Grandparents' Visit

Grandparents Ron and Doris made their annual cross-country drive to the midwest and got lots of Lia-time. Lia got a week off from daycare and they played and took walks.

Lia's First Camping Trip

Ok. It was an ambitious undertaking: tent-camping with an 8-month old baby. I was introduced to camping after I met Rich and loved the experiences we had. But this is different. We did not know what we were in for and only hoped for the best. The 6-hour drive up to Leelanau State Park was no problem. When we got there the Wilsons had already set up and warned us of the mosquitos. I guess being "by the water" is only a great thing if you are in a HOTEL where you can turn on the AC and shut the door. Not here! And I know bugs LOVE me. So I was a bit nervous. I only hoped the Burts Bees spray would work (read previous blog for why no deet). At least we had a brand new *large* tent. I wish I could spent the entire camping trip in it. It was fun!

All in all Lia did well. She hated to be put down in the Pack'n'Play at first but got used to it. Sometimes she shared the space with Meredith but it didn't take long before she wanted out. And because we had dinner late, it threw off her sleep schedule a bit. I didn't want to leave her in the tent by herself (it got chilly after dark) so I held her while eating.

I think the whole experience was ok but not raising my hand to do this again until she is older- able to walk and little more independent. It was just a lot of extra work and I couldn't really enjoy myself much. At least we tried!

Trip to the Zoo

We got together with some of the parents and babies from our bimonthly parent group and spent the day at the zoo. While the babies probably had a good time, for the most part they were unimpressed with the animals.


The polar bear exhibit drew lots of oohs and ahhhs.






Class photo.

Toxic All Around

Among my many concerns about the environment is the daily products that we put on our bodies. It amazes me that to this day companies can produce and market products containing dozens of toxic ingredients that can lead to cancer, endocrine disruption, developmental abnormalities, allergies. The list goes on. Women are more susceptible because we simple use more products on a daily basis. Now, with a baby, I have to pay more attention to what gets absorbed in my and her skin. Unfortunately the onus is on me as a consumer to figure this out. The FDA does not regulate this market segment. Legislation is pending to change that. I am sure big companies such as Procter & Gamble, L'Oreal, Johnson & Johnson, etc will put up a fight. Europe actually has more stringent rules against toxic ingredients and if these companies want to sell there they have to make safer products. So why the double-standard? Why not here?? Furthermore, the environmental impact is that the products get washed down the drain and end up later in the drinking water. So eventually it does affect everybody.

Luckily there is one resource available to help me evaluate my products. EWG analyzes the ingredients of thousands of common products and publishes the findings on its website cosmeticsdatabase.com. The "hazard scores" of 1-10 are what I use to figure out how toxic the products are. I am ok with 0-3 range. 4-5 I would not buy again. 6+ I would throw it out right now.

So I take a look at what I currently use and better alternatives.

SHAMPOO
Current use: Pantene Pro-V Classic Clean (5)
Alternative: Burt's Bees Grapefruit & Sugar Beet Shampoo (1); Healing Scents (0-1); Aubrey Organic (1-2)

BODY WASH
Current: Alba Very Emollient Lavender (5); California Baby Shampoo & Body Wash Super Sensitive (1) - this is a great product for Lia. She's never had a problem with dry skin.

FACIAL CLEANSER
Current: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser (2). This is nice and does not dry my skin.

SOAP
I use some fancy French soap which I don't even know the name. I love it and will keep it. This is my one indulgence!

TOOTHPASTE
Current: Crest Extra Whitening Clean Mint (4)
Alternative: Colgate Cavity Protection Regular Flavor (3); Burt's Bees Toothpaste (1); Burt's Bees Children's Toothpaste (1). I would definitely buy the Burt's Bees for Lia since she will swallow. I will try the Colgate next time.

FACIAL MOISTURIZER
Current: Neutrogena Healthy Defense SPF 30 Untinted (3). I've always liked this product but it contains parabens so I will continue to look for alternatives.

BODY LOTION
Current: Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion (2). I have switched to this after years of using Jergens.

