too late. Studies show that the dental costs for children who have their first dental visit before age one are 40% lower in the first five years than for those who do not see a dentist before age one.

Here are some precautions to help prevent tooth decay:

• Brush your child’s gums twice a day with a wet washcloth or baby toothbrush.
• Talk to your pediatric dentist about the importance of fluoride and how it helps build strong teeth
• If your child must sleep with a bottle, do not put anything other than water in it.  Other liquids that contain sugar (even milk) can cause cavities
• Never dip a pacifier into honey or anything sweet before giving it to your child
• The best times to brush your child’s teeth is after breakfast and right before bedtime
• Limit frequency of snacking on foods that can lead to cavities
• Be a good example for your children! Take good care of your own teeth!

We at Smith and Steckler Pediatric Dentistry strive to provide the very best dental care to the infants, children and adolescents of Central Kentucky.  If there are ever any questions, please do not hesitate to call our office and ask! We would be glad to answer any questions you may have.

Visit us on our website at www.kykidsdentist.com and our Facebook page “Smith and Steckler Pediatric Dentistry”

Daniel Steckler DMD

Former journalist, Sarah Lane, of Lexington is May’s Mom of the Month!

Sarah, mom to 2 year old “J” lives in Lexington and works in Communications and Advertising. Below, Sarah bravely shares her experiences of struggling with her weight post baby. Check out her inspirational story below, we are sure you’ll be moved by her honesty. Some of the Baby in the Bluegrass team will be accepting her challenge. Will you?

I am struggling to come to grips with a bad word that has worked itself into my everyday vocabulary. It shares some of the shock value of the four-letter mainstays, but it only has three letters. Ready? Here we go. It’s F-A-T. (Insert obligatory shudder.) There, I’ve said it. Spelled it out, in fact. I think about F@! in some capacity at least 72.5 times a day. How I became F@!. How I don’t want my family to be F*^. How I am tired of F#@. Disguising it with keyboard symbols as I would other bad words doesn’t even hide the level of awful contained in this word.

Sarah and "J" at 10 months old

My problem with Fat doesn’t stem from a distorted body image, nor an over-exposed-to-media sense of vanity. It roots itself in truth. Truth, coupled with a desire to eradicate it from my life. I want to be healthy. Even more than that, I want my two-year-old son, J, to grow up normally, eating healthfully, and having the energy we expect kids to have—running, jumping, climbing, crawling, reaching, hopping, spinning, chasing, exploring—just plain having fun. So far, he’s well within the normal weight range for an average two-year-old, and so far, I’ve been able to keep up with him. But just barely, and certainly not without a lot of huffing, puffing and panting.

My very independent J playing outside

How did I get this way? Quite simply, I ate too much, and didn’t exercise enough. Oh sure, we can go deeper than that, and explore pregnancy, where I gained a little too much weight; post-pregnancy where apparently, I kept eating like a pregnant woman; a metabolism which has suddenly put on the skids; and most problematic of all, some medical issues, which through the prescribed use of steroids, really packed on the pounds. That last part has obviously been out of my control. I listed it last for a reason though, because there are plenty of things that have been within my control.

Apparently, I am not alone. Statistics show that more than half of you reading these words are at least overweight, if not downright fat.

Between the over-produced ads for giant mouth-watering bacon cheeseburgers, pizza and other sugar-rich, carb-loaded, grease-laden fare (all cleverly engineered by food scientists), are the news stories, documentary features, and reality television shows, which are painting one ugly picture: America is fat, and getting fatter. The Center for Disease Control cites data from the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which basically says 17% of kids and teens ages 2-19 are fat. The increases within sub-sets of that survey are just as upsetting. For example, a couple of decades ago, only 5% of kids ages 2-5 were fat; today, that number has more than doubled.

The picture may be grim, but let me make this clear—the paint has not dried. We still have the brushes in hand, and plenty of palettes that can replace the ones we’ve been using.

The change begins with me. With you. With the people whose lives we may be able to touch for the better in some small way.

Let’s do this. Together. Want to join me?

Baby in the Bluegrass is so excited to welcome guest blogger Sharon Tessandori of Barefoot Works Yoga Studio!

The importance of self care…

We all want enough energy to work, love, learn, and enjoy life.  As human beings wanting to fully participate in life, this is a quest for us.  Yet more and more of us are tired, burnt out, and depleted of energy.

We tell ourselves that if we take a day or even an hour to feed our soul the kids will starve, the house will fall apart, the boss will frown, and the partner will see it as selfish.

