Did you know that children that spend more time outside laugh more?  It seems that little ones these days spend more time in front of the TV or playing video games then using their imagination.  The game industry is getting children younger and younger it seems, as there are now video games for toddlers.  I know they are educational, which is nice, but nothing compares to using the imagination.  Playing outside can teach children how to be adventurous, and even self-motivated.

Sometimes it doesn't make since to go outside, maybe it is to cold, or even too hot.  In those cases you can spend time inside with the same imagination.  Build forts out of blankets, or even make some home made play-dough.

Spend time laughing with your baby.  Those are things that you and your child wont ever forget.

With the Holiday's right around the corner I want to let you all know that I read an article stating that the lead level came back on 7 toys that were beyond the federal limits.  3 of these 7 were:

Barbie Bike Flair Accessory Kit

Disney Tinkerbell Water Lily necklace

Dora the Explorer Activity Tote

A lot of the high lead level items were sold at target and walmart.  I do not say this to scare anyone, but people do need to be aware of what they are buying.  Excisve lead in our children is a scary thing that can lead to irriversible brian damage.

There are so many toys that we can get for our baby's that are safe. I know that Alex loves his wooden blocks and I know that those are safe!  There are lots of other options as well!

I have received many questions on how to give your baby's first bath.  This is very important as you do not want to submerge your baby into the water just yet.  I will give you some key steps to guide through this.

First you will want to have access for everything that you will need:

• sponge
• a little bathtub
• shampoo *try to avoid perfumes it can lead to allergies*
• soap *again avoid perfumes*
• cotton towels
• diapers
• clean clothes

Use the sponge to wash your baby, make sure that the water is not too hot.

Use a wet cotton ball and a very small amount of soap for your baby's face and then continue with the sponge with the rest of the body.  As soon as you do that, wash off the soap using a towel.  You can then dry them off (make sure you get him/her all dry, neck and diaper area) and get dressed!

You want to check the belly button to see if it looks too red or has an odor if it does you need to contact your pediatrician.

Please if you have any worries about this contact your pediatrician first as I am not a Dr. I am just a mother!

Please NEVER leave your baby alone in ANY amount of water!

When you are a parent there is nothing more rewarding than your sweet baby looking up at you and smiling!  I have some ways to keep your baby happy and hopefully keeping that smile on their face!

One of your baby's favorite things is mostly you!  One of the easiest things that you can do is just to give your baby a silly grin, or even just open your eyes up really wide with a smile on your face!  Show your baby that you are happy!  Playing peek-a-boo is also tons of fun!

We can't forget about the famous  "raspberries" this is what I call them anyway.  Where you are blowing on your baby's belly!  I know that Alex absolutely loved this!  He laughed every time!  Alex got to where if you were pretending like you were going to give him a raspberry he would grin.

There are so many ways to make your baby smile, but the key is that they all involve you.  Just showing your baby how special they are and that you love them can do the trick.  Look at them and smile!  It is the little things that mean the most!

I want to start this by telling anyone that wants to try this to please consult with your doctor and make sure you both agree that this will be safe for you and the baby.

Now, yes it is possible. It is safest if you have had only one c-section delivery and there is only one scar that is low and goes from side to side.  To be on the safe side you may want to tell the hospital to have things ready in case you will need to go in for a quick c-section.

This really depends on the reasons you had the first c-section, so I can't stress enough how important it is to talk about this with your doctor.  Just know that yes, it is possible!

I am sure you have all heard about many toxins that we have in our environment, but I bet you didn't realize just how many we have in our home.  Think about all the things we have in our homes, from cleaning supplies, paints, carpets, and even our curtains and couches.

A really great way to clean out our air is to simply just open a window or a door and allow some fresh air to "clean" out our homes!  Seems like when people used to they needed to air out the house, they were really on to something!  Of course this is a cold time of year for many of us, so it can be a little more challenging, but should still be done every once in a while.

Today is a very special day. It is a day to really think about what it is we are thankful for. Of course there is the common ones: health, family, and food. What about things like forgiveness and other little things in life? Really think about and talk to your kids of all ages about what you are all thankful for!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Fort Washington, PA (November 7, 2008) – Johnson & Johnson • Merck Consumer Pharmaceuticals Company (JJMCP) is voluntarily recalling approximately 12,000 units of Infants' MYLICON® GAS RELIEF DYE FREE drops (simethicone-antigas) non-staining sold in 1 oz. plastic bottles that were distributed after October 5, 2008 nationwide. The company is taking this action in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Although the potential for serious medical events is low, the company is implementing this recall to the consumer level as a precaution after determining that some bottles could include metal fragments that were generated during the manufacturing process. If any medical events were to occur, most are expected to be temporary and resolve without medical treatment. Parents who have given the product to their infant and are concerned should contact their health care provider immediately.

The two lots of Infants' MYLICON® GAS RELIEF DYE FREE drops non-staining 1 oz. bottles included in the recall are:

Consumers can find the lot numbers on the bottom of the box containing the product and also on the lower left side of the sticker on the product bottle.

Consumers who purchased Infants' MYLICON® GAS RELIEF DYE FREE drops non-staining included in this recall should immediately stop using the product and contact the company at 1-800-222-9435 (Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. EST) or via the internet at www.mylicon.com for instructions regarding how to dispose of the product and request a replacement or refund.

Infants' MYLICON® drops are sold over-the counter, in retail stores and pharmacies, as an anti-gas medicine to relieve the discomfort of infant gas frequently caused by air swallowing or by certain formulas or foods.

The recall does not affect any Original Infants' MYLICON® GAS RELIEF products (1/2 oz. or 1 oz. size) or Infants' MYLICON® GAS RELIEF DYE FREE drops non-staining (1/2 oz. size).

The manufacturer has instructed retailers and wholesalers to return their inventories.

Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail or by fax.

There are so many flavored beverages out there that water is getting less appealing to children. Try to stay away from soda as long as you can, just for a little extra advice

As far as getting your child to drink water there are a couple of different options that I would suggest trying:

*Dilute the 100% juice with water. Do about half of each, or less of the juice if you can get by with it, this way the child gets the flavor but also gets the water.

*Go to the store and let your child pick out there very own insulated water bottle that way the water will stay cold and the child gets to have a "cool" cup!

*If you aren't for adding juice to water you could just put some drops of lemon juice in with the water to give it just a hint of flavor.

Make sure that you have the water very cool though, who wants to drink warm water on a hot day?

If your child is still not wanting to stay hydrated offer fruit snacks that have a lot of water in them, such as melons or grapes.

There was a report on the news this morning saying that childhood obesity has tripled in the last 10 years.  This is very scary, and there are little things that us as parents can do to help bring that down.

For starters we can help our children eat right.  The meals we prepare at home and also when we eat out.  We need to help our children make smart choices when it comes to food selection.  If you have to do fast food, choose the fruit rather than fries and milk or juice instead of soda.

Also a big factor is the one that kids are much less active these days because they are playing video games and doing more indoor things.  Try to do as much activity as you can, because children are very active by nature!