FFF: Big Boy Carseat

Enoch was just about to outgrow his convertible carseat (due to his seated height, not weight), so we went ahead and got him a new one and shifted Karis into his previous one.  We drove to the nearest baby store (about an hour away) to shop and measure (literally) the options, in order to see which one might keep Enoch in a 5-point harness longest.  (For some reason, most carseat manufacturers don't divulge any information about the maximum seated height for their seats, so we needed to go and measure in person.)  Thankfully, we found one that gives him about 4-5 more inches and then can convert into a booster seat.  It also fit comfortably into the car, so that was a bonus!  (The nice man at Toys-R-Us moved it into almost every seating option in our van, just to be sure.) 

Here it is in our van with both kiddos in their new seats.  

Enoch is still learning how to be gentle with Karis (he can easily reach over and harass her if he so desires), and the mirrors help me monitor that.  Karis absolutely loves having him so close to her, and she often leans forward to watch him, having to look past the edge of her carseat to see what he is doing. I think both kids are pleased with their promotions to larger seats, and especially of being able to sit so close together.  :) 


Here's a link to our older convertible carseat that we've loved (the one Karis is in).
And here's a link to our new one that we are also loving so far (the one Enoch is in, which can become a booster seat).  It is on the pricey side, but it was one of the only ones that would work in our van (because of the "click-tight" technology), and it was exceptionally taller than the other options (2-4" taller than some at ~19" seated height, by my measurements). 

Read more >>

Facing Forward in the Carseat - Why We Waited

Roughly two weeks ago (at approx. 23.5 mos), we turned Enoch's carseat to be forward facing because he ended up exceeding the weight limit for rear facing (35 lbs).  I know that most of our friends turn their babies around between 12-18 mos, but we held out because our pediatrician continued reminding us of the new recommendation to keep children rear facing until 2 years of age.

According to the AAP (see link above), this will soon be a law, not a recommendation.  Though I questioned Enoch's legs and feet being squished and possibly injured in an accident due to the rear facing orientation of his carseat, our pediatrician gently affirmed that his head and neck are much more important than his feet/legs and also that leg injuries are far easier to repair than head/neck ones.  Check out these stats from a CNN article covering the new recommendation:

A 2007 study in the journal Injury Prevention found that children under age 2 are 75 percent less likely to die or to be severely injured in a crash if they are rear-facing. Another study found riding rear-facing to be five times safer than forward-facing.

Safety for toddlers really does increase when they remain rear facing as long as possible!  Since I know that this is a big decision for most parents, I thought I'd list a few things that helped Enoch be content while rear facing for almost 2 years.

• removing shoes - This made it so much easier for him to move his feet around and find a comfortable position, especially on long car rides.
• riding in a high car/van - While I realize that not everyone can (or even wants to) go out and buy a minivan or suv, I honestly think that this made riding rear facing so enjoyable for Enoch because he could see out of the car.  Our minivan has high seats and lots of windows, which Little Man fully utilized.  In fact, Enoch enjoyed watching out those windows so much that even when Hugh would ride behind him in the third row, Enoch paid more attention to the passing scenery than he did to his own daddy.
• having special car toys - We have a bag of toys that are only played with in the car (or in waiting rooms when I need a quiet little boy).  It's composed of about half toys and half books, and it has helped us get through many long trips.

Back to that forward facing little man of mine, I just have to say that I feel like turning him around made him age by 2-3 years - just look at how old he looks in that photo above!!  In all seriousness though, I'm glad we waited as long as possible before turning him around.  Even though we didn't get into any wrecks in the past two years, my motherly heart knows that it's always better safe than sorry.

If any of you have any other tips for keeping children happy while rear facing, feel free to share them in the comments below!

Read more >>

Phones + Cars Don't Mix

I'm certainly tempted by my phone every time I sit behind the wheel of our minivan - needing directions, wanting to call someone, thinking about a last minute text to check on a friend...  And yet, I try to continually remind myself that those things can wait.  Especially with two babies in my backseat...  Nothing is more important when I'm driving than fully focusing my mind and eyes on what's around me.

This video drove that lesson deeper into me, and I hope it will for you as well.

