So we're officially house hunting! We were thinking of relocating back to the East Coast for awhile, but frankly, Tito loves his job and we don't want to move unless he can stay with the same company. It might be an option in another few years, but right now, the jobs that he is qualified for (and not over qualified for) aren't there on the East Coast yet. So we're tired of apartment living, especially now that we have Santi, and we're thinking about baby #2 (more on that later!) and have decided to buy here!
We're going out tomorrow for the first time to look at homes (other than new construction homes) and we're both really excited about it.
We did make a wish list of what we wanted and we're hoping we can find something as close to it as possible (there are things we both would be ok without having.) We're looking for:
3-4 bedrooms (would take 3 bedrooms with a loft area or bonus room)
2 bathrooms minimum
Yard space (not huge but large enough for a deck/barbecue area and swings or something for Santi and future kiddos)
Updated kitchen and bathrooms (or at least not 20 years old, because we don't want to have to do a kitchen or bath remodel)
2 story house
Hardwood floors in the bottom level, or at least in the kitchen, dining room area...(I'm getting really tired of picking up baby food off of the floor, even with a plastic mat underneath Santi's high chair he still manages to fling things on the non-mat area!)
2 car garage with storage space
Pantry in the kitchen or just off of it
Plenty of cabinet space in the kitchen
Separate formal dining room but an eat in kitchen too
Laundry room (not laundry closet like we currently have)
2 sinks in the master bath
Large tub with separate shower in the master bath
So we'll see what's out there!
May 13, 2011
May 12, 2011
Stop ID thieves from stealing your kid's identity
Ok, so this is scary...the fact that someone could have stolen a child's identity? I followed the steps in the article and have placed an inquiry for Santiago. Hopefully it's all clear!
This article was found here.
As an investigation by NBC’s Jeff Rossen and TODAY revealed Thursday, criminals routinely use a child’s pristine credit record to their advantage and get away with it for years or decades — even if law enforcement knows exactly where the imposters live. TODAY showed this in dramatic fashion, hunting down two alleged child imposters and capturing their comments on camera.
Rossen’s story on TODAY also features a 9-year-old girl who is in default on utility bills, a teenager with $750,000 in debt, and a 2-year-old with a pile of credit card bills.
"You think this must be a joke, and then you realize, no this is actually incredibly serious," said Allison, the baby's mom, who asked that her last name be withheld. "Never in my wildest dreams had I thought to run a credit check on my son. And what parent would run a credit check on their child who's in diapers, who's crawling?"
Video: NBC’s Jeff Rossen tracks down alleged thieves (on this page)
TODAY's story follows a piece on msnbc.com’s Red Tape Chronicles last month that unearthed research showing child ID theft is more common than previously believed. Hard data is difficult to find, because most cases of child ID theft aren't discovered for years, but a recent check of 40,000 children by identity monitoring company Debix found more than 4,000 cases of tainted identities.
The issue for parents is this: What can I do to protect my child?
While the problem is clear, the solution is less so. The vast majority of kids don't have a credit report, and they shouldn't. In general, the Federal Trade Commission, the nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center and the nation's credit bureaus advise against frequently checking your kids' credit unless there's some reason to believe they've been victimized by identity theft. Repeated requests for a child's report can actually do more harm than good. The Identity Theft Resource Center warns that it can lead to the premature creation of a credit file, which could make it easier for an ID thief to exploit the child’s identity.
Getting a child credit report is different Standard advice for getting a credit report doesn't apply to children — kids' reports cannot be obtained using the congressionally mandated free credit report website, http://AnnualCreditReport.com. Requests for information on a juvenile from the site will be immediately rejected. There are legal reasons for this, according to Susan Henson of Experian, one of three major credit reporting bureaus — the Children's Online Protection Act restricts the collection of information about kids under 13 years old. Also, information about a third party can only be disclosed after the requester provides proof of legal guardianship, and that can't be provided through the website. So all three bureaus require direct contact to get kids' credit reports.
First stop: Trans Union Trans Union has the most parent-friendly process, with the only online application specifically for child inquiries, so that bureau is the best place to start. Detailed instructions are included on its site.
