Pain in the Neck

Please help me. That's what I look like right now.

I don't know WHAT I did while I was sleeping last night, but I woke up with a terrible pain in the right side of my neck. I'm known around here for having a pretty high pain tolerance, but this is really messing up my day!

It's a good thing my one year old is fiercely independent, because I can't carry her very well right now. I can't turn my head to the right, either... Seriously, I planned my route running errands this morning so I didn't have to rely on looking right. That's BAD! And not particularly safe, for that matter.

Advice???

Here's what I've tried:

Not looking right. Not raising my right arm more than necessary.

Other ideas? Ice? Heat? Medicines? Magic spells?

I'm so rarely injured (well, except for my klutzy bruises), I have no clue what to try.

I'm desperate for your help! Thanks!

You Tell Me: How Do You Handle Muffin Tins?

So, I'm just dying to know...

How do YOU keep muffins and cupcakes from sticking to your tins?

Paper liners? Silicone pans? Butter? Oil? Crisco? Cooking spray?

What's your secret?

I have silicone pans, but they still stick unless I spray the tar out of them with cooking spray. I find butter and oil to be a hassle (and butter seems to "soak in" too much). I ousted shortening a while back now (and it's the same kind of hassle, anyway). Cooking spray works, but it leaves a sticky mess over the "flat parts" of the pans. Truthfully, I love paper liners, but I never think to buy them and I'm not entirely sure they're not leaching something icky into our food. (Are they? There's someone out there bound to know the answer to that.)

Sooo... what's YOUR method? What's your tried and true trick for baking muffins without having to grumble over scrubbing the pan later on?

And, if you're ever looking to get me something, paper liners would be much appreciated. ;)

Sunscreen HELP ?!?

I burned my baby.

Ok, I didn't really burn her, but I let her get sunburned and I think I feel just as guilty as I would had I done it myself.

I actually remembered to put baby sunblock on her tiny cheeks and nose... I just somehow neglected her sweet chubby dimpled arms. And now they're mighty pink. (*Sob!*)

Truth?

I'm terrible about remembering to put sunscreen on my kids. I try- I do!- but so often our jaunts outside end up being spontaneous. We don't spend hours outdoors every single day, so it's always seemed foolish to me to put it on them every single morning. Plus, we're all up and dressed by about 7 am, so will that protection really still be in place when we need it?

I don't know. Obviously, I'm a failure in the "sun protection" department.

What works for me? No clue.

That's why, this week, I'm begging for your wisdom and tips. What can this sunscreen-challenged mama do to do better? What's your best advice for keeping the littles sunburn-free? Please, please, help a mama out...

This post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday.

Image credit.

Nursing Through The Cold?

It's a backwards edition of Works For Me Wednesday over at We Are THAT Family today... a great chance to ask a question and seek some wisdom!

So here's something that's been giving me issues lately...

Like many of you (I imagine), we keep our heat on rather low through the winter. Our house is not new and it would cost a fortune to keep it at, say, 70 degrees with electric heat. We DO have a fireplace on our lower level but, with two 4-year olds and a six-month old, it's not something I want to mess with right now.

Anyhow...

My first child was formula-fed and I exclusively pumped for my second. This third baby of mine is the first to be exclusively breastfed.

And that's great.

Except I'm cold. Really cold. I can't seem to keep my mid-section warm when I nurse her. And that's my question for you all...

How do you stay warm while nursing a baby through the cold months?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Baby G Needs Your Vote!

Click the above button to vote for our little Baby G! She's #19. (You'll need to scroll down to about the 5th or 6th baby pic to vote- the poll is in the left sidebar.) Feel free to browse the other darling babies while you're there.

My Child Is A Cry-Baby

She started out so tough.

Born weighing only 1 lb 5 oz, she had to fight from the start.

When I took her in for her four-month inoculations, she stared the nurse down and didn't even flinch.

When she somehow came down with shingles at 2 years old, she never cried or complained.

She's 3 1/2 now. And she's a cry-baby.