Read more >>

Around our House: the kitchen

When we first moved into this house, our kitchen was one area that desperately needed help!  You can take a peek at it below (these first few photos were taken while the previous owner (aka: 3 college boys) were still occupying the house).  The main issues were: old stove & dishwasher, very dirty/dinged porcelain sink, unsafe electrical outlets, and dirt.  (The sink was so scratched and dirty that I didn't think it'd ever come clean enough for me to feel comfortable with it; the dishwasher was rusted on the inside racks; the stove only had a few burners that worked and the oven scorched anything you set inside of it.)

I might also add that the small size of the kitchen is slightly undesirable, but we've been making due and have hopes of remodeling it after a few years of saving for that expense.  In reality, having cooked in the kitchen for a few months now, the size isn't as terrible as I expected, as long as only one person is in there at a time.  And one very redeeming factor about the kitchen is that it is open to the family room (to the right of the bar in the picture above), which makes it feel so much roomier!  

dingy and gross or what?

The first issues we addressed were the sink and appliances.  We were able to find great used deals on each needed piece, and ended up spending right around $500 altogether on our stove, dishwasher, sink, and faucet (the faucet was new though).  My stepdad was able to install the sink while he visited in December (also when he worked on the deck), which was such a huge help because it ended up being a bigger job than I expected due to the disposal and older pipes.  We settled on a stainless steel sink because I've found that they age better.  Finding the right faucet was difficult, probably because I was picky, but we finally found one that I really loved (I wanted the high neck on the faucet and only one handle to control the water).  

so much better!!

new appliances ("new" to us anyway)

Then, as I found the appliances, Hugh installed them.  :)  The stove was pretty simple to install (you just plug it in), but about 2.5 months later, the computer in it fried, so then he had to replace the stove's computer (see below).  One thing I love about our new stove is that it has a glass cooktop.  Now I realize that there are some disadvantages to this, but for us it is a huge blessing because we are able to use the stovetop as extra counter space when I'm not cooking on it.  I always hated doing this with a "normal" stove because crumbs and spills inevitably got down under the coils and even under the tray, sometimes, making it super hard to clean!  

The dishwasher was slightly more complex to install, as there's actual wiring and plumbing to do.  After a bit of internet searching though, Hugh had it running in no time.  

In fact, installing the dishwasher convinced Hugh that he could also replace our unsafe electrical outlets!  :)  Technically the outlets weren't unsafe in any kind of general way, but since they were near water, they should've been GFCI outlets (you can read about GFCIs here).  So, we bought 4 GFCIs, and he installed 3 in the kitchen and 1 in the bathroom.  Overall these were pretty simple to install by just following the directions provided in the box; however, Hugh would probably caution anyone replacing them to carefully study the wires in any outlet that has both lines and loads (4 or 5 wires as opposed to 2 or 3) because if you get them mixed up, you have to go back and re-wire.  

stove's computer

When it came time to replace our stove's computer, I was honestly the one who decided that we could do it ourselves because the appliance repairman had sketched out on me.  After some digging on the web, I found a few trusted stores where I could purchase the computer (Appliance Parts Pros or Appliance Parts Experts both seemed reputable) and one that also had a video showing how to replace it (Repair Clinic had the helpful video.. you can click the link to see our stove's video if you want to know how easy it was)!  After watching the video, I was confident that even I could do this.  

Our stove's computer ended up only costing around $70, but some can be quite a bit more expensive, which might affect the decision about whether to replace the computer or the stove.  After it came in the mail, Hugh ended up installing it for me (such a sweet hubby) in less than 15 minutes, and it's been working great ever since!  :)

Here are some action shots of Hugh installing the stove's computer:

And in case you're wondering, we handled the dirt in the kitchen by having a professional cleaning crew come in.  I also re-papered the cabinets and pantry to be sure they'd be clean and fresh.  Now we are pretty much done in the kitchen until we get ready to do the big remodel, which will be quite an undertaking because it includes moving a fusebox from the kitchen out to the garage and replacing all of our fuses with a more standard breaker system.  :)

Read more >>

Tips for: When to buy organic

This question stumped me for the longest time, especially knowing that pesticides are becoming more prevalent and potent in produce.  Thankfully, around a year or two ago, one of my sweet friends shared a tip with me that has helped me make wise decisions about which produce to buy organic and which to buy "regular" (aka: cheap).   Some of you may already know about this tip, but I thought I'd share it anyway, in case there are some out there reading who don't yet...