Parents who use this online form will receive an initial e-mail, and then a follow-up letter, which will include a simple yes/no answer on the existence of a credit report.
If Trans Union says there is no report, odds are good that your child is in the clear. But if there is a report — or you have a specific reason to believe your child is a victim — you'll want to follow up with the nation's other two major credit bureaus — Experian and Equifax — and get a report from them, too.
The Identity Theft Resource Center offers a handy form that parents can use to send to any of the three bureaus. It can be accessed here.
For children between 14 to 18 years old, the process is different — if they have a report, it would be possible to get a credit report through http://AnnualCreditReport.com, but “the vast majority of consumers this age do not have a credit file,” Henson said. They generally receive a simple rejection message from the Web site, which might not be satisfying for a parent who fears their teen-ager’s identity has been stolen. In that case, follow the instructions above.
When should you check their credit, and what if there's foul play? Advice for concerned parents on this point is nuanced. Both the FTC and the Identity Theft Resource Center say parents should not check their kids' credit reports on an annual basis.
Both agree that parents should attempt to obtain a credit report on the child's 16th birthday. Ideally, there won't be one yet; but if there is and it's full of errors, there should be ample time to deal with the problem before the child applies for college financial aid or their first loan. For kids under 16, under normal circumstances, an occasional check — perhaps every three or four years — is sufficient, said the FTC's Steven Toporoff.
But if there is a reason to suspect foul play, parents should immediately contact all three credit bureaus and request a report, he said. They also should consider placing a credit freeze on the child's records, following their state's particular policies.
State-by-state rules on applying for credit freezes can be found here.
Signs of foul play would include: Surprising offers for credit or other offers mailed to the home, or trouble opening bank accounts for the children. Also, strange identity-related questions when applying for schools or outside activities could be a tipoff. A bank or school might find that there are other identities linked to your child's SSN during a routine check. The bank probably won't tell a parent directly, but often, tellers will hint that there's a problem.
Jay Foley, executive director of the Identity Theft Resource Center, says parents don't need to panic over evidence of identity theft, but they should realize they are facing an uphill battle. Obtaining information on SSN-only ID theft can be tricky.
"Unless the child is being chased by collection agencies, my suggestion is to wait until the child is 16 years old and then the parents need to write a letter to the credit reporting agencies requesting any information on the child's name in combination with the SSN and any information on the SSN alone," he said. "If at that time they find something wrong we have roughly two years (in most cases) to get it fixed or replaced."
The Identity Theft Resource Center, for free, will assist parents in disputing all erroneous entries on credit reports. An FTC guide to disputing errors can be found here.
The agency will also help parents address the possibility that an imposter is using their child's identity to obtain a driver’s license or escape conviction records or child support payments.
Several for-profit companies also offer to help parents protect their children's identities. AllClearID.com, mentioned in TODAY's story, is temporarily offering a free scan of its database of credit records for signs that a child's identity is compromised. Click here to visit the firm's website.
Experian offers a product called FamilySecure, priced at $20 a month, which promises to monitor for signs that a child's identity has been compromised.
It’s important to note, however, that none of these commercial products provide foolproof protection against child ID theft.
This article was found here.
Stop Thieves From Stealing Your Kid's Identity
Parents struggling to keep track of their kids' vaccinations, homework, dance classes and veggie intake have precious little time for other worries, but a serious new threat is demanding their attention: Identity thieves are increasingly targeting children, in some cases stealing their identities even before they are born.
As an investigation by NBC’s Jeff Rossen and TODAY revealed Thursday, criminals routinely use a child’s pristine credit record to their advantage and get away with it for years or decades — even if law enforcement knows exactly where the imposters live. TODAY showed this in dramatic fashion, hunting down two alleged child imposters and capturing their comments on camera.
Rossen’s story on TODAY also features a 9-year-old girl who is in default on utility bills, a teenager with $750,000 in debt, and a 2-year-old with a pile of credit card bills.
"You think this must be a joke, and then you realize, no this is actually incredibly serious," said Allison, the baby's mom, who asked that her last name be withheld. "Never in my wildest dreams had I thought to run a credit check on my son. And what parent would run a credit check on their child who's in diapers, who's crawling?"
