Video Fun

NerdDad found this at Neatorama and I just thought it was great! It answers the question of what do the kids do all that time they are playing.

Pregnancy Twitter

So are you a tekkie who wants to start your baby off the right way? Well, you can get the Kickbee and twitter your pregnancy. It reads the fetal movement and then posts Twitter alerts. This is ridiculously cool.

With Kailani's recent announcement, I think I have found the perfect gadget for her!

Kids and Truth: Sometimes You Want Them to Lie;)

On Thursdays I drive by CSUFresno on my way to get on the freeway after Bible Study and we drive by the horses and cows. The kids look forward to it every week. Well, this week the horses were out but only one cow was. The kids wanted to know where the rest of the cows were and I said that they probably took them inside to milk them. Then, NerdPie wanted to know why they needed to do it inside and I said that they hooked them up to a machine to milk them.

Well, as of a couple of days ago I have begun to supplement the baby with a bottle after nursing her. So NerdPie came down from her nap and saw me giving the baby her bottle. So NerdPie looks at my breast pump that was on a table and says, "We need to start milking to get milk for the bottle". While it was a completely true statement, did she have to say it;). I quickly told her we call it pumping for a mommie not milking.

I have only one other thing to say, MOOOOOOOOOO!

Pregnancy Carnival

Hi everyone! Here is the latest edition of the Pregnancy Carnival. I don't have any cute themes but so great articles none the less. Let us jump right in!

As always we are looking for ways to deal with pregnancy, its symptoms and its chaos. Mommin' It Up shares her own chaos and life in Days of Chunder. Patricia Hughes at More4Kids gives us Stress Relief Tips During Pregnancy. Emmahoney.com asks "Why Exercise During Pregnancy?". Busy Bee Mama tells us How to Go from Overwhelmed to Productive. Momat35 shares what she has learned from her experiences in How Pregnancy Influenced My Career and Ambition.

In the preparation for baby category we have some good entries. PotPieGirl at Unusual Baby Boy Names provides us with a list of Baby Naming Tips. I Love the Beach tells us How To Make A Beach Baby Nursery. Biotunes.org asks "Is the triple screen for Down Syndrome right for you?". APMFormulators says that Obstetricans have no Idea what non-medicalized Birth is.

Next we have a couple of post birth issues. Rebuild from Depression gives us Breastfeeding Diet: Vitamin D and Iron in New Moms. BustWithAttitude.com provides us with one of our raciest entries (yet needed for some) with Sexy Plus-Size Nursing Bra.

You have to have a little pregnancy politics to finish your day. Phil for Humanity gives us Abortion: Religion versus Practicality versus Morality. Two Babes and a Brain offer us OH...What the Hell... about NYC hospitals ban on freebie formula.

This wraps up this edition of the Pregnancy Carnival. If you might be interested in hosting the Pregnancy Carnival please email me at mom@nerdfamily.com. If you want to submit a piece for the next edition please go to BlogCarnival and fill out the form!

WFMW: Parenting Advice

The Works For Me Wednesday subject this week is Parenting Advice. While of course I have lots of advice I had to figure out the most poignant and needed piece. The most important thing is to pray but the next part is to invest in your marriage. Remember, while the world seems to revolve around you blessed little rugrats, you and your husband were a family all on your own. This means always show a unified front. And yes, if you are picking sides it is always Mom and Dad against the kids. Studies show that kids are more secure if their parents have a strong marriage. Ways to do this...

Have a daily conference time with your spouse. Mine and NerdDad's is after he gets home and changes. Then while we put the finishing touches on dinner we talk. Kids have to entertain themselves or play in their rooms. This isn't a time for deep relationship issues but just updating each other on the goings on in life. It doesn't just have to be about the kids. This is often when we talk about news from our friends, who won the board game at DH's work at lunch, or headlines in the news. Another thing is follow through on punishing kids for going behind a parents back. You know, kid asks one parent and that parent says no so they go in the other room and ask the other. Also respect your spouse and demand that your kids do too. There have been times when a child will talk back to one of us. Often the other parent will step in and make it clear it isn't acceptable to treat their parent that way. Also, if something is important to your spouse but not you, make it important any way. This is a great way to teach your kids to respect a parent. An example, I have a friend who doesn't mind if her kids go from project to project, leaving things out, as long as they clean up once a day. That drives her husband up the wall. So she has made it clear that the kids need to clean up after they finish each thing.

