Baby Breakout!

I have never considered myself to be vain. Of course I care about my looks - shouldn't we all? But I am an extremely low maintenance gal. I can count on one hand the number of times I've blown my hair dry in the past year. My thinking is, 'Why take the extra 15 minutes when I could be sleeping in?'

And it's the same for my kids. They must look clean and neat before stepping out of the house. My daughter's hair must be brushed and swept back, clothes clean, nose wiped. With a newborn in the house, it's a bit more challenging to make sure all of this is accomplished every time we run an errand, but I make the effort none the less.

Before the breakout

The toddler I've got a handle on. It's the 3-week-old that is giving me problems. She's got a terrible case of baby acne! I knew this was coming, as my oldest daughter suffered through it for a few weeks as well, but it doesn't make it any easier to bear.

And it has caused me to do some unusual things. I've avoided having any professional pictures taken until it clears up - which could take who knows how long! The timing is especially unfortunate, as I had hoped to give my husband a cute framed photo of the girls for Father's Day.

What's a mom to do? I know I'm supposed to wait it out, as it's especially common in breastfed babies, but in the interest of Father's Day, I've decided to cheat a bit and see if I can come up with a few remedies.

I've found a bevy of ideas on Mamapedia.com:
- Cetaphil
- hydrocortisone
- washing with a warmly soaked rag each night
- rubbing breastmilk on the affected areas
- ponds lotion
- ruling out allergies
- checking to see if it's actually eczema

But, of course, I'd like to do the right thing, so I checked in with the American Academy of Pediatrics, which has a handy dandy handout about newborn skin conditions, which you can download here. Turns out "Baby acne develops within the first three to four weeks due to hormonal changes that stimulate oil glands." The academy recommends washing your baby's face with a mild soap and warm water, and advises that the condition will usually clear up on its own. If it doesn't clear up within three months, consult your pediatrician.

So, I suppose I'll wait it out before trying any lotions or creams while my daughter is still so new. And I can always Photoshop the acne away just in time for Father's Day!

Is Pre-K A Good Idea?

Though my oldest daughter is only 3, I’ve realized that it’s never too late to begin thinking about her education. After all, in just one year, when she’s four, I’ll have to begin researching pre-K programs, and then a year after that, what elementary school to place her in. Sure, I’ve got plenty of time to make a decision, which has led me to start quizzing all my mom friends who have been through the pre-k experience.

Do I move my daughter from her private preschool to a Georgia pre-k program, or leave her where she is?

Of course money plays a factor, at least in my family. Who wouldn’t want to take advantage of a state-funded school program that prepares a child for kindergarten? But on the other hand, do I really want my child to dive straight into a full-day of school, five days a week, at the tender age of four? She’ll be in school for at least 13 years after that (hopefully seven more if she decides to get her masters!), so my thinking is why push her into one more year? Sure, it would be nice to not have that monthly expense anymore, but would that be in the best interest of my daughter?

Some friends feel that any extra educational head start you can give your child should be taken advantage of – and even better if you aren’t required to fund it. Others feel they want to keep their children at home just a bit longer – putting them in preschool programs that are a bit less intense in terms of time commitment, or working with them at home.

Moms had some very helpful advice on the subject in response to a similar question posed by S.S. – Georgia Pre-K vs. Private Pre-K - on Mamapedia.com. Most seemed to concur that pre-k programs, whether public or private, have the same curriculum. Others expressed some dissatisfaction with programs held at daycare centers.

P.K. mentioned in her response that “My daughter is currently in the GA pre-k at Primrose of Woodstock and is doing wonderfully. The private class is no further along than her class, but the biggest difference is they wear private school clothes. My friend has her child in the private class and they cover the same items each week as the GA pre-K. We had to make the same decision when it was time for ours and we talked to the teachers and other parents and they didn't see a difference for the price.”

What do you think? If my daughter seems well prepared for elementary school by the time she's four, does she really need the pre-K experience? Let me know your thoughts. After all, as a mom, I can never get (or give) too much advice!