Video: NBC’s Jeff Rossen tracks down alleged thieves (on this page)
TODAY's story follows a piece on msnbc.com’s Red Tape Chronicles last month that unearthed research showing child ID theft is more common than previously believed. Hard data is difficult to find, because most cases of child ID theft aren't discovered for years, but a recent check of 40,000 children by identity monitoring company Debix found more than 4,000 cases of tainted identities.
The issue for parents is this: What can I do to protect my child?
While the problem is clear, the solution is less so. The vast majority of kids don't have a credit report, and they shouldn't. In general, the Federal Trade Commission, the nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center and the nation's credit bureaus advise against frequently checking your kids' credit unless there's some reason to believe they've been victimized by identity theft. Repeated requests for a child's report can actually do more harm than good. The Identity Theft Resource Center warns that it can lead to the premature creation of a credit file, which could make it easier for an ID thief to exploit the child’s identity.
Getting a child credit report is different Standard advice for getting a credit report doesn't apply to children — kids' reports cannot be obtained using the congressionally mandated free credit report website, http://AnnualCreditReport.com. Requests for information on a juvenile from the site will be immediately rejected. There are legal reasons for this, according to Susan Henson of Experian, one of three major credit reporting bureaus — the Children's Online Protection Act restricts the collection of information about kids under 13 years old. Also, information about a third party can only be disclosed after the requester provides proof of legal guardianship, and that can't be provided through the website. So all three bureaus require direct contact to get kids' credit reports.
First stop: Trans Union Trans Union has the most parent-friendly process, with the only online application specifically for child inquiries, so that bureau is the best place to start. Detailed instructions are included on its site.
- EXPERIAN
To get a report from Experian, parents should mail the following documents, Henson said:
• A copy of the (parent/guardian) driver’s license or government issued ID
• Proof of address (such as a utility bill, insurance statement, etc.)
• A copy of the minor child's birth certificate
• A copy of the minor child's Social Security card
• The child's full name
• The child's date of birth
• A list of previous address for the last two years
The information should be sent, return receipt requested, to:
Experian
PO Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013
EQUIFAX
Officials at Equifax offered similar instructions: Parents should send a letter including the child’s Social Security number and include a copy of the minor’s birth certificate as well as the parent’s ID. Requests should be sent to:
Equifax Inc.
Minor Child Department
P.O. Box 105139
Atlanta, Georgia 30348
If Trans Union says there is no report, odds are good that your child is in the clear. But if there is a report — or you have a specific reason to believe your child is a victim — you'll want to follow up with the nation's other two major credit bureaus — Experian and Equifax — and get a report from them, too.
The Identity Theft Resource Center offers a handy form that parents can use to send to any of the three bureaus. It can be accessed here.
For children between 14 to 18 years old, the process is different — if they have a report, it would be possible to get a credit report through http://AnnualCreditReport.com, but “the vast majority of consumers this age do not have a credit file,” Henson said. They generally receive a simple rejection message from the Web site, which might not be satisfying for a parent who fears their teen-ager’s identity has been stolen. In that case, follow the instructions above.
When should you check their credit, and what if there's foul play? Advice for concerned parents on this point is nuanced. Both the FTC and the Identity Theft Resource Center say parents should not check their kids' credit reports on an annual basis.
Both agree that parents should attempt to obtain a credit report on the child's 16th birthday. Ideally, there won't be one yet; but if there is and it's full of errors, there should be ample time to deal with the problem before the child applies for college financial aid or their first loan. For kids under 16, under normal circumstances, an occasional check — perhaps every three or four years — is sufficient, said the FTC's Steven Toporoff.
But if there is a reason to suspect foul play, parents should immediately contact all three credit bureaus and request a report, he said. They also should consider placing a credit freeze on the child's records, following their state's particular policies.
State-by-state rules on applying for credit freezes can be found here.
Signs of foul play would include: Surprising offers for credit or other offers mailed to the home, or trouble opening bank accounts for the children. Also, strange identity-related questions when applying for schools or outside activities could be a tipoff. A bank or school might find that there are other identities linked to your child's SSN during a routine check. The bank probably won't tell a parent directly, but often, tellers will hint that there's a problem.