Remember your spouse is the only person you can count on in this adventure of raising kids. Also, when the kids grow up and leave (which they will someday) you are going to be all alone again so build, build, build.

Call for Entries

Hey everyone! The long awaited Pregnancy Carnival will be up this Friday so send in your entries! I am also looking for guest hosts so if you are interested just email me at mom@nerdfamily.com.

Stretch Marks No More?

So I was reading Child Magazine the other day and I saw some interesting (and odd) news. First, apparently some people get laser treatment to reduce post-baby stretch marks. Secondly, there is now a new procedure, plasma skin regeneration, that is a treatment out there to rid us of our stretch marks. Supposedly there can be up to 60% reduction after 3 or 4 sessions. Interesting... I don't know if I would ever do it but interesting.

Pregnancy Carnival

Welcome to the June 12, 2007 edition of carnival of pregnancy. Sorry that is it is so late in coming but I forgot to post it before I went to the hospital. I am proud to announce that we have made our final Nerdling addition. She was born Weds the 13 and was 8lbs 8oz and 21 inches long! We are happy but tired.

Pamm presents Homebirth Twilight Zone posted at We Survived The Teens.

Kate Baggott presents Unassisted Childbirth Considered More “Normal” posted at Babylune, saying, "Reclaiming nature or reintroducing danger to childbirth."

Kendra presents Curious About Episiotomy Recovery? posted at vbacadventure.com, saying, "Scared of an episiotomy? Me too! Here are some tips for taking care of rips, tears, and cuts in your most private place."

Kendra Dahlstrom presents Failure to Progress in Labor to Protect Your Baby posted at vbacadventure.com, saying, "If you felt like your c-section was a failure on your part, read this article to gain a new perspective!"

Hueina Su presents Practice Detached Involvement posted at Intensive Care for the Nurturer's Soul, saying, "Parenting is one "risky business" with very unpredictable ROI. Sometimes things just don't work out the way you want it, despite your best intention & efforts. What can you do to save your sanity and inner peace?"

Fun Facts Other

Christian Bachmann presents Dental hygiene even more important when pregnant posted at Med Journal Watch, saying, "News from a scientific study that every mother-to-be should know."

Sheppard Salter presents Breast Feeding posted at salterblog.com.

Csara presents Amazing Pregnant Bellies! posted at Baby Talkers.

Julie Heath - More4kids Inc. presents Tips for Traveling During Pregnancy posted at Julie Heath - More4kids Inc..

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
carnival of pregnancy
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags:

carnival of pregnancy, blog carnival.

Carnival of Pregnancy

Welcome to the May 4, 2007 edition of carnival of pregnancy. I admit it, I am once again using a template but we have so many great entries I think it is east to over look;). For those of you that have been tracking me, I am now 32 weeks and on bed rest (when I can get it). Just a little over 6 weeks until my scheduled C-Section and I can't wait.

Hala O'Keeffe presents Cherchez la femme posted at Retired Waif.

Dana presents Welcome to the world, little Peanut! posted at Principled Discovery.

Kendra Dahlstrom presents Finding the Right VBAC Physician or Birthing Professional posted at vbacadventure.com, saying, "This article is designed to assist women who are attempting a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) find a birthing professional. However, all pregnant women can take away some valuable information in reguards to physicians."

Kristen Munson presents Help For Hypertension In Pregnancy posted at Love Shak, Baby.

Fun Facts Other

Leisa presents Yoghurt DVD posted at downwiththekids.net.

