The sTORIbook

Baby Luke: 9-Month Update

torijohnson5 — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 01:41:07 +0000

A gigantic whirlwind full of L’s: love, laughter and loudness - that is our life with Luke! He’s fully mobile and if he’s awake he’s moving. Crawling down the hall, chasing (and yelling) at the dog, banging cars on the furniture – he’s ALL boy! Which means mom never sits still. He’s definitely a handful but provides lots of entertainment. We quickly learned that he absolutely is obsessed with doorstops. Some how the little guy figured out how to unscrew them from the wall which means we’ve gone all over our house and removed them. But it never fails that every now and then he’ll turn up with a new one – whether we missed removing it off the wall or he’s stashed it somewhere I’m not quite sure. Yes, he’s a little pirate – he hides all kinds of things including cars and doorstops. I have a feeling this developed because of mom taking doorstops away from him.

He’s still a pretty big boy (height – 75th percentile and weight – 50th percentile). He just loves his Daddy now. As soon as Russ walks in the door from work, Luke crawls as fast as he can to the door laughing and jibbering the whole time until he finds his Dad. Then he’ll grab on to his pants leg and put his arms up to be held.

9-Month-Old Stats

Weight: 20 lbs. 8 oz.

Height: 29 in.

Highlights from the Past Month:

Started crawling (8 Months). To see a video of his first crawl click here. To see a video of him in full motion now click here.
Can grab on to things and pull himself in to standing position. To see a video click here.
Got his first tooth (now has three).
Will now crawl over to Russ or I and hold his arms up to be picked up.
Learned how to throw fits! Here is a picture of him throwing his first actual lie down on the floor and cry. I couldn’t help but laugh and when he saw me he turned himself the other way so he wasn’t facing me and cried even louder.

Hates when mom is in the shower and will bang on the door and cry until she gets out.

Operation Kitchen: Roasted Tomatoes With Shrimp and Feta

torijohnson5 — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Found another good one for you ladies! This one is delicious!

This recipe is courtesy of Real Simple Magazine. To view the original recipe click here.

Ingredients:

5 large tomatoes, cut into eighths
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
kosher salt and black pepper
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (I just bought a bag of peeled, frozen shrimp)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup Feta, crumbled
crusty bread, for serving
Optional: 1 cup sliced mushrooms (I had a bunch of mushrooms in the fridge and threw those in too!)

Directions:

Heat oven to 450° F. Place the tomatoes in a large baking dish and spoon the olive oil and garlic over them. (Include the mushrooms here)
Sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon each salt and pepper and toss. Roast on top rack of oven for 20 minutes.
Remove baking dish from oven and stir in the shrimp, parsley, and lemon juice. Sprinkle with the Feta.
Return the dish to oven until the shrimp are cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm with the bread.

Enjoy!

Etsy Enamourment: Martha & Ash

torijohnson5 — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 01:13:59 +0000

Many of you have heard me talk before about my friend the decorator extraordinaire, Mrs. W. She has an amazing eye for anything related to decorating and is constantly finding new ideas and designers to incorporate in her work.

It was due to her that I was introduced to today’s Etsy Enamourment, a wonderful mom and daughter store called Martha and Ash. They make beautiful items for your home such as: drapery and pillows and even dog beds! They can make all kinds of custom items but I particularly love the unique fabrics they use.

To visit their shop on Etsy click here.

To visit their Website click here.

In love with these striped curtain panels.

Beautiful geometric pillows.

Cute, comfy dog beds.

Baby Sign Language

torijohnson5 — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 23:40:12 +0000

After much research, Russ and I have started teaching Luke sign language! I’ve been enjoying learning the signs and there are so many resources out there to assist you and make it fun for your baby.

In addition to it being fun there are also many benefits for your baby including:

Less temper tantrums and frustration: Your baby’s motor skills and understanding of language develop faster than the ability to speak. By signing they are able to communicate which avoids frustration.
Promotes language skills: I was concerned that if you taught a baby sign language they wouldn’t speak as soon because they would just sign. I was surprised that studies show that not only do babies who sign speak sooner but they also have larger vocabularies. REMEMBER: You need to say the words in addition to signing them.
Higher IQs: “One study showed that 8-year-olds who learned baby sign language as infants had an average IQ 12 points higher than non-signers.”