Jay Foley, executive director of the Identity Theft Resource Center, says parents don't need to panic over evidence of identity theft, but they should realize they are facing an uphill battle. Obtaining information on SSN-only ID theft can be tricky.
"Unless the child is being chased by collection agencies, my suggestion is to wait until the child is 16 years old and then the parents need to write a letter to the credit reporting agencies requesting any information on the child's name in combination with the SSN and any information on the SSN alone," he said. "If at that time they find something wrong we have roughly two years (in most cases) to get it fixed or replaced."
The Identity Theft Resource Center, for free, will assist parents in disputing all erroneous entries on credit reports. An FTC guide to disputing errors can be found here.
The agency will also help parents address the possibility that an imposter is using their child's identity to obtain a driver’s license or escape conviction records or child support payments.
Several for-profit companies also offer to help parents protect their children's identities. AllClearID.com, mentioned in TODAY's story, is temporarily offering a free scan of its database of credit records for signs that a child's identity is compromised. Click here to visit the firm's website.
Experian offers a product called FamilySecure, priced at $20 a month, which promises to monitor for signs that a child's identity has been compromised.
It’s important to note, however, that none of these commercial products provide foolproof protection against child ID theft.
May 10, 2011
Final Spring Cleaning Update!
So I'm done! Our house is officially "clean"...it feels nice to get those major, once or twice a year things out of the way!
For reference, here's what I did, as referenced in this post:
1. Make vinegar cleaning solution (I found this recipe online: Mix a solution of 1 part water to 1 part vinegar in a new store bought spray bottle and you have a solution that will clean most areas of your home.)
2.Clean all glass in the house with the solution (windows, sills, patio door, glass picture frames, mirrors) Truth be told, this solution is not the best. Vinegar leaves a lot of streaks on glass. So I ended up re-doing everything over again with glass cleaner.
3.Dust thoroughly (i.e. pick up items and dust underneath them) Done, and wasn't too hard since I dust weekly.
4.Vacuum thoroughly (i.e. move furniture when possible and vacuum underneath them. Also pick up couch cushions and vacuum underneath.) Done, and the living room was rearranged, as referenced in this post, which made it really easy to clean underneath the furniture!
5.Clean off mat underneath Santi's high chair Note to self - do this more often!
6.Clean out cabinets in kitchen and wipe down Finished up last weekend
7.Clean out refrigerator Finished up last weekend
8.Clean out cabinets in guest bathroom
9.Clean out cabinets in master bathroom
10.Clean blinds and curtains Can I just say how much I HATE cleaning blinds? But I did this on the day I discovered our downstairs, chain-smoking neighbors were moving out, so this was the way I was able to "spy" on them until it was confirmed! :)
11.Wash duvet and all blankets
12.Go through each room and purge items - place on EBay, craigslist and Amazon if they can be sold. Place in donate box if they can't be sold I have sold 4 books so far, and am waiting on some other things to sell still.
13.Go through Santi's clothes and pull out things that are too small, worn, etc. Donate what can be donated and save what can be saved
14.Organize extra photos in photo boxes by dates
15.Clean all floors in kitchen, bathrooms and entryway
16.Clean out catbox and wipe down inside and out Will definitely be doing this on a monthly basis.
17.Clean out Santi's humidifier Now that he's past his cold we're hoping to not have to use the humidifier for some time!
For reference, here's what I did, as referenced in this post:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
What did YOU do for spring cleaning this year?
Family Scrapbook
Awhile ago, I wanted to come up with a scrapbook for Santi to have of all of his family members. Considering all of them, aside from my brother, live about 3,000 miles away from us (my family in Maine and Massachusetts and Tito's in Peru), and that we don't get to see them as often as we'd like, we wanted him to "know" his family.
So I decided to make a mini-scrapbook for him to carry around with him if he wanted, and to have in with his books. I know when he's a little bit older that looking at photos will be something he'll like to do, as most kids do. So the other week, I set aside some time and printed out photos of Santi with all of the family members that we have photos with him with. This is actually quite a few since we went to Peru over Christmas and my family came out in July for his baptism last year. By the end of this summer, we'll have most of the family in photos with him, which is great!
