March 2012
6 posts
3 tags
Tip #19 Mom-the first weeks: How do I teach my...
I breastfed my kids. I didn’t know if it would work, if I would like it, how long I would try etc. Then there I was, minutes after birth, with a newborn that seemed to know a lot more about it than I did. It was a strange feeling that over time became almost unnoticeable (except for the copious amounts of water I had to drink) but it sure took some time before I really got the hang of it.
...
4 tags
First real party...
Last week our 8 year old son received an invitation to a “real” party given by 3 about to be 10 year old girls in his class. He is in a “combi-class” which means grade 3 and 4 together. It said “formal attire” and was being held on Saturday from 7-10pm.
A late night for our son is 8:30pm.
My friend had texted me about the invite before I saw it - I mean...
3 tags
Co-ed naked saunas! Interested?
Imagine this: steam rooms, dry saunas, baths, a huge indoor/outdoor pool, jacuzzis, warm temperatures, water beds for relaxing, color rooms, silent rooms, salt rooms, massages, scrubs, perfect showers and no kids… bliss.
Now imagine this 100% naked with men and women. A lot of them. Still feel relaxing?
Read the rest of this blog post at amotherworld.com http://bit.ly/yVtFWF
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Website is being renewed
Hi folks,
My website is being renewed which is why there is a “broken” picture link on the top of my blog at the moment. It links to my website which is off-line for 24 hours. I decided to change the dynamic of the site. Well actually, to make it more dynamic: with reviews, live blog posts etc. For the sales area, we have changed our back-end to Shopify which should make the...
3 tags
Tip #18 Babies 0-6 months: I've just had a...
I consider myself lucky to not have needed a C-Section. I can honestly not imagine what it must be like to not only be overwhelmed by your birthing experience and newborn but to all of sudden not be able to do regular things. So in this case, my answer is from research and not from experience…
Here is the answer from my book Babies 0-6 months
Once you’ve left the hospital you should...
2 tags
One of those precious moments...
Yesterday my kids all wanted to walk to school – it’s only a five minute walk from our house but we usually bike because as you know, every extra morning minute is like gold – at least in our house. Those actual three minutes saved by biking ensure that all of the kids teeth get brushed or that I get everyone’s hair done, not just the first person I happen to start with.
So off they went, out the...
February 2012
5 posts
4 tags
Jaundice and Newborns
Two of my kids had jaundice. My firstborn was diagnosed while we were in the hospital and he wasn’t “too” yellow. The doctors put a light blanket under his sleeper and a couple of days later he was “pink” again. I wasn’t worried, as no one else seemed to be.
My third was a different story…
Read the rest of this post @ohbabymagazine.com
http://bit.ly/zQB20X
4 tags
Are Dutch mothers happier?
I have just arrived home from two hours of ice-skating. The whole country is frozen which means every waterway is skate-able – and I would dare say that there are more waterways than roads here. Sounds pretty decadent doesn’t it? Drop off the kids, put on my skates, then come home and get some work done. But let me tell you, I wasn’t alone on the ice…
The Dutch don’t think twice about not going...
4 tags
Advantage of having all of the kids at school!
One of the first great advantages of having all of my kids at school occurred during this last week: Skating.
The tiny country of Holland froze completely, every water way, canal, pond, creek, lake – totally and completely frozen, which meant – skating, skating and more skating. And when I say skating – I mean on those long skates that you can speed with. There is more water than road here so...
4 tags
Tip#17 Babies 0-6 months. My stomach hurts… What...
Despite the amount of reading I did about being pregnant and what to expect - I neglected to spend time reading about how I would feel those first few weeks.
The after-pains were one of those things…
Here is the answer from my book. It’s part of the chapter called Mom: The First Weeks.
You thought you were done with contractions once they baby was delivered. Well…. These after-pains,...
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Tip #16 Mom-the first weeks: How long does it take...
I am one of the lucky ones that recovered from the birth of my kids pretty quickly. I didn’t tear, didn’t need C-sections and the births were all pretty straight forward. So I literally (for 2 of my kids) walked away from the hospital hours after giving birth.
Welcome to Holland… If there are no complications you are generally sent home - often only hours after the birth of your...
January 2012
6 posts
4 tags
Skating Fever
We have had 2 days of below zero here in NL. That is cause enough for people to get their skates sharpened and to develop a crazy level of skate frenzy stress that you’d have to see to believe.
There is no ice yet - ok - actually there is a very thin layer of ice developing over the canals and ponds in the countryside. A very thin layer right now. But it’s ice.