I hate to say it, but it's true. And I don't know what to do about it. My little girl throws herself on the floor and dissolves into tears dozens of times a day. It's frustrating. It's nerve-fraying. And, yes, it's also embarrassing. I really, really want it to stop.

It's not just when she gets hurts either. Or when she gets into trouble. If someone says to her, "Oh, be careful, Sweetie, you don't want to bump your head.", she collapses in sobs. There are times when I've COMPLIMENTED the child ("Good job, C! I love the way you did that!") and she loses it.

So we've tried giving her lots of "positive attention". We've tried ignoring the outbursts as much as possible. I've coddled and comforted. I've ignored or scolded. I've had no success.

ANY ADVICE???

I'm at my wit's end. Anyone have any success converting a cry-baby back to a pleasant child? I'm all ears...

(***Just a side-note for anyone wondering: this did NOT start when the new baby was born. It had been going on for at least six months before that event. I haven't noticed it getting any worse or better since baby G's arrival in June.)

Asking My Wise Readers...

Just a quick note to say I may be a tad scarce today and tomorrow. For the first time EVER for me during a pregnancy, I have caught a whopper of a cold. I'll be the first to admit that I am usually (blessedly) healthy and only catch a cold every other year or so. But when I do? It usually progresses to either RSV or pneumonia. I'm an "all or nothing" kind of person when it comes to illness!

If you didn't know this about me already, let me just tell you that I tend to avoid ALL medications when pregnant, even Tylenol. I treat headaches with ice packs and sore throats with peppermint tea. That being said, this little bug is wiping the floor with me. Any suggestions for ways to conquer this cough? Or at least keep it at bay long enough to sleep a bit? I sure appreciate the help!

And I'll try to be back on track very, very soon...

Help Fatten Me Up! (Pregnancy Update #3)

(That's me, today, in all my glory... I see a bump! Do you???)

Today was another regular check-up with the OB for me. Nothing unusual; just normal stuff. I did have some bloodwork done to check for any possible sign of any antigens or infection that could be lurking; this is because of my history with preterm labor. We have no reason to suspect a problem, but it's better to be safe than sorry!

You would think that hearing your baby's heartbeat would become less amazing each visit, but it's not. It's such a welcome sound, each and every time. This little boy or girl sounded great, with a rate in the 140's. As is typical with my babies, the doctor had to chase this one around to catch the heartbeat.

I have been utterly delighted to feel fetal movement already this time! It's been earlier in each subsequent pregnancy for me (I was past 20 weeks with my first!) and it's such a joy. Just a little "tap-tap-tap" at this point, but a beautiful reassuring feeling.

My blood pressure was on the higher side-- 125 over 78. Not anything to get all worked up about, but higher than usual for me. It's been that way this whole pregnancy, but I have no idea why. My doctor says I should try to avoid unnecessary stress, seek quiet time, and avoid going overboard on the sodium (though I'm not on any true "salt restriction").

So everything looks great, right? Well, I think so! But, at approaching 16 weeks along, I've gained (drumroll, please...).... nothing. Nada. Zilch. I have not managed to put on even half a pound. I told you all I was worried about this- I've worked hard to gain weight. I even made them re-weigh me because I was SURE I had gained at least a little. Nope. And they weigh me on the same scale every time. And I ate a big breakfast. Man. Again, this doesn't sound like a problem. Far more women are told they're gaining too fast than that they're not gaining enough. But I'm in that second group. And so I was grilled about what I eat in a typical day-- each and every meal. Apparently, I should have put on at least five pounds by now.

So here's the verdict...

I have to eat at least 2500 calories a day (!). And if I want to keep walking on the treadmill? (And I do!) Then that number jumps to 3000. My word, that's a lot of calories! I have no fat, cholesterol, or sugar restrictions (I'm all good on those fronts), but I do want to be a little careful with my sodium intake. And, obviously, I want the majority of those calories to come from nutrient-rich foods (though I'm not opposed to treats!). My doctor wants to see me gain at least a pound a week, preferably a little more so I can "catch up". I don't start out itty-bity or anything, but I'm still supposed to gain 25-35 pounds...