But for now, here are photos of what we have. I'm really pleased with how it turned out, and he loves looking at it!
So I decided to make a mini-scrapbook for him to carry around with him if he wanted, and to have in with his books. I know when he's a little bit older that looking at photos will be something he'll like to do, as most kids do. So the other week, I set aside some time and printed out photos of Santi with all of the family members that we have photos with him with. This is actually quite a few since we went to Peru over Christmas and my family came out in July for his baptism last year. By the end of this summer, we'll have most of the family in photos with him, which is great!
But for now, here are photos of what we have. I'm really pleased with how it turned out, and he loves looking at it!
More pages left to fill in from when we go back East this summer and see my family, and when we see my older brother and his wife next month!
Already pretty thick! We'll add about 8-10 more pages after our trip!
May 9, 2011
Mother's Day photos
After the race yesterday, we came home and ate lunch and then I had a glorious three hour nap. I never nap, so it was so nice to do! I was woken up by Tito and Santi coming into the room with presents for me! Santi gave me a card, and Tito and Santi gave me a potted plant (impatiens) and a blueberry candle. Tito told me Santi had picked it out because he loves blueberries. :) We took a few photos (excuse my bedhead!) and then hung out and played and then walked to church, then came home and had dinner, put Santi to bed and relaxed. We were all in bed early because of our 5:30am wake up...such a great day!
And here's a couple from our Mother's Day dinner on Saturday night (it was easier to go out the night before and I needed to carb load before the race anyway!) :)
And here's a couple from our Mother's Day dinner on Saturday night (it was easier to go out the night before and I needed to carb load before the race anyway!) :)
May 8, 2011
And the beat keeps running, running....
So 11 weeks ago, I started in a running club through Stroller Strides. I ran a 10k last September with the same group and I hadn't really run since so I wanted to be able to do it again.
I arrived at the 10k this morning and met up with the other moms from Stroller Strides. The race began, and I set a good pace for myself. I was in the middle of the pack, and having no shin splint/leg issues, and my breathing was right. I had a good running mix on my IPod, and it started out with the Glee cast's version of Florence and the Machine's "The Dog Days are Over." SUCH a good song. I was pumped.
Then the Black Eyed Pea's "I Gotta Feeling" came on at the right time, right as we were heading up a slow, gradual hill. This song always makes me smile, as it was the first song I heard on the radio as I was leaving my OB's office, when I found out I was "officially" pregnant with Santi (I needed a doc to tell me that yes, the 6 pregnancy tests I had taken were indeed right.) :) So Tito and I have always referred to it as the "Santi song", and it always makes me smile. I was wearing my "MOM" necklace, that has Santi's name and birthdate stamped into metal. I reached up to feel for it as I was climbing the hill and couldn't find it. And then I did. And it was resting right over my heart (and stayed there for the whole race.) And then I lost it and started to cry. As I was running. And I kept a good pace too. :) I cried because I was so happy, and so proud of what I was doing.
I was proud that I was setting a good example for my son, and I couldn't wait until he was a little older and could run with me. I was proud that this was my second 10k. I was proud that it was a little over a year after I'd had Santi and I was running another race (my second since having him.) I was proud that after having him via c-section and then having major complications leading to a second surgery, I was running this race. All the while keeping a good pace.
And then I started to think about the bigger picture for me - not just that I was proud as a mom that I was running the race but that I was proud of myself. Someone who had Kawasaki Disease at 15 and was left with multiple giant (8mm-13mm in size) aneurysms on both my left and right coronary arteries. Someone who has had three heart attacks since I was 19 years old, with my most recent being last year. Someone who will have to have bypass surgery at some point in the future (nearer rather than farther.) Someone who can look at parents of young kids who are getting Kawasaki Disease now and when they ask "will my child ever be able to live a "normal" life" I can confidently say yes. That I have these health problems, but I run! That I have these health problems, and I had a baby! And will have another one at some point soon! That the only limitation in my life is what my mind says I can't do...and even though it may be hard to get through the race, I can do it. And when I finish the race, there will always be another one, be it an actual race or a metaphorical race in life. But I can do it.