There are alot of different opinions on when to start teaching your baby sign language but most seem to agree it is somewhere between 6-9 months. Your baby is ready to begin when they can: keep consistent eye contact, can shake a rattle and are using their hand motor control more and are “babbling.” In my opinion, I think you should just begin whenever you want!

To get started I just selected a few main words like mommy, daddy, milk, eat, sleep, diaper, etc. I began integrating them in to my “talks” with Luke. I would repeat both the word verbally and sign it multiple times whenever the word was being used (being repetitive is crucial). Then every so often I would add another few words in.

There are lots of resources out there to educate you on using baby sign language. Here are a few articles and websites that you may find useful. There are also several apps on iPad/iPhone that you can use. My favorite is the My Smart Hands app which is done by a mom who taught her children sign language.

Resources:

Did you use sign language with your baby? Was it a good or bad experience? Would you recommend it with other moms. Please share your experiences, advice, tips & tricks by commenting on this post. Thank you for your support!

Article: Infant Acetaminophen Dosage Change May Cause Confusion

torijohnson5 — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:50:25 +0000

I’m of the mind to really try and limit the amount of medicine we give our children. This week Luke has cut his first tooth as well as had a low-grade fever from a cold so I decided to give him a bit of Baby Tylenol to ease him. Before giving him anything I research it in addition to talking with my pediatrician. During my research I found this article which I thought other mothers out there might be interested in reading as well.

Please note this article is attributed to Jennifer Warner with WebMD and the original article can be viewed by clicking here.

Infant Acetaminophen Dosage Change May Cause Confusion

FDA: Know Concentration Before Giving Acetaminophen to Infants

Double check the label on liquid acetaminophen before giving it to a child or infant to avoid giving your child the wrong dose.The FDA is urging parents and caregivers to carefully read the label on liquid acetaminophen marketed to infants and children as a new, less concentrated form of the popular pain reliever arrives on store shelves.

Acetaminophen products include several over-the-counter brands, including Little Fevers, PediaCare, Triaminic, Tylenol, and store brands or generic versions of the drug.

While the new 160 mg per 5 mL concentration is now arriving in drugstores, much of the older, more concentrated 80 mg per 1 mL or 80 mg per 0.8 mL versions may still be in people’s medicine cabinets.

“There is still some on store shelves; there is still some in homes; and there is still some in distribution,” Carol Holquist, director of the FDA’s Division of Medical Error Prevention and Analysis, says in a news release. “Be very careful when you’re giving your infant acetaminophen.”

Giving too little liquid acetaminophen could cause the drug to be ineffective. Giving too much could possibly lead to death.

The drug is used to temporarily reduce fever and relieve minor aches and pains from the common cold, flu, headache, minor sore throat, and toothache.

Why the New Version?

Until recently, liquid acetaminophen marketed for infants was available only in the stronger 80 mg per 1 mL or 80 mg per 0.8 mL concentrations that don’t require giving infants as much liquid with each dose. Meanwhile, the less concentrated 160 mg per 5 mL version was marketed for children.

Earlier this year, a report from the FDA showed that confusion caused by the different concentrations of liquid acetaminophen for infants and children was leading to overdoses that made infants seriously ill, and some died from liver failure.

To avoid these dosing errors, some manufacturers voluntarily changed the concentration of liquid acetaminophen for infants to the same concentration as the liquid acetaminophen marketed to children.

The new, less concentrated 160 mg per 5 mL liquid acetaminophen for infants has new dosing instructions and may have a new dosing device in the box, such as an oral syringe rather than a dropper.

What You Should Do

The FDA advises parents and caregivers to read the “Active ingredient” section of the Drug Facts label on liquid acetaminophen marketed to infants or children to tell the difference between the two products.