Why Didn't Somebody Tell Me Potty Training Would Be This Frustrating!

TMI Warning - If you don't feel like reading about tee tee, poo poo, bottoms, backsides and wiping techniques, then move along!

Little did I know when my mother-in-law so helpfully handed me Toilet Training In Less Than A Day of the ordeal me, my husband and my toddler would be in for over not just that next 24 hours, but the next six months (and counting). I've come to find out that potty training doesn't involve just the wee one (pun intended) still in diapers, but the entire family unit.

And, needless to say, none of us mastered the process in a day.

It's taken a good six months to get my daughter comfortable enough to use the potty by herself - and I'm talking just #1 here. We've gone through various stages - scared of the flushing noise, to needing assistance from anyone nearby, and finally to "I'm going to do it all by myself" but five seconds later my presence is requested. It's exhausting!

She is still having trouble with #2, and it's having a trickle-down effect, leaving me and my husband frustrated at having to wipe her backside, throw away unusable panties, and wash an inordinate amount of bottoms.

Here's how it goes, as my daughter likes to preface many of her statements these days:
She exhibits a few tell-tale signs that the time for a bm is drawing near: her eyes redden or water, she begins to run around the house, hides and/or becomes unusually quiet, or crosses her legs. Then we know it's time to strip off everything below the waist so that she will REALLY know she has to go. But often we miss the signs and don't get to her in time, and end up cleaning a poopy mess.

We've tried bribes of course, and taking things away like tv, trips to the playground and library, etc., but nothing seems to be getting through to her. And with a newborn expected in a matter of weeks, I really want to nip this in the bud ASAP!

Does anyone out there in the blogosphere care to share some wisdom with me about this? Many moms have shared advice on Mamapedia, and I'm hoping I can gather more. It would be much appreciated, by everyone in the family!

If you are also in the market for advice, I highly recommend this video from Dad Labs, called Potty Training Stinks. Hilarious!

Ready To Hire A Babysitter? Here's How

Recently I was blessed to find myself sitting in a pedicure chair next to my best friend, chatting away while our feet were massaged by professionals – such a luxury! That experience was worth every penny, as, being almost eight months pregnant, getting to my toes with any sort of grace is no longer possible.

During our conversation, my friend asked when I first left my child with a babysitter. My husband and I, like my friend, are fortunate enough to have relatives close by with whom we feel completely comfortable leaving our daughter. We haven’t yet had to hire a babysitter that’s not a relative.

As our polish was applied, my friend and I further discussed the matter. How do you find a reliable, in-home babysitter?

I decided to do a bit of research, as I am thinking about hiring a neighborhood girl to come over and play with my daughter this summer while I’m at home tending to our newborn. What expectations should I have? What sort of qualifications do babysitters need to realistically have, especially when they are usually teenagers that live down the block?

Real Simple’s Jenny Rosenstrach offers invaluable tips in her article, “How To Prepare for a Babysitter.” It even includes a link to a babysitter-hiring checklist.

Moms on Mamapdedia.com also have great advice:

• have a get-to-know you session with the prospective sitter and your child so that you can make sure they “click”
• make it clear they are not to be on the cell phone while on the job
• provide firm instructions on what to do if they can’t get your child to eat his meal or take a nap
• ask for references and actually call them!
• and don’t be afraid to take your time making a decision.

There are great resources for finding a babysitter online as well. Check out this video from Parents tv.

Do you have any tips? Please share them with me! I’ve got just a few months left to find someone reliable, affordable and fun!

It's Time To Rethink Business Ethics

This blog originally appeared on AtlantaWomanMag.com.

For anyone who has been following the financial tales of woe lately, one word seems to be at the heart of our nation's economic collapse. From subprime mortgages to unqualified borrowers, the collapse of huge banks and financial institutions, the Madoff Ponzi scheme that ruined many, and even reaching back to Enron, Tyco and Worldcom, "ethics" are now being called into question.