Julie Heath - More4kids Inc. presents Pregnancy: Early Signs Of Labor posted at Julie Heath - More4kids Inc..

Kristen Munson presents Love Shak, Baby: Taking Sudafed PE While Pregnant posted at Love Shak, Baby, saying, "A must read about the safety of certain over the counter meds while pregnant."

Julie Heath - More4kids Inc. presents Changes in the Eighth Month of Pregnancy posted at Julie Heath - More4kids Inc..

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of pregnancy using our carnival submission form. The next carnival is on May 25th with the dealdline on the 23rd. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags:

carnival of pregnancy, blog carnival.

Call for Entries

Just a reminder that Wednesday is the deadline for the next Pregnancy Carnival. Just pop over to BlogCarnival to submit a post!

Pregnancy Carnival

Welcome to the April 13, 2007 edition of carnival of pregnancy. Due to my exhaustion with my own pregnancy I am taking help where I can get it with the template. Next time I will put a little more of myself into it;).

Hueina Su presents Take Time for Friendships posted at Intensive Care for the Nurturer's Soul, saying, "Remember that story of a mom telling her soon-to-be-married daughter to never let go of her girlfriends? In our super-busy society, it's easy to neglect the important relationships in our life. As I navigated through school, career, marriage, and motherhood, I became more and more appreciative and grateful for my old friends. No matter how busy you are, I hope you take time to nurture the significant friendships in your life."

Stacie Turner presents Things Not to Say to a Very Pregnant Woman posted at The Twinkies.

Kate Baggott presents Postpartum Painkillers You Shouldn’t Take posted at Babylune, saying, "Just a reminder, when you deal with post-birth pain, your pain killer should not include codeine!"

Kate Baggott presents A Sensual Birth posted at Babylune, saying, "Second submission: If you plan to give birth without pain relief, you might want to consider a sensual birth."

H.S. Ayoub presents biotech stocks, news, commentary - BioHealth Investor posted at BioHealth Investor.

OurBlogs presents The Perfect Play-Day posted at A Guide to Raising Great Kids.

isabella mori presents granny post number 4: waiting, waiting posted at change therapy, saying, "a post on pregnancy from the point of view of a terribly excited grandmother-to-be"

Wixx presents 10 Baby Items You Think You Need, But Really Don’t posted at Personal Finance Advice, saying, "10 things that most parents assume they need when they have a baby, but really don't."

Fun Facts Other

Niki Anders presents Let?s talk cloth posted at The-A-TEAM.

Leisa presents Out of the mouths of strangers posted at downwiththekids.net.

Julie Heath - More4kids Inc. presents Pregnancy: Choosing Baby Names posted at Julie Heath - More4kids Inc..

Andrea presents What is Physiotherapy? posted at Travel Vaccinations, saying, "Physiotherapy can be of great benefit to expectant mothers."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
carnival of pregnancy
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags:

carnival of pregnancy, blog carnival.

Welcome to the March 23, 2007 edition of carnival of pregnancy.


Praveen presents Tao of Simplicity: Little Bo Peep - Taoist Nursery Rhyme? posted at Tao of Simplicity.

Lisa presents Pregnant and Waiting posted at My Thoughts, Ideas, and Rambligns.

The Positivity Blog presents Take the Positivity Challenge! posted at Henrik Edberg.

Alvaro Fernandez presents Stress Management Workshop for International Women's Day posted at SharpBrains: Your Window into the Brain Fitness Revolution, saying, "Both being pregnant and having a little kid can be both a joy and a major source of stress...here we share some exercises and tips for better stress management based on a recent workshop we gave in honor of International Women's Day"


Alvaro Fernandez presents Training the brain with a computer workout program: MindFit posted at SharpBrains, saying, "May programs like this help deal with the "placenta brain" and typical memory/ concentration issues during the third trimester?"

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
carnival of pregnancy
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags:

carnival of pregnancy, blog carnival.

Call for Entries

Just a couple of days left to submit your entry for the Pregnancy Carnival! Pop over to BlogCarnival and send it to me!