And I did it. I finished the race in 1 hour and 4 mins, which was 2 full minutes faster than my last race. I pushed for the last mile and ran that in 8.5 minutes. Shakira's song "Waka Waka" came on in my mix and the words really inspired me to push myself (aside from the "this time for Africa" part!):
"You're a good soldier
Choosing your battles
Pick yourself up
And dust yourself off
And back in the saddle
You're on the front line
Everyone's watching
You know it's serious
We're getting closer
This isn't over
The pressure is on
You feel it
But you've got it all
Believe it
When you fall get up
Oh oh...
And if you fall get up
Oh oh...
Tsamina mina
Zangalewa
Cuz this is Africa
Tsamina mina eh eh
Waka Waka eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa aa
This time for Africa
Listen to your God
This is our motto
Your time to shine
Don't wait in line
Y vamos por todo
People are raising
Their expectations
Go on and feed them
This is your moment
No hesitations
Today's your day
I feel it
You paved the way
Believe it
If you get down
Get up Oh oh...
When you get down
Get up eh eh...
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa aa
This time for Africa
Tsamina mina eh eh
Waka Waka eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa aa
Tsamina mina eh eh
Waka Waka eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa."
So I'm proud of myself. For finishing today in the time and way that I did, and for the fact that I know I will get up tomorrow and go and work out with my fellow Stroller Strides moms. And that I'll keep running the races, both actual and metaphorically.
I arrived at the 10k this morning and met up with the other moms from Stroller Strides. The race began, and I set a good pace for myself. I was in the middle of the pack, and having no shin splint/leg issues, and my breathing was right. I had a good running mix on my IPod, and it started out with the Glee cast's version of Florence and the Machine's "The Dog Days are Over." SUCH a good song. I was pumped.
Then the Black Eyed Pea's "I Gotta Feeling" came on at the right time, right as we were heading up a slow, gradual hill. This song always makes me smile, as it was the first song I heard on the radio as I was leaving my OB's office, when I found out I was "officially" pregnant with Santi (I needed a doc to tell me that yes, the 6 pregnancy tests I had taken were indeed right.) :) So Tito and I have always referred to it as the "Santi song", and it always makes me smile. I was wearing my "MOM" necklace, that has Santi's name and birthdate stamped into metal. I reached up to feel for it as I was climbing the hill and couldn't find it. And then I did. And it was resting right over my heart (and stayed there for the whole race.) And then I lost it and started to cry. As I was running. And I kept a good pace too. :) I cried because I was so happy, and so proud of what I was doing.
I was proud that I was setting a good example for my son, and I couldn't wait until he was a little older and could run with me. I was proud that this was my second 10k. I was proud that it was a little over a year after I'd had Santi and I was running another race (my second since having him.) I was proud that after having him via c-section and then having major complications leading to a second surgery, I was running this race. All the while keeping a good pace.
And then I started to think about the bigger picture for me - not just that I was proud as a mom that I was running the race but that I was proud of myself. Someone who had Kawasaki Disease at 15 and was left with multiple giant (8mm-13mm in size) aneurysms on both my left and right coronary arteries. Someone who has had three heart attacks since I was 19 years old, with my most recent being last year. Someone who will have to have bypass surgery at some point in the future (nearer rather than farther.) Someone who can look at parents of young kids who are getting Kawasaki Disease now and when they ask "will my child ever be able to live a "normal" life" I can confidently say yes. That I have these health problems, but I run! That I have these health problems, and I had a baby! And will have another one at some point soon! That the only limitation in my life is what my mind says I can't do...and even though it may be hard to get through the race, I can do it. And when I finish the race, there will always be another one, be it an actual race or a metaphorical race in life. But I can do it.
And I did it. I finished the race in 1 hour and 4 mins, which was 2 full minutes faster than my last race. I pushed for the last mile and ran that in 8.5 minutes. Shakira's song "Waka Waka" came on in my mix and the words really inspired me to push myself (aside from the "this time for Africa" part!):
"You're a good soldier
Choosing your battles
Pick yourself up
And dust yourself off
And back in the saddle
You're on the front line
Everyone's watching
You know it's serious
We're getting closer
This isn't over
The pressure is on
You feel it
But you've got it all
Believe it
When you fall get up
Oh oh...