In response to the most recent monetary outrage - that of ailing, bailout-recipient AIG paying $165 million in bonuses to executives - CNN.com in a recent report cited President Obama as stating that "...the impropriety of the bonuses goes beyond economics. "It's about our fundamental values," he said.

"All across the country, there are people who are working hard and meeting their responsibilities every single day, without the benefit of government bailouts or multimillion-dollar bonuses. You've got a bunch of small-business people here who are struggling just to keep their credit line open. And all they ask is that everyone, from Main Street to Wall Street to Washington, play by the same rules. That is an ethic that we have to demand.""

It would seem that "ethics" has lost much of its meaning in much of the workplace.

Atlanta Woman chose to highlight this issue at its recent Ethics 101 event, inviting Dr. Elizabeth Kiss, president of Agnes Scott College, Debbie Sessions, partner and COO of Porter Keadle Moore, Accounting, and Lyn Turknett, principal of The Turknett Leadership Group, to engage attendees in candid discussions on workplace ethics, leadership and trust.

Dr. Kiss told the audience that the most effective way to establish a transparent code of ethics in the workplace is to first establish a core value set, and to then establish a culture of conversation about those values. She added that you must always be open to criticism, and show transparency when engaged in the decision-making process.

Turknett echoed her comments, adding that business ethics don't have to be an oxymoron. She iterated that the behavior of superiors most reflects employees' ethics in their respective organizations. In other words, you have to walk the walk if you expect people to follow your lead, which, as the media has led us to believe, is happening all too often in today's business world - but in the wrong way.

Sessions added that, in today's media savvy world, perhaps you should ask yourself when faced with an ethical dilemma, 'How would this decision come across if it were broadcast on the 6 o'clock news?' Or better yet, how would this decision come across if Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert pitched in their two cents?

Seems like a no-brainer, but the gray areas of ethical decision making seem to be far outweighing the black and white ones. As one AW audience member commented, perhaps it's time Atlanta Woman takes this conversation to Capitol Hill.

Whether You're A 10 Or A 2, Size Is A Weighty Issue

This blog originally appeared on AtlantaWomanMag.com.

There have been a lot of comments in the past few weeks regarding " A Perfect 10," an article AW ran about Whitney Thompson, the first plus-sized model to win America's Next Top Model.

It is obvious that AW readers are in disbelief that a woman with Whitney's physique - tall, healthy and fit at an industry size 10 - should be labeled plus-size, especially when she is probably smaller than a large chunk of women today.

After reading the article, our reader Caroline King wrote: "I just about fell out of my chair when I read that a size 10 is a plus size! I am just under 6 feet tall and am very healthy, relatively fit (as much as a full-time working mother of 3 children can be). I wear a size 10 and am proud of it. It is absolutely WARPED that a size 10 is anything but NORMAL. I am thrilled that there is a model out there who is projecting a healthy attitude and body image to my daughters."

And it's not just women in Atlanta who feel this way. In the March issue of Vogue, Jeann Rybinski wrote to the editor: "Your magazine's glossy photographs of glitzy fashions fill me with both delight and despair. The delight is obvious; the despair is too, because, frankly, I couldn't get into the majority of those clothes with a set of burglar tools - and I am in good company. If you look around America, there are a lot of women who are older and shorter and weigh a bit more than your average model."

I have a feeling this issue won't ever truly go away, even if the CFDA tries to issue "guidelines" regarding designers employing models who attain healthy weights.

And as someone who has worn a size 12 down to a size 2, gone through the weighty ups and downs of two pregnancies, and been gently chastised for being too thin, I wonder how I'll explain all this to my daughters.

How do I make them feel comfortable enough in their own bodies to not strive for unrealistic body images? And on the flip side, how do I let them know that being naturally thin is nothing to be ashamed of? They will surely go through the same tall, stick-thin phase I went through as an adolescent (that was actually a nickname of mine - stick.) - a phase that, at the time, had just as much of a negative impact on my self-esteem as I'm sure being overweight would have.