So, without further ado, meet the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen!  These two lists are put out each year by the Environmental Working Group after they've tested to see which produce contains the most and the least chemical residue.

Source: Environmental Working Group
(from: http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/2012-shoppers-guide-to-pesticides-the-dirty-dozen-clean-15)

Here's how it works: any produce you see on the Dirty Dozen List should be bought organic because they have the highest amounts of residual pesticides and other nasty chemicals.  Any produce you see on the Clean Fifteen List can be bought regular (non-organic) because they have the lowest residual chemicals.

When I was first introduced to these lists, I have to admit that even though I was excited to be informed, I was slightly overwhelmed... I mean, I regularly buy things on the dirty dozen list, like weekly!  And let's just be honest, not every grocer carries organic grapes (and if they did, I probably couldn't afford them anyway!)..  So, to get past my overwhelmed state, I decided to set a few simple goals, and that's what I'd recommend for you to do as well if you're interested in using these lists to your advantage.  :)

Last year, my goal was to buy only organic apples (they're one of the dirty dozen that I do buy every week without fail because they're a staple in this house).  And about halfway through the year, I added potatoes to my "only buy organic" list.  Those two were pretty easy for me because our local WalMart carries 3-4 lb bags of organic apples and potatoes.

This year, I've been working on adding spinach to my organic list as well as substituting grapefruits and kiwis for peaches/nectarines when possible (this will be harder in the summer when all of those peaches and nectarines come into season).   I'm also hoping to have some type of small garden this year (just trying to figure out where in my yard and what kind of containers), and if that happens, I hope to grow cucumbers and bell peppers, two of our other staples on the dirty dozen list.  :)

Now I realize that it's possible that some of you are ready to jump into the deep end and stick to these lists fully... if so, you can click the link below the picture to find a free pdf that you can print to carry in your purse, in case you don't want to memorize the lists (which is harder than I first thought!).  If you really want to go hard core on these lists (and if you're on a budget like we are), you might consider making the clean fifteen your list of weekly staples and buying one organic from the dirty dozen list per week (or month) as a special treat.  :)

HAPPY SHOPPING AND/OR GARDENING!!

Read more >>

Around Our House: the deck

The back deck was one of the first projects on our list for two reasons: safety & insurance requirements.  Let me show you why... 

First, it's HIGH up off the ground and the rails were too far apart (a little baby could easily roll right through them!!  eek!!)

... and the steps/landing platform had absolutely NO railing before we moved in!

So this has been a high priority since we bought the house.  Thankfully, the steps/platform issue was solved when my mom and stepdad visited us to help us prep the house for move-in day.  They stayed around a week, and adding railing to the steps and platform was one of Craig's first projects.  You can see his handy work below...

SO much safer!!

Then Hugh and a friend added all of the 2"x2" horizontal boards to fill in the gaps between the 2x4s (They technically did this in the photo above as well since my stepdad only added the 2x4s to make it the step/platform railing look like the other because we weren't sure yet how we would address the large gaps.)

Here's one to scale so you can see how much safer it is for little ones:

I absolutely love the way this project turned out!  The narrow 2x2s add safety yet didn't sacrifice the "open" feel of being able to see through the deck railing (something I did not want to happen!!). 

---

The other deck project that we just completed this weekend was fixing 3 holes in the deck floor.  The holes were there because of burns.. probably from a charcoal grill.  They weren't large enough to be a concern for adults, but they were certainly big enough to catch a small foot and cause trouble (see below).

So we decided to cut out the area around the hole and patch it.  Ideally, we would have used some aged wood (to blend better with the existing wood), but we didn't have any, so we bought some treated lumber and made due.  Hugh did all of the cutting and most of the drilling (he's becoming so handy!!) while I helped here and there.  We put a 2x4 under the deck for support beneath each side of the patch that didn't already have an existing support running below it.  

After screwing the patches in place, it feels so sturdy and much safer!  

And now Enoch can run and play out on the deck as much as he wants!!  I'm so thankful because it'll probably be one of our new favorite ways to spend the afternoon (since it's shady in the afternoon back there).  :)  

The only other thing we have left on our project list with the deck is to add a gate at the top of the stairs, so for now I just position myself there in a chair with some sweet tea and enjoy watching my little man play.  :)

Read more >>

"Big Boy" Car Seat

I'm not sure how this happened, but the infant carrier (car seat) that we purchased has to be the narrowest one on the market!  It had great safety ratings, and we liked almost everything else about it, but at around 3 months old, Enoch had grown too wide for it.  He hated going into it because he was so squished in it.  (It is a Baby Trend Snap N Go infant carrier.)