There is such a...
4 tags
Tip #15 Babies 0-6 months. Is it possible to spoil...
In light of my 4 year old starting school and me not being ready to let go of our now useless buggy - I thought it was appropriate to continue with this next tip/question.
Is it possible to spoil my newborn by holding her too much?
Someone described the first 3 months after birth as being like the 4th trimester. It’s a great way to look at it. Your baby is learning to live outside of...
4 tags
Thought I was ready...
As I’ve mentioned, my youngest has started school. I have been waiting for the tears and they haven’t come. So I guess that makes me ready for the next phase right?
However, knowing myself a bit, I find this suspicious. I usually have to cry when I make transitions, and a lot.
Tonight. There I was. A friend of my husband’s was visiting with her 2 year old son. We were just...
4 tags
Tip #14 Babies 0-6 months. What is colic?
My son cried every night from about 10pm to midnight for no apparent reason. I can’t actually remember when it started and ended but it was about for the first 3 months.
We decided to call it “colic” as we couldn’t find any other reason for his crying. He was fed, burped, in our arms - the rest of the day and night he was ok. I could not handle this at all. Luckily, my...
3 tags
Mom's can't get sick...or should we?
In the last month, I have swallowed more cough syrop, taking more tylenol, inhaled more nose spray and sucked on more throat things than I have in the last 5 years. I’ve even had a week’s worth of antibiotics and no drinking. Yes - it’s been that kind of month…
And now - I’m camping out with a bruised rib despite all of the above. Who knew that coughing could bruise...
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Tip #13 Babies 0-6 months. What can my newborn...
In Holland, babies hearing is generally checked by a nurse that arrives at your house, usually at a very inconvenient time (I mean, when isn’t during that first week at home with a newborn???) with a sound machine. All of my kids tested positive for good hearing so I’m not sure what would have happened if that hadn’t been the case. She was in and out in 15 minutes and that was...
December 2011
5 posts
3 tags
Tip #12 Babies 0-6 months. What can my baby see at...
Here’s the answer from my book.
A newborn’s vision is blurred so don’t worry if your baby is a bit cross-eyed. She just can’t focus yet so she sees shapes and forms but nothing definite. She likes contrast (black and white) and likes to look at faces. Around 3 months the baby’s focus becomes stronger. Between 4-6 months she can enjoy colors. By age 1 your baby’s eye’s are fully...
3 tags
Tip #11 Babies 0-6 months. How do I clean my...
Here is what I wrote in my book about it. This question is linked to Tip #10.
With warm water and mild soap. You can also clean it with an alcohol swab 2 to 3 times a day. If you notice it getting very red or puss forming or has a bad smell, see your doctor.
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Turning 4 means starting school in NL.
My daughter will be 4 in a couple of weeks. It’s a huge milestone in this country as it’s also the day that you start school. We don’t have a September start for everyone. The kids literally roll in on their 4th bday.
It means that the teacher has a group of 4-5-6 year olds that work together and help each other. When a new 4 year old starts, he/she is assigned to a...
3 tags
Tip #10 Babies 0-6 months. When will my newborn's...
I must say that I was not at all prepared for a lot of this stuff.
While expecting my first, I was mainly focussed on the giving birth part, what was going to happen to me (loss of freedom, controle etc. - I got over that the minute he was born...), my work, what last name our baby would get and a whole bunch of other non-baby stuff.
Luckily…. I already knew how to change diapers and dress...
3 tags
Tip#9 Babies 0-6 months: Are some newborns more...
This was a question I asked when Adam, my first born, started turning yellow…
Here is the answer that I wrote in my book:
Yes, if they were bruised when they were born or if they were premature babies their liver isn’t as developed. If their blood type is different than mommy’s blood type (which is a big cause of babies’ actually needing phototherapy) or if you are...
November 2011
10 posts
3 tags
Tip #8 Babies 0-6 months. My newborn has a...
Here’s the answer in my book:
This yellowing of the skin is called jaundice and it affects more than 50% of newborns. Jaundice appears in the first couple of days on the face then on the body and usually disappears on its own during the first weeks. It can be worse in breastfed newborns in the first days so be sure to feed very often to maintain hydration. Depending on the severity, it may...
2 tags
The Piets
I want to talk a bit about The Piets (English would be Pete’s I guess…). These are part of The Sint ritual that I recently wrote about. There are Crazy Piets, Messy Piets, Hungry Piets, Funny Piets, Sneaky Piet, Grouchy Piets, Sad Piets, Forgetful Piets, Tired Piet (me), Piet’ettes, Music Piets, School Piets, Dancing Piets, Present Piets, Singing Piets, Marching band Piets - but...