So what's the answer? If you've got them, let me know by leaving a comment below.

Resolutions For Working Moms

This blog originally appeared on AtlantaWomanMag.com.

kay, okay. I know there are tons of blogs out there detailing everyone's thoughts on New Year's resolutions. Some people abhor them; some people love them. Very few people follow through with them, myself included.

Joanna Zucker at Mommy Track'd - the working mother's guide to managed chaos - has some really great resolutions. Check them out here: http://www.mommytrackd.com/new-year-resolution-working-mom

They all make sense to me. I actually have already achieved No. 2 (take a solo vacation) from her list, and it was one of the best Christmas presents I could have ever given myself. Just a quick trip to visit a cousin at the beach - I came home refreshed and relaxed, and so missing my family!

Katherine Lewis, a working mom blogger on About.com, has some very admirable goals:
1. I will work out every weekday during my lunch hour.
2. I will have a date with my husband each week. We will have a conversation unrelated to the home or kids each day -- even if it's only 10 minutes long.
3. I will keep only healthy lunches in the fridge by my office.
4. No snacking after 7 p.m. and no eating the kids' leftovers!
5. I will spend one-on-one time with each child at least once a month.

I especially can relate to No. 2, but there is no way I could ever manage No. 4!

This year, I've decided to make a few resolutions I know I'll be able to handle. In fact, it's guaranteed. And, by putting it up in the blogosphere for all to read, I'm holding myself accountable to you, my devoted readers.

Here goes:

1. Gain five pounds.
Ha! This will be soooo easy. As I am halfway through my second pregnancy, it is guaranteed that I will gain at least this much weight by my due date. In fact, I may just go the extra mile and gain one or two more. Those new milkshakes at Chick-fil-A are just the thing to help me do it! Yum. I'll have to figure out how to balance my weight-gain goal with my trips to the gym. Where there's a will, there's a weigh.

2. Never spend more than $20 during a trip to Targé.
Target is my favorite store. And I can't seem to ever spend less than $50 to $100 when I go there. It's become a problem, let me tell you. Even shopping the clearance racks, I'm somehow able to rack up purchases that end up being way over the budget I originally set for myself. Well, no more! This rule will be easy to adhere to as the "economy" has forced me to have much less spending money than usual. In fact, it might even be hard for me to reach the $20 limit. Now, whether I spend that on pull-ups for my toddler or a pair of Isaac Mizrahi flats is still up for debate. (Editor's Note: Since writing this, I've already blown my budget - but in my defense, it was spent on hardware and organization for a playroom I'm creating for the kids.)

3. Spend more quality time with the kids.
Like Katherine's No. 5 above, I can't wait to get started on this. As a working mom, I only wish I could spend more time with my daughter. I must admit, I am able to spend more time with her than other working moms I know, as I am able to work from home a bit during the week. More quality time is guaranteed when maternity leave comes around this summer. I plan to spend at least 12 wonderful weeks with my newly enlarged family. Granted, they will be pretty sleepless weeks, but at least I'l l be able to spend them at the beach if I so choose.

Need some help setting your goals for the New Year? Why not try Goal Composer future plan and goal-setting software. For just under $20, you can install software that will
• Create multiple plans for yourself, your business, and family members
• Create and write down your Vision and Mission Statements, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats, Wants and Needs
• Write down your Lifetime Goals
• View, Print and Save your Future Plan
• Activate recurring goal reminders!

Yes, this is for real. I am not making this up. For those of you that don't have an extra $20 for something like this, I'd suggest getting a good, old-fashioned notebook!

We're Officially In A Recession? Tell Me Something I Don't Know!

This blog originally appeared on AtlantaWomanMag.com.

Slowdown. Unusual time. Difficult headwind. All terms used (by President Bush) to describe what we’v e all been trying not to think about – recession.