DEODORANT
Current: Secret Invisible Solid Unscented (3). Oh, I tried Toms of Main *natural* deodorant but I could still *smell* myself. Sigh, I just can't go through life so self-conscious about my B.O. it's not worth it.

DIAPER CREAM
Current: A&D Aloe (4)
Alternative: Burt's Bees Baby Bee Diaper Ointment (2). I've known about this but kept Lia on the A&D because diaper cream is supposed to be a barrier, not to be absorbed into the skin. Plus, BB is more than twice the cost and she uses *a lot* of diaper cream.

SUNSCREEN
Current: Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Touch Dry SPF 45 (7). Wow! I am THROWING THIS AWAY. The culprit toxic ingredient is oxybenzone. It is absorbable into the skin. It is an allergen that damages cells and DNA with free radicals.
Alternative: Badger SPF 30; UV Natural; California Baby Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30 Unscented (1). I've looked in 2 Target stores and CB is sold out in both so the word must be out.

INSECT REPELLENT
Current: DEET
Alternative: Burt's Bees (0). This is DEET free and consists of different natural oils. We are camping next weekend and I will bring this along with the DEET only as backup. I heard from people BB attracts Japanese Beetles. Hope they don't have those up by Traverse City.

I look to Burts Bees a lot because it is widely available and the stuff smells pretty good. But BB does not get an automatic thumbs-up. A lot of their products do carry higher hazard scores so you really need to do the research on the EWG site.

Lia Sings, Part II

This is a quick one. She sure is funny!

Oh yeah... and the teeth

Rich keeps asking me whether I have posted Lia's picture with her teeth, so here it is. These emerged right around six months.

Kid-Safe Chemicals Act

The Kid-Safe Chemicals Act was introduced in Congress last week. The law would require companies to prove that their chemicals are safe before putting them in the market. To learn more, go to http://www.ewg.org/kidsafe.

EWG (Environmental Working Group) publishes a database of skincare and cosmetics products, including baby products, with analysis of their ingredients. You can find out how "toxic" your everyday products are. I always refer to it before buying a new product.

Does She Know Her Name?

At this age babies are supposed to recognize their name. But if we have been calling Lia a dozen different nicknames since birth, how does she know what her real name is? Lately, I have made a conscious effort to call her "Lia" or "Lee-lee." A long list of her nicknames include: Bubbaz, Bubba-loo, Bubz, Lulu-bird, Lia-loo, Peanut, Toot-toot pants...

Her feet are her favorite toys. Always ready and delicious!

Bath Tub Bunny

We moved Lia to the big bathroom so she can splash. Toys are introduced.

Goodbye to the Swinstons

The Swinstons were in town last weekend to say farewell before they move to Hong Kong this July. The Wilsons hosted the party at their new home. We also celebrated Beatriz' first birthday.

Welcome Summer!!!

It's been over a month since my last post. I have no excuse other than that I've been busy with other things. I've been really busy at work lately. It's good in that the day goes really fast. At the same time, the stress level rises. I feel it there is no end in sight. At some point, I ponder about whether I should work at all. Should I scale it down and work part time, or freelance? So far I have not had to bring work home with me, and I am still keeping reasonable hours.

But at last, SUMMER is here! This past winter just has been so miserable that we are brewing with excitement of the idea of SUNSHINE, WARM AIR and GOING OUTSIDE. Speaking of outside, I am just having the worst allergies ever. I have never had allergies. But the past two weeks, every other day, my nose is stuffed up. Lia is getting it too. She is now in her 4th week of coughing. This week it got worse coupled with a runny nose. I took her to the doc and she said it's likely allergies. She does not think it's a virus. All that rattled breathing and coughs bother me more than her.

I took her to Gymboree today. I had a free pass and wanted to try it on my day off. I think she had a good time. I know I got a good workout. I am unsure about enrolling her though (it is $68/month). Maybe we'll just go to the open gym sometimes. She was so zonked out she has been napping for 2+ hours now. That alone is worth it!

Lia weighs 18 lbs and is getting ready to crawl. She hoists herself up on all fours and kinda waits. We have done nothing as far as houseproofing. That will be interesting. Now that she is older and becoming very aware and curious of her surroundings I want to make sure she gets enough stimulation.