Jo-Bear and Z-Man were hamming it up in the kitchen one day and I couldn’t resist snapping a quick photo.

I recently attended a Shaken Baby Training for my child care program, and would like to share what I learned.

Do have a plan to protect your child from Shaken Baby Syndrome?

If you’re a parent you need one, because in as little as five seconds your child’s life can be changed forever.

Shaken Baby Syndrome occurs when a baby or young child is violently shaken. As little as five seconds of shaking can cause irreversible brain damage or death. Some of the permanent effects of Shaken Baby Syndrome include:

• impaired motor skills
• impaired cognitive skills
• blindness
• cerebral palsy
• hearing loss
• spinal cord injury
• paralysis
• seizures

When an infant or young child is shaken the brain bounces back and forth inside the skull, causing blood vessels to tear and causing damage to the brain. Imagine a covered plastic container filled with gelatin. Mild shaking will cause the gelatin to separate from the sides of the container, harder shaking will cause the gelatin to break up, and prolonged severe shaking will cause the gelatin to liquify until it can be poured out of the container.

Violent shaking causes immediate damage to the brain, so symptoms of Shaken Baby Syndrome will usually appear right away. Symptoms may vary, and often appear to be a minor illness. Some of these minor symptoms are:

• Trouble sucking or swallowing
• Decreased appetite
• Trouble sleeping
• Fussiness or irritability
• Vomiting

Severe shaking causes more brain damage and obvious symptoms:

• Difficulty breathing or turning blue
• Lethargy or unresponsiveness
• Convulsions
• Unconsciousness

If you suspect your child is a victim of Shaken Baby Syndrome call 911 or take your child to the emergency room right away! Immediate medical attention may save your child from permanent problems and may even save your baby’s life.

As serious as Shaken Baby Syndrome is, it CAN be prevented! No one wakes up in the morning and thinks “I think I’ll shake a baby today.” Most Shaken Baby Syndrome occurs when a parent, babysitter or other caregiver becomes frustrated and loses control. The most common trigger for Shaken Baby Syndrome is inconsolable crying, but toilet training and feeding problems are other major triggers.

Everyone knows that it’s normal for babies to cry, but that doesn’t make it easy. Babies cry for many reasons and what matters most is how you deal with the crying. Some of the reasons that babies cry are:

• Hunger
• Tired
• Bored
• Scared
• Overstimulated
• Understimulated
• Too hot
• Too cold
• Wet
• Dirty diaper
• Anxious
• Sick
• Uncomfortable
• Want Mom/Dad/Other caregiver
• Just want to

When a baby is crying our instinct is to try to comfort the baby. Many times the baby can be comforted, but sometimes the baby is going to cry no matter what you do. Here are some ideas you can try to help soothe a crying baby:

• Check for illness or pain
• Feed slowly, burp frequently
• Change baby’s diaper
• Take baby for a walk outside
• Swaddle or cuddle baby in a blanket
• Play quiet music
• Run a vacuum or hair dryer away from baby
• Gently rub baby’s tummy, back or bottom
• Pat baby’s bottom gently and rhythmically
• Snuggle baby against your chest
• Rock
• Sing, read a book, talk softly
• Put baby in a baby swing
• Give baby a warm bath
• Reduce light, noise and movement
• Put baby in a vibrating infant seat
• Encourage baby to suck a pacifier or your pinkie finger
• Put baby in a sling or other baby carrier
• Try TV to distract baby
• Nurse baby if you’re breastfeeding

Having a plan for dealing with frustration is the key in preventing Shaken Baby Syndrome. Sometimes babies cry and can’t be soothed, no matter what you do. When you feel yourself getting upset remember that it’s more important to stay calm than to stop the crying. Some ways to keep your cool are:

• Gently place baby in a safe place, like a crib, and leave the room for ten minutes
• Imagine yourself in a relaxing place, like a beach
• Listen to music
• Call a friend or relative
• Take a shower or bath
• Exercise
• Read a book or magazine
• Close your eyes and take deep breaths
• Ask friends or relatives for help
• Count to 100
• Write down 5 best things about yourself
• Write down 5 best things about your child
• Do housework, like vacuuming
• Use positive self-talk such as “I am a good parent” “I can stay calm” “Baby knows I love him”
• Do something that makes you laugh
• Rip up a telephone book or newspater
• Beat on pillows, cushions or a mattresses
• Join a parenting group for support and encouragement
• Yell in your head, into a pillow or in a room away from others
• Call the baby’s doctor or a nurse helpline
• Whatever else it takes to keep yourself calm and your baby safe

Babies cry, but if you have a plan to soothe baby, to keep yourself calm and where to get help you can keep your baby safe from Shaken Baby Syndrome. Remember that it’s more important to keep yourself calm than to stop the crying, and NEVER shake a baby or young child!