After hemming and hawing for almost a full year, The National Bureau of Economic Research has declared that not only are we in a current recession, but that we’ve been in one since December 2007! It’s so comforting to finally have someone speak the truth we’ve all been living with for the past six months or more. Now we’ll have no more pundits spout out phrases such as “recession-like conditions” when asked about the state of the nation’s economy.

I do realize that it takes organizations such as the bureau quite a while to make a call like this – what really makes me chuckle is that economists have been so loathe to use the term. It seemed to me that commentators on NPR and the like were almost afraid to use it for fear of sending yet another message of financial doom and gloom to the masses.

I find it mildly amusing, and perhaps strategically timed, that this announcement was made after Black Friday, which, according to various reports, was actually better than last year in terms of retail sales. Recession, schmession! Despite the fact that we are paying more for milk, more of us are getting laid off and unemployment benefits are at some of the highest levels ever, the economic state of the union can’t prevent us from camping out in front of Best Buy Thanksgiving night so that we can get our hands on a coveted $300 laptop. (I kid you not – my brother works there, and saw many tents pitched when his store opened its doors at the ungodly hour of 4 a.m.) Of course, this rush to buy may be attributed to the need to get the best deal possible, as it feels like we are all quickly running out of cash.

Needless to say, we are probably all in need of a good laugh.

I don’t know about you, but when I’m feeling down, I turn to the The Daily Show. Jon knows you may not have a Harvard MBA like President Bush, so he translates W's outlook into language we can all understand.

John Hodgman uses a time helmet (You know we’re in a recession if he can’t afford a time machine!) to see if we're currently in a recession and bats around economic semantics.

Decisions, Decisions

This blog originally appeared on http://www.AtlantaWomanMag.com.

Bailout. Recession. Crash. Depression. Election. While these words do have some meaning to me, as a full-time working mother, their trickle-down effects are having far more of an immediate impact on my family than the headlines and sometimes confusing explanations of partisan pundits would have us try to believe. And this confusion has only resulted in more confusion and anxiety at the regular guy (aka Joe the Plumber) level.

I'm faced with gas prices that are prohibitive, forcing me to decide whether to make the hour-long trip to the grandparents, or conserve fuel so that I can definitely get to work next week. A gallon of milk upward of $5 or $6 - or more if, like me, you opt for organic. The impending gloom that my natural gas bill will bring as the weather gets cooler and our house gets warmer. And the overall fear that my bank - in which what's left of my savings is placed - will go out of business.

And during all this mess, I am supposed to figure out who I want to supposedly get us out of this mess? Fat chance. I've got dinner to assemble, laundry to do, preschool runs to make and a profession to keep up. I'm hoping that I'll have time to make an "educated decision" based on more than just the latest SNL skits with Tina Fey.

My husband, who is still not sure if he will vote, keeps asking how I am going to choose. I vaguely answer, "research," each time. But what, really, does this mean?

It means, go to the worldwide Web, of course! Since everything I've ever read on the Internet is true, I'll trust its resources to help me make an educated decision.

The Candidate Calculator on vajoe.com helps me to realize that Ralph Nader is the man for me - with Barack Obama running a distant third behind the Green Party's Cynthia McKinney. But wait, didn't Nader drop out of the race ages ago?

Online-tech-tips.com offers a number of sites to visit to help me make this important decision, since "This election will probably be one of the toughest for people to decide who to vote for because of the sheer number of candidates, especially the number of star power candidates like Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton, and Rudolph Giuliani." Obviously not the most updated of pages. But seriously, it does list a number of helpful sites such as:

* 2008 Presidential Election Candidates on the Issues
http://www.2decide.com/table.htm

* Project Vote Smart
http://www.votesmart.org

* Connect 2 Elect
http://www.connect2elect.com

And while some may be more up-to-date than others, they all offer helpful insight into the issues each candidate stands behind.

It's no secret that other moms are facing the same who to vote for dilemma. There is a lively discussion going on between Atlanta moms at MomsLikeMe.com. Issues of greatest importance seem to be taxes, health care and education.

I definitely have more research to do. Thank goodness for Google!