Dog: Zooley update

There really hasn't been much to report on Zooley. She still loves to counter surf. Fortunately, a full stick of butter and a raw italian turkey sausage have no adverse effects on her gastrointestinal tract.

She's loving the snow and sub-zero temps right now. The picture on top shows her sitting peacefully during one of
her walks. The
other shows what she does when WE want to go inside.

As you can see, she's emphatic about letting us know she'd like to stay out, lie down, and eat snow. As soon as we make a move toward the front door, she immediately sits or lies down and jerks her head backward. For both pics, the wind chill was near -20°F.

House: Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb tips

Some quick, easy facts to remember about Compact Fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs):

• A 60-watt incandescent bulb uses 3.5 times as much electricity as a CFL to put out the same amount of light.
• Over its life, a CFL will cost you a third or less to buy and run than an incandescent.
• Helpful links:
  
  Energy-Efficient Products as recommended by the U.S. Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
  GE Consumer & Industrial Lighting: Ask Us.

Thanks to the Chicago Tribune's "5 things to know..." feature in the paper's Home&Garden section (2.18.07).

Baby: 15 tips from a friend

One of the reasons we're blogging about our experiences preparing for our first baby, owning our first house, and raising our first puppy, is to catalog all the great advice we get from friends and family.

One of our friends, Melissa, sent us 15 bits of advice. From her favorite non-alcoholic beer to the nipples that best resemble the shape of the breast, Melissa's tips gave us plenty to think about.

Thanks for the advice, Melissa, and thanks for letting us share it! If anyone else can add tips to Melissa's list, be sure to post a comment. Just click on the "comments" link at the bottom of this post. Remember to do this for any of the posts you read. Thanks!

1. O'Doul's Amber is the best n/a beer.
2. Mojito mix with soda and no rum is really good, especially this summer when you're going to be hot as hell and prego.
3. Old Navy has pretty cute maternity clothes that don't cost a fortune.
4. You have to drink a ton more water. I got the worst Charlie horses and leg cramps when I was pregnant. Tums (Ca) and water solved this problem. We bought a GE water cooler from Home Depot last summer and buy five gallon bottles of Culligan fluoridated water. The water cooler has three dispensers: cold, room temperature, and hot. I make Kara's formula with this and don't have to use the microwave.
5. If you get a swing, get a little portable one you can carry from room to room. You can travel with it, and it doesn't take up a ton of room.
6. Kara has a mobile that puts a little light show on the canopy that's over it. She LOVES to stare at it when it's dark.
7. Very early on, Kara became infatuated with her own reflection in the mirror. You must have a mirror for Baby Q's crib.
8. We have a Fisher Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium Bouncer she also loves. She can kick the little dangly things and get it to play different tunes.
9. Our lactation consultant at the hospital said that Avent bottles have nipples closest to the shape of the breast, so if you breast feed, there's less confusion when you do need to use a bottle. I like them. Ventaire seems to have too many damn parts. Plus, buy one type of bottle and stick with it, so you don't have all sorts of different nipples and sh-t to sort through to put a bottle together. Baby sitters will appreciate this!
10. Diaper Genies really do work. I was told not to get one, and I'm glad I still received one as a gift. [And who can beat their slogan: "Proven #1 with #2"?!]
11. Register at Pampers, Similac, and Enfamil's web sites so you can start accumulating coupons.
12. Put your changing table below a window so Baby Q can look outside when you are changing her/him. Kara loves looking out her window.
13. Blankets: I registered for and received some that have satin on one side. I don't like them because they are slippery, and it seems like you can't get a grip on the baby.
14. A MUST!!! Buy a Snugli (Hippopotamus brand?) at Babies R Us. It's a swaddler that has Velcro on it. You wrap the baby up, and they really sleep longer, even though it looks like a straight-jacket.
15. The anesthesiologist and your delivery nurse are your friends. I would rather die than have natural childbirth. Lamaz-schmamoz.

House: Five-second rule, right?

Germs, germs, germs. They're everywhere.

For now, we look the other way when Zooley (our 65-pound puppy) "samples" our kitchen towels or licks the fabric softener from our clothes. Odds are, though, we'll raise our germ sensors when Baby Q arrives. The Q section in Sunday's (2.11.07) Chicago Tribune points us to a web site that offers tips on keeping our house clean(-er).

When we visited the site, we found out it's the companion web site for the book What to Expect When You're Expecting.

And, yes, the book's on our nightstand. Order the book.

The Trib's Verna Noel Jones offers this summary:

"The guide was developed by the non-profit What to Expect Foundation in partnership with the Clorox Co. and offers practical advice on how to keep a clean and safe home without going overboard."

Also, a quick visit to Clorox's web site reveals a neat interactive page for "New Moms" that lets you see where germs live and how "you can create a healthier home for your baby."

Baby: Hello, second trimester

We've reached the second trimester!

Today marks 13 weeks, 1 day into Shana's pregnancy. Just a few days ago, we found out the results of the first-trimester screening What's this?:

• 1 in 500: Odds of Baby Q being born with Down syndrome.
  (Visit the National Down Syndrome Society web site.)
• 1 in 10,000: Odds of Baby Q being born with trisomy-18.
  (What is trisomy-18?)

We had the first-trimester screening last Monday. In addition to Shana's blood test, we also got to see Baby Q for the second time! Already 6.5 cm long — about the length of a pinky finger — Baby Q was dancing all over the place! Obviously getting that from mom. You can see the tongue sticking out in both pics.

Everyone, meet Baby Q.

Baby Q, meet everyone.

House: Adjust temperature at night?

Shana and I often debated whether or not to turn our thermostat down while we're gone during the day or asleep at night.

We never could figure out, though, if the furnace actually works harder to go from, say 63° to 73° than it does to maintain 70°. According to Doug Anderson, the national home sealing project manager for ENERGY STAR, "It is true that the furnace will have to work hard for a short period of time to get the house back up to your 'comfort zone' but that saves more energy than keeping it in the comfort zone continuously." Consider that mystery solved.

Days after reading this, we watched Al Gore's global-warming documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Anderson's advice coupled with the movie's powerful message led us to turn our heat down to about 63° last night — and for many nights to come.

Add the movie and its web site to your list of "living green" resources: www.climatecrisis.net.

Baby: Tips for buying a crib

The Sunday, January 28, 2007, Chicago Tribune offered these tips to consider before buying a crib. We'll probably end up getting a bassinet from Shana's family, but we both found these suggestions helpful:

1. Safety: The Consumer Product Safety Commission lists safety requirements for cribs. Even though we're getting a hand-me-down, we'll still check it against these standards.
2. Assembly required: No surprise here — read the directions before purchasing the crib. "If things look too complicated, consider a crib that's easier to assemble."
3. Get a firsthand look: Even if you shop online, go to a store to check out the model you're interested in. This will let you let you check the stability of the frame and get a feel for the mattress. **"Cribs that support mattresses with metal spring systems or metal hardware are preferable to those that suspend with vinyl or cloth straps."**
4. Form, function, style: Where's the crib going? How do you and the crib get along? Some cribs have drop-side features on one side only, others, not at all. "Test to find which works best for your height and comfort level. For extra storage, look at models with drawers underneath. Models on wheels make for easier cleaning around the crib."
5. Beware of convertibles: A "convertible" crib can transform from a crib to a daybed, toddler beds, or twin-size beds. If you decide to get one of these, make sure you love the style, because you'll be stuck with it for a while. **"Think about whether you are going to have another kid. If so, consider whether you really want to buy a second crib because the first child's was converted into a toddler bed."**