Color Seperated Pep Talks

Last week I talked about concerns some people have about homeschooling, one of which is that kids are limited as to the types of people they are around. Apparently one public school think that separation is good, at a race level. Mount Diablo High School in the bay area separated students by race for a pre-exam pep talk. Personally I find this reprehensible as did some of the students. The students attended assemblies complete with flags of their heritage (or country of heritage) and they were told to do their race proud. They were informed how much better white kids on the whole do on these tests and were using race as a motivation. Now my kids are only in school with one race (at least the everyday stuff) but that is only because my husband and I only can make one race of child. But my kids are in groups with many different ethnicities and if I ever heard my kids making similar white comments, well you can't even imagine what kind of trouble they would be in.

(HT: Joanne Jacobs)

Pregnancy Carnival

Welcome to this edition of the Pregnancy Carnival. We have some very interesting and insightful posts so let us jump right in. First up is The One Year Exit Plan with "Congratulations, You are Pregnant!" Personalized Fertility Mantras. They point out the power of positive thinking when it comes to IVF. Then we move onto More4Kids and What Are Some Danger Signs Of Pregnancy? This would have definitely answered a lot of my questions when I was pregnant with the first 2. Jigsaw HC's Rants and Reviews shares with us the Top Reasons to Fly with a Baby or Child. And yes, that means there are some;).

Then we move onto headlines with my own post about the 22 Week Miracle Baby. Venomous Kate over at Electric Venom asks Pregnancy: The Latest In Teen Fashion?

Next we move onto some great personal posts. We start with Dana at Principled Discovery with Pregnancy Update, or prayers answered before requested about a moment of worry and its moment of joy at its resolution. Next, PixelRN submits Switching Teams about going from an OB practice to a midwife practice.

Then the stories that tell us what it is all about. Emily's Blessings offers Pregnancy Photo's Blessing # 5 - Sierra Michelle that tells the story of her youngest daughter, including the years of praying by an older child. Then Homeschooling Hints announces Our baby is here!

That brings us to the end of this Pregnancy Carnival. Please read, share and comment on our many fine contributions. Then, submit an article and join us for our next edition on March 16th!

22 Week Miracle Baby

A baby was born just under 22 weeks and appears to be doing well. It is now 2 months old and there is even talk of sending her home. What amazes me is this is how far a long I am! Something that the article said that was new to me was that 1/2 of all babies born at 25 weeks make it. It just makes you wonder how someone can think this isn't a baby.

(HT: Biblical Womanhood)

Pregnancy Carnival

Welcome to this edition of the Pregnancy Carnival! I saw this cute picture on a flyer at my church and I thought it would be perfect for all of us already in the baby mood. (No I don't know this child) Let us jump right in to this edition's entries.

First up is the news. Dr. Helen has an interesting article on 67 year old mother who gave birth in Freak Show or Miracle? I have many opinions on the subject but I already commented on her article;). Then Let's Talk Babies asks How Much Do Children Cost? They talk about a very interesting report put out by the Department of Agriculture.

Next, let us look at some articles that give us great advice. More4Kids give us some great help in Preparing Children for Baby's Arrival. Biblical Womanhood gives us Input Requested: Home Birth vs Hospital Birth. She takes a factual and calm approach to the up side of birthing centers. Babylune then gives us some lighthearted advice with Top 5 Movies for New Mothers. I can definately use this now and for all those nursing times after the baby comes!

Now we turn to stories and our own experiences. We start with Joy in the Morning and This Pregnant Body-32 Weeks. She shares what she is now going through at this point in her high risk pregnancy. She also announces so contests going on in regards to her new bundle of joy! Little Ida shares her joy and fun she had at her Baby Blessing-Way. The last entry is my own with Baby Announcement and no I am not telling you what it is, just go read it;).

That brings us to the end of this edition of the Pregnancy Carnival. After you read all these great entries please submit your article for the next Pregnancy Carnival on March 2nd. It is Easy! Just go over to BlogCarnival to submit.