There’s a new baby at our house! Isn’t she a doll? Baby Gemma joined our child care group just a little while ago and we all love her already. The older children love to talk to her, make her smile, tickle her toes, and pet her hair. She loves watching them play, smiling and cooing to them. It’s wonderful having a little one to cuddle again!

Teacher and I met 21 years ago today, and in honor of the occasion I thought I’d tell the story. Sit back, grab a bowl of popcorn and enjoy!

It was Friday, October 24, 1986, and I was a freshman at Valparaiso University in Indiana. I was four hours away from my hometown in Wisconsin, on my own for the first time in my life and reveling in the freedom. Freedom to go where I wanted when I wanted, to eat what I wanted and not have to do the dishes, to use four-letter words, to stay up late without a curfew, to have a drink away from my parents’ watchful eyes… Not that my parents were overly strict, but they had certain expectations of their children and since I was the oldest they made me stick to the rules. My younger brother was allowed to do pretty much whatever he wanted, but that’s a different story…

My first week at “Valpo” was jam-packed with parties, dances, comedy shows, and other events to welcome the freshmen to campus and the upperclassmen back to school. There was at least one party or dance going on every night; many nights my friends and I visited several parties before falling into bed at the wee hours of the morning. Once classes started the parties moved to the weekends, but there was still plenty of them.

On this particular night my fellow music-major friends and I planned to check out the music fraternity – Phi Mu Alpha. The guys were performing a short concert in the small chapel then hosting a wine and cheese reception at their fraternity house. I love listening to men sing, but was more excited about the party afterward and the chance to meet new guys. I’d had a serious boyfriend for the past year and a half, but he was hours away at college in Iowa. I wasn’t looking for a date, but I wasn’t going to turn down the chance either.

I dressed in one of my favorite outfits: purple scoop-necked sweater with silver threads, pleated grey cords that tapered at the ankles, and saddle shoes. I slid about a hundred bangle bracelets on my arms and added large silver hoop earrings to match. Hey, this was the 80’s, remember? After damaging the ozone layer with a ton of hairspray and glossing my lips I took off to meet my friends.

We snagged seats near the back, I was the last on in so I had a great view of the stage area. During the concert I scanned the guys’ faces; looking for ones that were cute and ones that weren’t so I’d know who to try to meet later and who to avoid. At the end of the concert the fraternity president invited everyone to the frat house for a “wine and cheese reception.” I was impressed, thinking that these guys had more class than the other fraternities I’d been to. Little did I know – when we arrived at the frat house it turned out to be wine-in-a-box and processed cheese. But hey, they tried more than other frats.

I filled my plastic cup with wine, moved near a wall by my friend Gretchen, and scanned the crowded dining room. Sipping the wine I felt a thrill of forbidden pleasure – I had never gone drinking in High School; the only alcohol I’d had besides communion wine was at special holiday dinners with the family.

Over the din my ear caught the sound of male laughter and I looked around the room to see where it came from. Through a break in the crowd I spied the most gorgeous guy I’d ever seen in my life! He had dark brown eyes with incredibly long eyelashes, tousled brown hair and a face that was rugged enough to be manly, but not too chisled. Broad shoulders and a solid chest filled a navy t-shirt, and worn jeans covered one of the cutest tushes ever. (Sorry if this is TMI for family members, but it’s the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.) One finger sported a shell ring and the opposite arm wore a cuff of thick braided rope – the kind that tightens when it get wet so you have to cut it off. My breath caught in my throat and I choked on the wine I’d been swallowing. “He’s really cute” Gretchen said, staring at the guy I’d just been drooling over. “Yeah” I stammered, hoping she wouldn’t call dibs. While I was figuring out how to approach him another guy came up, said something to the gorgeous one, and they both left the dining room.

This is where a romance novel heroine would have made up a reason to follow the hero and throw herself at his feet. I would like to say that I followed him and finessed an introduction, but that would be a lie. I’m here to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. What really happened was that I stayed where I was. With Gretchen. By the wall. Sipping wine-in-a-box and nibbling processed cheese.

After meeting just about every member of the fraternity except the one I was looking for, I saw him later that night. I was talking to a fellow freshman music student in a little alcove that connected the dining room, bathroom, and two studies. Brad was kind of cute and I would have gone out with him if he’d asked, but at the time he was looking for advice about another girl. There wasn’t much chance of an invite from him. “Excuse me…” said a male voice as someone carrying stereo equipment brushed past us. My eyes widened and my heart went pitty-pat – it was the gorgeous one! I watched him walk away for as long as I could without obviously leaning and craning my neck while making “uh huh” noises to Brad who was still talking. “Excuse me again…” the gorgeous stranger walked back into the study to pick up more equipment. He went past us several times; each time I watched him from the corners of my eyes, Brad almost forgotten. Suddenly he stopped in front of us and I stopped breathing.