When we took our trip to Mississippi, we had to borrow a friend's infant carrier, which was much more roomy.  (It was a Chicco Key Fit 30.)  The Chicco was also a lot easier to raise and lower the handle on, which was our main complaint about the Baby Trend.  

So after our trip, we decided that it was time to buy a "big boy" car seat.  After a lot of research, we settled on the Britax Boulevard 70.

 

The best feature about it is that it can hold babies rear-facing from 5-40 pounds (10 pounds more than infant carriers)!!  This is important because the AAP recently changed their recommendations about when to turn babies forward-facing in their car seats.  They now recommend waiting until a child is 2 years old because of stats like these (found here):

A 2007 study in the journal Injury Prevention found that children under age 2 

are 75 percent less likely to die or to be severely injured in a crash if they are rear-facing. 

Another study found riding rear-facing to be five times safer than forward-facing.

Another other exciting feature about the Britax Boulevard 70 is that it can change into a forward-facing car seat with minimal effort and can hold the child until he/she is 70 pounds.  This feature assured us that we would be able to use this car seat for a long time, thus making it an investment.  :)  

I will say though that it definitely IS an investment.  This car seat is certainly not the cheapest option on the market, but it has added safety features that others do not, which continue adding to its value.  The main safety features it offers are:

• Safecell technology (lowers the center of gravity in a crash, keeping the child from moving as far forward in a crash)
• Integrated steel bars (strengthen the connection of the car seat to the vehicle's seat)
• Energy-absorbing versa-tether (slows forward movement by anchoring the top of car seat to the vehicle)
• True side impact protection (deep walls on the car seat with energy absorbing foam plus an adjustable head restraint for extra cushion) 
• (You can read about all of its features on the Britax website, just follow the link above.)

Not to be overly-protective, but I feel like a SAFE car seat is one of the most important purchases parents will make while their child is young.  First of all, the dangers of driving deal not only with your personal skills and alertness but most especially with other drivers' lack of skills and/or alertness.  Almost every time I'm in the car I am reminded of this because of careless, and sometimes reckless, drivers that I encounter.  Just check out this information from the CDC:

Motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of death among children 
in the United States.  But many of these deaths can be prevented. 
Placing children in age- and size-appropriate car seats and 
booster seats reduces serious and fatal injuries by more than half.

So obviously car crashes are a big deal for our children.  The other reason that I think a safe car seat is an important investment for parents is simply because of how much we drive.  Most families don't walk to the supermarket, friends' homes, church, restaurants, daycare, or any number of other places that they go weekly.  I know we don't.  So, if injuries incurred while in a car are the leading cause of death among children in the US, I want to be wise in how I protect my children while they're in a car.  Don't you? 

**Having said all of that, I should also say that by no means do Hugh and I think we can keep Enoch perfectly safe by trying real hard and having all of the right equipment.  No, we realize that his every breath comes only through the hand our sovereign God who sustains him and perfectly knows his number of days.  What I am saying though is that we do want to be good stewards of what has been given to us.**

So, back to our car seat purchase: 

Once we made the decision about what car seat to get, we had to decide where to get it.  In our area, there were a few options, but we ultimately decided to buy from a small shop in Rogers, Twice But Nice Children's Boutique.  They sell some used clothing and large toys, but they also have really good deals on new car seats, strollers, and other expensive baby items.  When I called to get a price, they were $30 cheaper than anywhere else (including Amazon), and they were having a 10% off sale on Britax car seats (new in the bag).  {yay!!}  

Papa Steve and Granny Susie helped us invest in the car seat, and Enoch has been loving it ever since.  He no longer cries when he gets in the car seat, and he likes sitting a little more upright.  Having used it for a few months now, I would give it 5 stars for its safety, functionality, and user-friendliness!  

Enoch in the car seat at 4 months old.

*And I have NOT been compensated for this review, I just wanted to share our experiences with this great car seat in case any of our other friends are looking into buying one.

Read more >>