Any suggestions? Can you help me come up with a sample meal plan that gets me to 3000 calories? I'm having a tough time... and, trust me, I eat!

What would YOU eat if someone told you to pack 3000 calories into your day? Let me know, please!

Shameless Plea...

***Update: Polls are now closed over at LifeAsMOM. But guess what? The breakfast cake won! Thanks to all of you who took the time to cast a vote-- I know a little 4-year old who is going to be one happy little man!***

Isn't he cute?

That's my little guy, who will be 4 on the 27th (thus ending my stint with two 3-year olds!). For his birthday celebration he requested a breakfast theme. Easy enough. I can whip up pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausage in a flash.

For his cake? My ever-thinking boy told me he thought the cake should LOOK like breakfast. You know, like a platter of eggs and bacon or something. Hmmm...

Good thing I'm cyber-friends with FishMama! She's a pro at whipping up theme birthday cakes. And, lucky me, this week she issued a challenge to US to challenge HER to take on a theme.

My breakfast cake is one of six in the running... and it's currently in 2nd place...

So here's where I start begging...

Please go here and look in the right sidebar. You'll see a poll entitled "What Kind of Cake Do You Challenge Me With?" Vote for the Breakfast Cake! My birthday boy and I would be ever so grateful. And, if you're not already reading FishMama's site, I think you should be... she tackles great topics and provides helpful, non-preachy advice.

(Note for people like me who hate filling out forms: You do not need to enter any information, register, sign in, or any other extra stuff to vote. Just click. Even for folks with dial-up like me it's a painless process!)

Three Car Seats?

It's Works for Me Wednesday over at Rocks in My Dryer. But today, I really need to know what works for YOU. Because, you see, I actually know very few people "in real life" with three kids four and under. But that's exactly the scenario we expect to find ourselves in come June.

So here's my dilemma...

I drive a GMC Envoy. That's a mid-sized SUV. And I love it. But I have some concerns...

1. I only have one backseat... will a booster seat, a car seat, and an infant seat all fit?
2. If not, do I go the minivan or cross-over route? Any suggestions?

Does anyone have experience fitting three such seats in one backseat? And, no, there is no chance that my child who will be three at the time will be big enough for a booster. She's almost 3 and 25 lb fully dressed. Help! Hubby's already looking at new car specs... I'm dragging my feet... I would much rather buy new seats than a new car. Far less expensive!

Any thoughts? What works for you?

Looking for a Few Good Posts...

Well, folks, I'm asking for help again...

As it turns it out, I have to have surgery next month. Shouldn't be a big deal, but I'll likely be sort of "out of commission" for a few days.

I thought it'd be a nice change to line up some guest posts by some of you who have great stories and experience to share.

Specifically, I'm looking for people to write about:

"Dealing with..."

• Preeclampsia
• HELLP Syndrome
• Miscarriages
• Premature Rupture of Membranes
• IUGR
  
• Carrying 3 or More (because of the massive increased risk of prematurity here- twins tend to be 'early', but not in quite the same way...)
• Incompetent Cervix

The above are all examples of things that can go wrong during a pregnancy. Many of them are directly linked to prematurity. I will be writing my own post about dealing with premature labor due to unknown causes... but I'm not really qualified to talk about the rest. If you have experience with any of those subjects and would be willing to help me out, please send me an email: micropreemies (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have another idea for a topic you'd like to address, let me know and we'll see if we can fit it in too.

Thanks!

Reader Help Needed: Coping with Others' Loss

Sending out a quick request for your help, readers. You don't have to be a preemie parent to provide input on this one...

I'm putting together a series (hopefully for next week) on coping with others' losses. We experienced this several times during our lengthy NICU stay and it's a delicate issue. It's very hard to know what to say or do when this happens and, even though it may not be your child, it's still staggering.

If any of you have specific recommendations or experiences you could share to help shed light on this sensitive topic, I would much appreciate it. Feel free to leave a comment on this post or email me at:
micropreemies (at) yahoo (dot) com

Thank you!