“I don’t know you, who the hell are you?” he asked with a cocky grin. “Uhhhh…” I stammered, looking into his brown eyes. Oh gosh he’s right here looking at me. Say your name, stupid, say your name! “Ummm…” Brad came to my rescue and introduced us. It turned out that Brad was his fraternity “little brother” so the three of us chatted a little longer. Eventually Brad left to find his girl and I was alone with my heartthrob. He looked at me and I almost drowned in his eyes. He was a little taller than me, but not so tall that I’d have to crane my neck to kiss him. Kiss him? Why was I thinking that? I just met him, I have a boyfriend, he probably has a girlfriend…

“Want a tour of the house?” he asked.

To be continued…

This is what happens when you lie down on the floor at our house.

From Jo-Bear’s point of view…

Stay off the floor and what ever you do, don’t lie down!

I saw this gorgeous sunset when I was taking out the garbage. Since I recently got Paint Shop Pro X2 I thought I’d play around with the Film/Filter settings, under Photo Effects. Disclaimer – I’m not a professional photographer, I’m just an everyday mom who likes to take photos. Most of the time they’re OK, sometimes I get lucky and snap a really good one. I’m learning as I go and will be happy to share what I learn with you. Please be kind!

The original photo, untouched except for cropping. You can see my mom’s sewing room in the upper right corner of the picture – we can see it from our back porch. Did I mention that my parents live two doors down? That’s a story for another time…

First I wanted to brighten the colors so I tried the Warm Earthtones film effect, with no filter. I don’t see much of a difference.

Then I wondered what the Sunset filter would do, so I set Film to none and tried the Sunset filter. It enhanced the orange, but I lost the purples. Purple is my favorite color so that won’t do!

Then the Time Machine option caught my eye and I tried Cross Processing. That’s a technique where you develop one kind of film with the chemicals designed for another kind of film, like slide film in color negative chemicals. I learned that from Paint Shop Pro. It’s kind of fun, but all the blue at the top bugs me. I have no idea why the edges are all funny, I think PSP does it automatically.

By this time it was getting late and I was getting goofy so I tried the Infrared setting. The joke was on me because it was really boring.

So I saved all my experiments and went back to the original. It’s my favorite anyway.

Last Saturday I spent most of the day at the Valley AEYC mini-conference. I’m co-chair with Nicole – she’s a family child care provider too, and one of my best friends.

This is Nicole making announcements at the beginning of the conference – doesn’t she look official?

We had Professor Gizmo as keynote speaker and he was SO funny! He told us how to make one of these floaty balloon things with the guts of a Diaper Champ. (New guts of course!)

These lovely ladies volunteered to help with a demonstration on sound waves – look how dry they are! For now… Professor Gizmo struck a tuning fork to make it vibrate, then had the volunteers look closely as he lowered it into a cup of water. When the tuning fork hit the water the vibrations made the water shoot out all over!

Here’s their reaction, hee hee!

Besides Professor Gizmo we had other great workshops, like:
Puppets in the Classroom – I went to this one, Mickey and Cassie were really goofy and made us laugh a LOT.

Creating Classroom Books – I went to this one too and got some great ideas of books to do in my child care.

Infant Sensory Experiences – I didn’t get to go to this one, but it looks like they had a ton of ideas.

Stepping Stones – I went to this one several years ago and made stepping stones as a Mother’s Day gift. All the moms loved them! (I’ll post a “How to” after I find the concrete recipe)

Gardening with Children – Nicole walked her kids to her mom’s house to garden all summer, then they put together this workshop. It sounded like a lot of fun so I may try it next summer.

During the breaks between sessions we gave away a ton of cool door prizes. I won a winter theme book! (The blue one in the back row, next to the dog…)

If that wasn’t enough, we had a delicious lunch – taco bar and BROWNIES!!!

I love when it’s fall and caramel apples start showing up in the stores. Of course I love the gourmet ones best, and this one looks delicious! Time for a snack…

I’m doing a happy dance today – my new Mary Kay arrived! Why does new make up always make me feel so happy? Maybe it’s the promise of a new, irresistible, gaw-geous me… or it could just be that I like purple eyeshadow.

Little Guy woke me up at 10 to 6 this morning, I stumbled blindly to his crib and picked him up. He snuggled his head down into the crook of my neck as we went back to bed to nurse a little before I had to get up. I laid with him next to me, his warm little body cuddled against me and his legs curled up into my belly. His upper hand reached out and stroaked my arm. I breathed in his fresh-from-last-night’s-bath scent and kissed his soft hair. Ahhh, bliss!