And if you fall get up
Oh oh...
Tsamina mina
Zangalewa
Cuz this is Africa
Tsamina mina eh eh
Waka Waka eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa aa
This time for Africa
Listen to your God
This is our motto
Your time to shine
Don't wait in line
Y vamos por todo
People are raising
Their expectations
Go on and feed them
This is your moment
No hesitations
Today's your day
I feel it
You paved the way
Believe it
If you get down
Get up Oh oh...
When you get down
Get up eh eh...
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa aa
This time for Africa
Tsamina mina eh eh
Waka Waka eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa aa
Tsamina mina eh eh
Waka Waka eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa."
So I'm proud of myself. For finishing today in the time and way that I did, and for the fact that I know I will get up tomorrow and go and work out with my fellow Stroller Strides moms. And that I'll keep running the races, both actual and metaphorically.
With my favorite running partner - even though he didn't run with me today!
Happy Mother's Day
A big Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms out there, including my own! For Mother's Day this year, I didn't really want anything other than to spend time with my baby and Tito. Of course, I did get up at 5am and ran a 10k road race (more on that later!) but for the rest of the day nothing was more important than relaxing and being at home.
Santi had other plans, and decided to help Daddy clean the house...we're apparently starting him young! :)
Santi had other plans, and decided to help Daddy clean the house...we're apparently starting him young! :)
May 4, 2011
May 2, 2011
FDA Warns Against Orajel Ingredient: What You Need To Know
I found this post today via Cafe Mom:
Are you holding a teething baby right now ... or one that may be teething soon? We've got another warning about something we all thought was safe. The FDA issued a warning about benzocaine, which is found in Orajel, Anbesol, and other over-the-counter meds used to help soothe those gums and mouths of babies cutting their first teeth.
The FDA says benzocaine may cause a rare, serious, and possibly fatal condition called methemoglobinemia, which reduces the amount of oxygen carried the bloodstream.
We have the signs of methemoglobinemia and what you should do if you have a teething baby at home.
Here is what we know:
1. The FDA is telling parents and caregivers not to use products with benzocaine on children under 2, except when under the care of a doctor.
2. If you do have to use something with the ingredient on your child, use as little as possible and no more than four times a day.
3. There have been 21 cases of methemoglobinemia in adults and children after using a product with benzocaine.
4. Don't know what to look for? Here are the signs of methemoglobinemia: pale, gray, or blue colored skin, lips, and nail beds; shortness of breath; fatigue; confusion; headache; lightheadedness; and rapid heart rate. The symptoms usually occur within minutes of applying a product with benzocaine to 1 to 2 hours after use.
5. It doesn't matter if you have used Orajel or another product with benzocaine without side effects. Methemoglobinemia can occur after using a product with benzocaine for the first time OR if you have already used it before, so this is cause for concern at any time.
6. If you think your child may have the signs of methemoglobinemia, call 911 and get medical attention immediately.
Yeah, this is scary stuff. There are ways to help your teething baby without using over-the-counter products. Gently rub his gums, massaging the tender spots often helps. What helped my kiddo the most? A plastic teething ring stashed in the fridge; the cold helped numb her sensitive mouth.
Do you have a a good, natural teething remedy?
Not Me Monday...
Over on Laptops to Lullabies, there is a weekly post called "Not Me Monday"...thought I'd participate!
- I did not go to change Santi's diaper before his naptime in which he'd pooped and not notice that he'd reached down to "explore" his areas down there (and put his hand in poop) not once, but twice!
- I also did not not notice that he'd managed to touch his shirt, the wall and the changing pad cover - which resulted in a quick diaper change turning into a wash down, clothes changing experience.
- I did not hear him stir from his nap due to the loud lawn mowing outside (in the rain yet again!) and silently curse the poor guy out on the lawnmower in the rain for waking my baby.
- I did not look at the pile of coupons that I pulled yesterday sitting on the desk in our office and instead of going in and cutting them and organizing, just shut the door to the room...definitely didn't!
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