Calling All Entries!

This week I will be hosting the Carnival of Homeschooling. All entries are due by Monday at 6pm pacific. It will be posted here on Tuesday! Then on Friday, I will post the Pregnancy Carnival. Entries are due on Wednesday. Just click on the appropriate carnival to go over to BlogCarnival to submit!

Baby Announcement

Friday we found out that the newest Nerdling will be a very wiggly little girl! She was darting all over the place during the ultrasound and kept squishing over to the side. I was pretty sure it was a girl and so I am now justified for the cute little pink shoes I bought.

Bratty Kid Gets Family Tossed From Plane!

Recently, AirTran Airways removed a family from a flight due to a bratty 3 year old. Now there is a little more to it. The FAA has a rule that a child over 2 must have their own seat and be in it for take off. So here this flight is, already 15 minutes delayed, with a child that wouldn't get into her seat. That translates into hiding under her seat and hitting her parents. There were 112 other passengers to think of. How many people have missed their connecting flights? I know that NerdDad has. So the airline kicked them off. The airline got them the next flight, refunded their money and then gave them roundtrip tickets to any where the airline flies. I totally feel that AirTran was in the right. We won't even get into the various bad parenting issues going on here (3 is still to young to be aware enough to be afraid of flying) . This is coming from a mom that has a 5 year old, 3 year old and an 18 month old. I would gladly fly this ariline any time. So go comment AirTran for their great choices.

(HT: Electric Venom)

Pregnancy Carnival

Welcome to the January 26, 2007 edition of carnival of pregnancy.


Kate Baggott presents Resist the Advertising posted at Babylune, saying, "Warning to the newest mothers: resist the hype and don't even think about dieting until you're six weeks postpartum."

Lisa Mitchell presents Getting Pregnant - Tracking Ovulation posted at Let's Talk Babies.

Rory Sullivan presents Story Of A First Birth - Not Exactly According To Plan posted at hamelife, saying, "It only takes five little words for all the plans to go out the window."

Loni presents This Pregnant Body - 30 Weeks - How Many To Go?!?! posted at Joy in the Morning.

Julie Heath - More4kids Inc. presents Preparing For Birth - A Mommy And Daddy Checklist posted at Julie Heath - More4kids Inc..

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
carnival of pregnancy
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags:

carnival of pregnancy, blog carnival.

Pregnancy Carnival Reminder

I just want to remind everyone to submit their articles for this Friday's pregnancy carnival. If you have a post relating to any aspect of pregnancy (and is family friendly;) just go over to BlogCarnival and submit by Wednesday!

Carnival of Pregnancy

I hope everyone had great holidays and is recovering nicely! Here is the first Pregnancy Carnival of the year!

The majority of this carnival is concentrating on pre-pregnancy and the first trimester. First up is Babylune with an article,
Treatment for Abnormal Cervical Cells & Giving Birth, that addresses how you might want to treat abnormal cells if you are planning on having children. Then we are onto The One Year Exit Plan with How to Leave Infertility (Consciously Creating Life). This looks at what she has gone through and how she hopes to get out of Infertility. We wish her luck!

Next More4Kids looks at Changes in the First Month of Pregnancy. Let's Talk Babies also addresses the Early Signs of Pregnancy.

Jumping to the other end of pregnancy we have On A Cruise announcing some Baby News! Then own humble NerdFamily post on Hybrid Diapers wrap up this carnival.

So please submit your articles on pregnancy for the next carnival (due Jan 24). Just go over to BlogCarnival and submit! Then come back to read the next carnival!

Hybrid Diapers

So every time you are pregnant you look around at the new baby goods. Now there are gDiapers. They have a cloth outer shell with a biodegradable, flushable liner. The shell is $14.99 each. If you buy 160 liners in the small size (and if you are going to really use them you should probably buy them in that size lots) you get a 10% discount. So they are $52.00 just for the refills. This is not a route I am going but an option for all of you earth minded people out there!