Mom Blog and Baby Blog | Baby Bunching

H1N1: to stick or not to stick?

Anyone who wants to feel better about their day should check out my post last week about the joys of getting flu shots with all three kids.  Unless, of course, you are scheduled to get flu shots with your Bunch today, then you should probably skip it.

With all the controversy about vaccinations in general and even more controversy because of the unknowns associated with H1N1, we're curious as to where y'all fall in the in the flu shot or no flu shot debate.  Linda and I frequently find ourselves in opposite camps on the vaccination issue, but this season's virus is throwing a wrench in the works that no one (including the CDC and AAP) knows what to do with.  The deal's sealed for me, but Linda's still on the fence, so tell us, dear Bunchers, what does the survey say on H1N1?

finessing the feeding frenzy (for mom!)

We're guessing that you spend a LOT of time dealing with food for your Bunch - nursing, planning, preparing, feeding, cleaning up, etc. etc. As moms of very young children with tiny tummies, feeding is probably our single most time-consuming activity (after changing diapers?)  But how much time do you spend feeding yourself?

When the youngest of my Bunch was about 6 months old, I actually weighed almost 10 pounds LESS than I had when I got pregnant with my first baby.  I would have been really happy if I could claim this was due to healthy eating and exercise.  But no - instead it was due to sheer lack of time to eat.  Babies have a tendency to keep us hopping with their Constant Needs, and TWO babies meant that I barely had time for a sip of water, more less a full meal. 

I'm almost always hungry because I make food but can't seem to finish eating it before I'm interrupted, or I think about making food for myself but I'm too tired to actually DO it, or (worse!) I've had a chance to consume food but I had to do it so quickly that my body doesn't even realize it has eaten!  Frankly, it's easier just to stick to a liquid diet of Carnation Instant Breakfast, coffee, and Diet Coke, than try to figure out what, when, and how I'm going to eat.  I am so sick of worrying about food for others that I literally cannot even deal with it for myself.

It's all fine and good to talk about how we moms should take better care of ourselves (and we should!), but the reality is that we probably won't until our Bunches are a little older because there is NEVER.. ENOUGH. TIME.  So instead, let's share our favorite tips for feeding ourselves as best we can, given the circumstances.  Here are a few of my favorites:

• Carnation Instant Breakfast, as mentioned before.  Mornings are the worst at my house and there is no way I'm gonna get to eat.  Instant Breakfast can be made with skim or whole milk and easily paired with the uber-portable (and healthy!) banana.  This has been my Breakfast of Champions for five and a half years now.  I also went on a bottled smoothie kick for awhile, but I just like the chocolate better. 
• Fruit and veggie trays.  I take time to cut up fruit for my kids but never eat it myself.  If I buy a pre-made fruit/veggie tray, I will eat it.  There is no method to this madness.  Just telling you what I do. Linda just buys baby carrots and calls it good with those and some hummus.
• Water. I fill up a huge bottle every morning and then drink the whole thing, refill it, and drink the whole thing again - between the hours of 5 and 10 pm.  At least I'm getting my daily allotment of water - so what if I'm drowning myself because it's all at once.
• Popcorn.  It's a snack!  It's a meal!  Low-cal and super filling, it's always a good choice.  Just be careful you don't leave a trail of un-popped kernels - choking hazards for the wee ones.
• Hummus.  Goes with carrot sticks from the veggie tray or whole grain crackers from the box in the pantry.  Plus the kids love it too.  Yum.
• Cereal.  I treat myself to a junk food box (Frosted Flakes, Lucky Charms, etc.) every once in awhile and eat it as "dessert" before I go to bed.  Cereal is good for you, even if it's coated in sugar, right?
• PB&J.  The world's most perfect food for people of all ages. In a pinch, I will slap one together on yummy whole wheat bread while I'm making one for the kids and scarf it down with a glass of milk to give me energy to keep going all afternoon.
• Meat. Linda always makes a little extra chicken, steak, shrimp, etc. to munch on for some extra protein. It also helps when you have to throw it in the little bit of leftover Mac & Cheese that the kids didn't finish. That + protein makes a meal.
• Hard boiled eggs. Every weekend--even now--Linda boils a dozen hardboiled eggs. Again, in a pinch the eggs help round out an all-carb meal with a bit of protein.
• Tortillas. Linda is a big fan of this Tex-Mex treat. She stocks up for the week with several packages of flour tortillas and uses them as wraps for all-things-leftovers. She says anything in a "wrap" tastes great. Throw in a few veggies and you have a meal.

Help me add some more easy, (semi-)nutritious foods to my repertoire.  What's your favorite fuel?