Other tips for ensuring safe and accurate dosing of liquid acetaminophen include:

Do not depend on a banner proclaiming that the product is “new” to determine the drug’s concentration. Some medicines with the old concentration also have this word on their packaging.
Use only the dosing device provided with the purchased product in order to correctly measure the right amount of liquid acetaminophen.
Consult your pediatrician before giving this medication and make sure you’re talking about the same concentration.
If the dosing instructions provided by your health care provider differ from what is on the label, check with a health care professional before administering the medication. Do not rely on dosing information provided from other sources, such as the Internet, old dosing charts, or family members.

FDA officials say it is important to note that there is no dosing amount specified for children younger than 2 years of age. If you have an infant or child younger than 2 years old, always check with your health care provider for dosing instructions.

Luke’s Day of Firsts

torijohnson5 — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:37:01 +0000

Attention everyone! Luke’s got wheels!

It’s official – Luke is crawling! After over a month of looking like he was “swimming” as well as “ooching” on his bum he’s finally off! Thanks to the temptations of Havana (aka. my dog, Pookie) and the computer (which Luke loves to try and bang on when mommy is working). I’ve already told Pookie she better learn to hide real quick. To watch Luke crawling for the first time click here.

Not only did Luke start crawling today but he also stood up all by himself. He latched on to the coffee table and then tried to reach for every single remote control he could possibly find.

Watching the development of your child is mesmerizing. It brings such joy and pride – there is just nothing better! Now I’m a bit terrified that my life just got a WHOLE LOT BUSIER!

The Importance Of Reading To Your Baby

torijohnson5 — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 02:07:14 +0000

Luke at Baby Time at the Library

When I was little my mom would load up my little sister and I and take us to our local library. I can still remember the excitement of getting my first library card and picking out my own books because that meant I was a “big girl.”

I am a huge proponent of reading to your children. A running commentary with your child is so important and reading is a great way to encourage verbal interaction. Reading assists in developing your child’s communication skills and vocabulary as well as stimulating their imagination. Additionally, it is a wonderful time to bond with your baby.

I, personally, believe that a baby is never too young to read to them. Even if it’s just for a few minutes a day. I read a very informative and interesting book by Jim Trelease called The Read Aloud Handbook. I highly recommend this book as it includes a variety of studies about reading to children as well as has good lists of books for all ages.

The library is also a very economical activity to keep your child entertained. Many local libraries have all kinds of free programs, activities and crafts. Luke and I attend the Baby Time at the Parman Library at Stone Oak once a week. Baby Time is a free series of classes where you can take your baby in to sing songs, read books and play with other children. Luke seems to have so much fun with the other kids and it also gives me the opportunity to meet other mothers.

Reading sparks the imagination. Assist your children in opening doors to the adventures that lie in books.

For a list of books by age recommended for children click here.

Etsy Enamourment: Freckletree

torijohnson5 — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 10:00:13 +0000

There are so many talented mothers out there and many of their great products can be found on Etsy. One of these amazing mothers is Joy Martin-Malone who owns Freckletree – a fabulous online store selling awesome baby products made from recycled materials.

My favorite product is their Hoothats, of which every baby must have one! They also have skirts and stuffed owl dolls which are just preciousness.

Hoothat

Additionally, in honor of her friend that passed away from Bacterial Meningitis she donates one dollar from every purchase to the National Meningitis Association.

To visit Freckletree on Etsy click here.

Unfortunate Owl

Bluebird & Jane Girly Skirt

Luke’s First Christmas

torijohnson5 — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:41:35 +0000

Having a child in your home for their first Christmas is nothing but MAGICAL! We had so much fun watching Luke with his little cousins, opening gifts and just laughing and giggling! I’ve officially decided that Luke definitely likes the gift wrapping more than the presents inside.

We were so blessed to be able to share it with our family including Luke’s Great Great Grandmother! It is such a special time of year and so many people forget the true meaning of Christmas. It’s so much more than presents, Santa, cookies and stockings. It’s about bringing glory to the newborn King! We hope all of you had a beautiful Christmas like ours. Wishing you a Happy New Year’s!

Luke With His Cousins

Luke and I with his Great Great Grandmother

Me reading Luke a book Mamaw and PawPaw gave to him

Santa Crack!

Merry Christmas To All!

torijohnson5 — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 12:00:31 +0000

We wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas!

Love: Daddy Russ, Mommy Tori and Baby Luke

Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace,

good will toward men.