5 tags
Think you have present problems? I have a Sint and...
There are some great things about living abroad, sharing cultural differences, learning lots of new things but the yearly traditions can get complicated.
In Holland we have someone called “The Sint” who looks an awful like Santa but totally isn’t. He arrives by boat from Spain with his “Piets”, the Sint version of elves but they are black (from the soot from the...
4 tags
Living in a cloud - literally
Did you ever dream of jumping into a cloud, sitting in a cloud, walking through a cloud? They look so soft and welcoming…
Let me tell you what it’s like.
I never consciously decided to live in a cloud - but I have been for the last 4 days. I mean living in Holland has it’s pro’s but the weather is not one of them.
For some reason a cloud has settled over the country....
3 tags
Tip #7 Babies 0-6 months. Why on earth is my baby...
Boy did I ask myself this question many times, especially when my son Adam was born. He cried every night around 11pm for about an hour. No idea. My husband would take over and walk around with him, I couldn’t handle it - wanted to cry myself as I was unable to make him stop.
There are so many reasons why babies cry. It’s the only way they can communicate when they are born.
Now my...
4 tags
Tip #6 Babies 0-6 months. What kind of routine...
When my first child was born, I had no idea that we needed a routine. My only focus was feeding him, feeding him and feeding him. He ate all the time and of course, always wanted to be held, which meant that I literally didn’t even have time to make myself a sandwich. I’ve learned a thing or two since then…
Here’s the answer that is written in my book:
Routine and rest are...
2 tags
Tip #5 Did you think your newborn was the most...
“My newborn doesn’t look like I expected”, a friend of mine said to right after the birth of her son. I decided to add this to my Questions in my newborn book because not every newborn looks like the baby on the pampers package when they are born…
Here’s what I wrote about that:
Your newborn’s head may be a bit pointed from coming through the birthing canal,...
3 tags
Tip#4 Babies 0-6 months - I have a baby! Now...
This question was asked to me by my sister who was expecting. Actually, she asked me “What do I do with my baby in the first couple of weeks?” - And it’s a good question. I mean, what do you do with your newborn? All of a sudden you are a mom, just like that. Here’s your baby - figure it out…
For some, it’s a natural flow. For others, a step by step guide could...
5 tags
Tip #3: Questions & Answers| Babies 0-6 months
What is tummy time and why is it necessary?
Since babies sleep on their backs (which can lower the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)) and spend more time in their car seats, buggies etc. on their backs (than before), tummy time is very important from day 1. During the day, while you are in the room, place your baby on her stomach (in a crib, or on a soft blanket somewhere safe) and let...
5 tags
Laundry
Some time ago, I decided that I would do the laundry every 10 days (or 7 if really necessary). I didn’t feel like washing and folding every day - the idea doesn’t make me feel good. I once mentioned to a friend in an email that I did the laundry once a week and she thought that I meant that I literally did one load once a week and couldn’t figure out how that was possible with...
October 2011
7 posts
3 tags
Tip #2: Questions & Answers| Babies 0-6 months
My newborn has zits???
This is common and is called “baby acne” and appears on the face and chest area of the body usually around 2-4 weeks after birth. It’s caused by the hormonal adjustments taking place in your new baby. Keep your baby’s face clean (some say you can put your breast milk on the acne to help it clear up). The acne is not dangerous though doesn’t...
3 tags
2 hours of shoes...
Wouldn’t you love to have the opportunity to try on the most beautiful shoes in the world for as long as you wanted without a pushy impatient sales person breathing over your neck??? Well that’s exactly what I got to do this saturday at my friends Dante and Francesca - Italian and designers and producers of beautiful shoes under the brand name Nora.
They took out all of the samples...
Big plans
I had big plans to post at least a couple of tips a week. Every day would be even better… Course I forgot that the kids are home all week and by the end of the day when everyone is in bed - I am totally done. So - for this week … no tips. I’ll be back at it on Monday morning sharp!
Here’s a pic of me and the kids on the bus home from the Library and Science &...
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Tip#1: Babies 0-6 months: Why is night day and day...
Did you notice in the first weeks after your baby was born that she seemed to have an opposite wake/sleep schedule. I mean, a lot of things make sense in the pregnancy/birth process, but this one? I fail to understand why babies were designed to do this.
We need sleep. Lots of sleep to be able to manage every day life with babies (and kids).
Here is the answer I wrote in my book at...
4 tags
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September 2011
1 post