Note:  Before you get too excited about Baby Bunching as a potential weight loss strategy, please note that by the time my Bunch was 3 and 4, I found the muffin top creeping on.  With my lifting, carrying, and chasing responsibilities significantly reduced, my job as mom had become more sedentary, but I continued to graze absentmindedly like I had for the past 3 years.  Now that I have a one-year old again who is constantly on the move, my weight is back down.  Starting to see a pattern?

polishing those pearly whites

As a Baby Buncher with not more than 3.5 seconds a day to spend on my own personal appearance, I would not say that I am a vain person.  The one exception is when it comes to my teeth.  My husband and I have a collective 65 years of life between us and NOT ONE cavity to show for it.  We really feel like our kids have a competitive advantage when it comes to good oral health and they have a responsibility to carry this family legacy forward, so dental hygiene is a big deal in our house.  Our babies start brushing their teeth as soon as they come in and lifelong bi-annual dental cleanings and check-ups are de rigeur. 

That's not to say that it isn't a battle to keep everyone's smiles sparkly fresh, because do remember that we have three boys ages 5 and under who are fundamentally wired to resist cooperation with any hygienic procedures.  I can deal with letting their hair stick up if they won't let me comb it or allowing mismatched clothing that they have selected themselves, but two things I cannot stand are dirty fingernails and ranky teeth.  So how exactly do I pin them down to address the teeth twice (if not more) daily?  It's not easy, but we've found a few tips that work over the years.

Now, as a Baby Buncher you may not think these tips apply to you because A) your children only have 5 teeth between the two of them and they are going to fall out in 5 years anyway, and B) brushing twice a day is a moot point because you are so sleep deprived that your life is just ONE LONG DAY.  But if for no other reason, you want to expose your kids to the routines that lead to lifelong healthy habits and good oral hygiene is one of them.  There's a few ways to make it easier on yourself AND your Bunch.

• Start early and often.  You can buy infant dental kits that have little finger brushes to massage gums and tiny, super soft toothbrushes for the very first little teeth that poke through.  We started these early, not just to knock milk residue off teeth and gums but also to get them used to having people (gently) poking and prodding their mouths.
• Have toothbrushes and toothpaste for all children at all sinks (ESPECIALLY your kitchen sink).  This is HUGE in terms of making it easier to ensure teeth actually get done as you're dashing out the door, because you don't have to run back upstairs to their bathroom to get the kid's teeth brushing gear - you've got a set everywhere you turn.  In my very early Baby Bunching days I had spare toothbrushes for myself stashed at all sinks as well, since my bedtime routine went out the window because half the time I never knew what time I would get to fall asleep and where.
• Sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice while brushing.  This is also our hand washing duration rule.  Ensures that if nothing else, they are swishing the brush around for a good while.
• Sit cross legged on the floor and have your child put their head in your lap while you brush after them.  This allows you to get a good bird's eye view of what's going on in there so you can be sure you are thorough.  My kids are such pros now that I can sit on the toilet (lid closed!) or the side of the tub and they just kind of drape themselves across my lap so I can check for "sugar bugs".
• Make it fun.  Speaking of sugar bugs, this was something I invented when my toddlers were resisting teeth brushing.  I acted completely shocked to "see" a sugar bug crawling out of their mouths because they hadn't brushed thoroughly enough and then I insisted that I be allowed to brush after them.  Gross?  Yeah.  But they thought it was hysterical and it works.  A little too well, actually - one day my oldest found a dead fly on the windowsill and told me he thought it was a sugar bug from his mouth since he'd just eaten fruit snacks.
• Visit a pediatric dentist.  Although I have a dentist that I love and I also have a very dear family friend who my kids love that is a dentist, I take them to a pediatric dentist.  The offices, staff, and often the dentist themselves are just more kid-friendly and equipped to deal with the special anxieties and needs of kids.  When should you start taking your baby?  I asked all the dentists in my life, my pediatrician, and called two pediatric dentists as well and got answers ranging from 6 months to 3 years.  I think the current American Academy of Pediatrics standard is one year.  When my oldest was one year, he barely had any teeth so I found myself wondering what a dentist would even look at.  My youngest just turned one and has a full set of chompers, so he'll be heading in with his brothers for the next checkup.  Use your judgment here, but erring on the side of early in your window of judgment, rather than later, is always good.  After all, even though baby teeth fall out, you want to be sure that good dental habits are instilled earlier in life!  Also, before taking my boys to the dentist for the first time, I dragged them with me to my checkup once so they could watch me be brave and get a cleaning.  Not sure if it helped or not, but we have never had any dental anxiety problems with our kids, so it can't hurt!

I am sure someone will point out that noticeably absent from this list are tips for flossing.  I will not lie to you.  That's because the feeling of string sliding between my teeth absolutely sickens me and I have been a lifelong resistant, and only occasional, flosser.  At my Bunch's last dental checkup, I was told to hold them down and floss, which I cannot do because the sight of floss sliding between other people's teeth (especially while they are being physically restrained) also sickens me.  Haven't quite figured out how to address this issue yet, but I'm pretty sure it will somehow involve turning the task entirely over to my husband.

So happy brushing (and flossing)!  And start saving for those tooth fairy visits because as with all things Baby Bunching, they'll be back to back!