I can distinctly recall the first real moment I really got the idea of self care.  I can’t even remember how many years ago, but it was Oprah.  Of course, who else?  I can’t recall if it was her show or her magazine.  Mostly I recall her talking about how she “took herself off the list.”  Somewhere between taking care of every one else and fulfilling the role of wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, employee, coach, and so on…..we lose a little of ourselves.

Just like Oprah, many of us take ourselves off the list.  We stop tending to ourselves.  We forget that we have a body, mind, and spirit that we must nourish in order to fully serve those around us.

Wikipedia defines self care as personal health maintenance. It is any activity of an individual, family or community, with the intention of improving or restoring health, or treating or preventing disease.

I have to come clean here and say that I’m not a mother.  I don’t know what it’s like to have an alarm clock replaced by a crying baby, vacuuming up Cheerios or Cheetos, carting the kids to soccer and gymnastics and planning for tonight’s dinner all at the same time.

However I am a daughter and I have family and close friends that do.  And as a female there have been times that I’ve lost a little (or a lot) of myself.  It wasn’t fun.  I felt like I had no idea who the “real” me was.  I felt unmotivated and confused.  I felt like I had little control in creating a life for myself.

Mary Oliver puts it brilliantly when she asks, “Are you breathing just a little and calling it a life.”  I don’t think that any of us want to leave this earth feeling as if we only lived a little.  No, we each deserve so much more than this.

Are you currently in need of some self care time?  Ask yourself the following questions:

1.  Do I have enough energy to sustain me throughout the day?

2.  How does my body feel throughout the day as I work, play, and participate in activities of daily life?

3.  Do I sleep sound at night and wake up feeling well rested?

4.  Do I eat healthy foods throughout the day that nourish me?

5.  Do I feel a sense of passion and purpose for my life?

6.  Are my immediate relationships healthy or toxic?

If you answered the previous questions, or even scanned over them and felt an inner knowing that your current schedule and/or way of living is not conducive to a vibrant and healthy life, you may want to consider some changes.  We live in a society that encourages us to accomplish more in less time, a society where being busy is admirable.

The good news is you don’t have to twist yourself into pretzel like poses or stand on your head for 20 minutes daily to benefit from self care practices.  Here are some quick and easy ideas for self care that you can begin today:

• Create an intention for your day.  Ask yourself, what is the one thing I can do today that will nourish my soul most?  Be open to what arises, listening without judgment.  Take some time to journal, sketch, or paint what comes to mind.  You don’t have to be a poet to journal or an artist to draw.  Quiet your inner critic and invite your inner child out to play!  This time for reflection can help you navigate your day.
• Celebrate yourself.  Dance, indulge in your favorite meal, get a massage, make a list of your dreams then create a vision board, sing out loud.  Revel in your unique ways.  Be unabashedly in love with yourself.
• Commune with nature.  Take a hike, ride your bike, go horseback riding, sit under a tree, take a picnic, lay in the grass and gaze at the clouds, play in your garden, dig your toes into the earth and witness the beauty that surrounds you.
• Connect with your body.  Practice yoga, do a walking meditation, dance to your favorite song, eat mindfully, take a long hot bath, close your eyes and do deep belly breathing.  Find ways to infuse your day with love, appreciation and gratitude for your body.
• Connect with your spirit.  Keep a gratitude list, read inspirational books, pray, meditate, memorize a favorite poem or passage and say it at night before bed, take time throughout your day to consciously connect to those around you.   What are the things you do that help you connect with spirit?  How can you weave those into your day?

Can you for just a moment allow yourself to think that your health and your happiness are just as important as the health of those you love the most?  Can you believe that being alone for a moment, an hour, a day, or a week is just as important as making dinner and/or going to work?

My suggestion is to start small.  Start asking yourself daily how you can find a few minutes to step away from the ordinary and into the extraordinary by communing with your divine self.  For it is here that you will (re)discover your true authentic self.  Give it a try and see if your mind, body, spirit, and family are happier for you doing so.

Sharon is the happy owner of Barefoot Works Yoga Studio and takes great joy in self care.  She leads classes, yoga teacher training and national/international yoga retreats. Visit her online at BarefootWorks.com and BarefootWorks.Blogspot.com

Baby in the Bluegrass Guest Blogger Sue-Minton shares her experiences as a mother of a child with special needs, and discusses resources she found to be valuable.

Alex at birth

As I was in labor with my 2nd child, a daughter, the doctors informed me that the baby had Spina Bifida.  My reaction was “Spina what?”  I had never heard of Spina Bifida, and had no clue that at the time research had shown 1 in every 500 KY births had been affected by some level of Spina Bifida; 1 in every 1000 births nationally!  Wow, why did KY have so many more than the National statistic and why had I never heard of this birth defect?  Now we are at the National average.  Then to learn that taking a certain amount of Folic Acid daily before I became pregnant could have cut the chances of my daughter being affected with this by 70%!  No one ever informed me about the importance of Folic Acid and pregnancy planning.  I am sure you are asking yourself what in the world is Spina Bifida. Well, there are several different types of Spina Bifida, and I will explain the one I know best called Myelomeningocele. In my terms it is where the covering of the spinal chord fails to close causing damage to the baby’s nerves.   This leads to many other complications and the amount of complications can depend on the level on the back where the chord failed to close.

The first time Alex stood at Cardinal Hill Hospital

Lets move on to talk about my daughter.  She is now soon to be 14 going on 20!  I look back over the last 14 years and can’t believe everything she has endured mentally & physically.  We have had 12 surgeries to date and many hospital and doctor visits.  Her level of Spina Bifida is L-4 on her spine (which is lower down the back).  The lower the level – the lower her paralysis is on her body.  Along with her partial paralysis from the knees down, her bowel and bladder will not function properly, she has water on her brain and has a shunt placed to maintain this level, plus she has behavioral, social and learning deficits!  We were told at birth that she would most likely be confined to a wheel chair and lack independence, along with other textbook information.  The one thing I can say I know about Spina Bifida is that each case is not textbook.  It affects everyone differently in one way or another.  We became very proactive starting her in outpatient therapy at Cardinal Hill at 6 months.  She stayed there until age 5 where she learned how to talk, walk, write and even ride a bike!  Wow, what an amazing job her angels at Cardinal Hill Preschool did for her.  During her stint there we had many hospitalizations and surgeries, and most of the time my husband and I worked full-time.  We have been VERY fortunate to work with employers who were very flexible and understanding with us throughout her entire life.

Alex in her first tiny wheelchair.

We have many struggles that can change over night.  They can be physical and they can be mental.  We have had struggles with schools/teachers not allowing us to be an active part of her education, and not understanding that she is not just physically disabled; she also has learning, behavioral and social challenges.  Our family deals with struggles because of the care our daughter requires.  On top of all of it she is a teenager!  That in itself comes with a totally different set of issues.

Alex participating in the win-o-lympics

Things that I have found helpful is finding support with other parents of children with special needs or groups/organizations.  When your child is in school take an advocate (which can be anyone) with you when it is time to discuss your child’s Educational Plan.  If you are going to a doctor that you are not comfortable with, find another one.  There are many specialist in Louisville, Lexington and Cincinnati – all within an easy drive.  Prayer helps ease your mind and keeps hope present in your heart.  Laughter and not taking life too serious is a major plus. We try to find humor in everything.  There have been times when there was no laughter available, however it does return.  Therapy for the parents can be very beneficial.  Healthy children can be a strain on a marriage, and children with special needs can triple that strain.  We are so lucky to have the great resources in Lexington such as Shriners Hospital and Cardinal Hill.

I continue to ask myself how God could trust me to properly take care for such an amazing child with so many needs.   I then tell myself that God’s humorous response to me is “you ain’t seen nothing yet; there is still so much more to come!”  Again, my sense of humor has been my salvation.

Alex today at summer camp.

Special thanks to Sue-Minton and her family for sharing their experiences with us. For more information on Spina Bifida, please visit www.sbaa.org.

We are so excited to announce that the 2010 edition of Baby in the Bluegrass will be delivered this August!

From the beginning, it has been our goal to be the primary resource in Central Kentucky for pregnancy and newborn-related information. You requested less narrative and more resources from our next endeavor and that is exactly what you’re going to get! The 2010 edition will feature an updated, more extensive listing of mom-related resources in Central Kentucky, “Been there, done that” Mom & Dad-stories, as well as other parenting tips and information.

Online, please continue to visit www.babyinthebluegrass.com and connect directly with other local parents-to-be through our community boards. Also, don’t forget to check out our calendar with listings of all local classes, and sign up for our e-newsletter “Pregnant Pause” – which will feature lots of prizes in the coming months!

If you are a business owner, we invite you to participate by advertising with us! Download a copy of our rate card by 2010_rate card_web. Or email ads@babyinthebluegrass.com so someone from our team can contact you and discuss further this exciting and unique opportunity! Our last edition featured Nursery Time, Baby’s Room, St. Joe East, Baby Belly, Lexington Aesthetics, Portrait Shoppe, Pediatric & Adolescent Associates, P.S.C., and Essence Images just to name a few.  Do you want to get your business directly in front of EVERY mom in Central Kentucky who will have a baby this year? Contact us today!

Stay warm and be safe everyone!

The Baby in the Bluegrass Team

The iPhone really has changed the way we do things. If you have an iPhone, be sure you check out these cool apps… and be sure to leave a comment if you have your own suggestions.

Great Apps for New Moms

Baby Log ($4.99): Records diaper changes, feedings, naps, and bathing and can be exported to an Excel spreadsheet. What a dream this would have been with my jaundiced newborn.

Things ($9.99): A smart organization tool that helps you manage your to-do list, notes, projects and more.

Food Additives ($3.99): Find information about 450+ food additives that might be unsafe to you or your child’s health, ranked by risk factors. This one would probably just freak me out.

Expecting ($4.99): This app not only tracks your due date and OB appointments, but gives you tips and helpful facts relevant to each week of your pregnancy, plus a checklist and contraction timer for the big day. Wow! This would be good for expectant dad’s.

Baby Names ($4.99): Let’s you search, research and share potential baby names and then create, edit and reorder your favorites list.

Great iPhone Apps for Little Kids

Scribble (FREE): Lets kids (or parents) draw with their finger right on the screen and then shake to erase, like an etch-a-sketch. My friend’s twins love this game.

Bubbles (FREE): Make and play with bubbles. This sounds perfect for distracting toddlers. Also look for the Bubble Wrap app, and pop to your heart’s content.

Preschool Adventure ($0.99): Super cute games like space shapes, farm sounds and animal matching.

Super Monkey Ball ($9.99): I’m horrible at this game on XBox, but maybe I would improve by practicing with the iPhone version.

Flashmath ($0.99): Quick math problems with multiple difficulty settings from Kindergarten through 5th Grade.

My husband and I always said we’d find a church once we had children. That turned into once we had children in school, and we church shopped for years before finding a place to call home.

If this sounds like you, I encourage you to stop by Southern Acres Christian Church on Harvard Drive in Lexington. Last Sunday was the launch of KidStuf in the new state of the art family theatre. It is a funny, engaging 45-minute program for families. It’s actually Christianity 101, so it’s perfect for adults who are looking for the fundamentals and kids who easily get bored. My boys, 8 and 5, left saying that church was so fun last weekend.

I’m so proud of my little church on Harvard Drive. I hope you’ll stop by one Sunday to see what the fuss is about. KidStuf is at 10:15 a.m., with worship services at 9 and 11:15. Look for me if you do come… I’ll be the one with the big, goofy grin.

Southern Acres Christian Church, Sundays at 10:15 a.m.

Child Drowning Prevention video

Summers at the pool with young children can be anything but relaxing. My 4 year old has finally learned to swim well enough that I trust him to play in the shallow end while I relax on a float or a chair. Meanwhile, my husband has the “Nemo’s Dad” syndrome with the boys around water because of a near-drowning experience from his childhood. I’m convinced that if I had a pool in the backyard, I would seek out infant swimming lessons–along the line of this video. If you haven’t seen it yet, prepare to be amazed. I would love to know if there is anyone teaching this type of swim safety in Central Kentucky.

“Everyone has a breastfeeding story. At parties when I mention what I do as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, women and men will tell me their experiences as parents or grandparents, as bystanders, as breastfed children. Some are still grieving or angry that their experience did not meet their expectations, that the medical profession had let them down.  Others apologize that they ‘only breastfed’ for a few short days or weeks. Some tell the heroic stories of their wives and partners who breastfed or pumped in the face of health difficulties, public disparagement, and work site harassment. A few express their disgust with the entire idea of breastfeeding and the rudeness or crudeness they see modeled by breastfeeding mothers and babies…”

“…I’m astonished at the pediatrician who counsels a motivated mother to start formula rather than referring her for help. I’m shocked at the business that forces employees to pump milk in their parked cars. I’m saddened at the childcare provider who won’t allow the mother to breastfeed her child on-site but will allow her to feed with a bottle. I’m angry at the restaurant who forces the paying customer to leave without eating rather than soothe the hungry baby by breastfeeding. I’m upset with the husband who does not want the baby to be breastfed because his wife’s breasts “belong to him.” I’m mortified at the congregation that views breastfeeding as sexually deviant rather than the moral behavior promoted in the Old Testament.” – Doraine Bailey.

Full Article – click here

Caring for the Community

Free Monthly Breastfeeding Classes

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