Stuff People Google 49

It's been a while since a weekly edition of Stuff People Google has featured a Teen Mom phrase.  It's been too long.

leah messer feet

Baby on a Beach

As you now know, I was on vacation last week.  A tropical Caribbean vacation.  It took a couple planes to get there, one being a 10 person puddle jumper, and once on sandy ground there wasn't much to do other than soak up sunshine.  Picture clear blue water, tiki umbrellas and a light ocean breeze.  My husband and I read lots of books, wore lots of sunscreen and ate lots of dessert.  It was peaceful and relaxing.

You can imagine the scene, yes?  Remember the photo from Tuesday's post (below)?

Okay.  Add a baby to that photo.  Add a 6 month old baby.  Add a stroller.  And a baby bjorn.  Does that image work for you?  Can you picture a baby on that beach?  Day two of our vacation, there was a 6 month old baby on that beach.  He was breastfeeding one tiki umbrella over.  

You know I'm baby crazy.  So first things first, I ooohed and ahhhed at the baby's cuteness.  He was adorable.  Once I moved on from him and his fantastic striped onesie, I pondered whether I would have the balls to bring a 6 month old to the Caribbean.  Then I pondered whether it was balls or whether it was an easy going attitude or whether it was lunacy.  The parents seemed functioning and stable, but appearances can be deceiving.

I started to consider all the reasons why one would or would not bring a baby on vacation: Will bringing your baby enhance/detract from/not effect your vacation? Will bringing your baby enhance/detract from/not effect other people who are vacationing beside you?  Practically speaking, is it even an option to bring or not bring your baby?

Image from a story on Raising Kvell
about a family's trip to Barbados with
their toddler who got croup and needed
foreign medical attention...ugh

First, only you know whether you want need mommy/daddy time or family time.  Are you going to stress without your baby (are your in-laws feeding him donut holes...again) or are you going to miss your baby to the point of not being able to enjoy the away time?  Have you not have 5 minutes alone with your husband since the baby's birth?  Next, is your baby mellow and adaptable or is your baby cranky and high strung?  The adorable baby on my vacation didn't cry, at all.  It's likely he went unnoticed by most sunbathers.  I doubt most babies could follow his act.  What is your baby's tolerance for new faces and new spaces?  Last, sometimes practical issues will make considerations one and two moot.  If you don't want to take your baby on vacation, you need a babysitter.  Do you have one or can you afford one.  If you do want to take your baby on vacation, you also need to bring baby things.  Will you need a stroller?  Can the baby deal without a pack n' play?  Bottles?  Diapers?

Just writing about all this is scaring me away from the idea a vacation post life with baby.  I'm not sure I have the patience to weigh the pros and cons, much less bring the baby.

What baby vacationing experiences do you have?  Did you fly a plane or opt for a driving vacation?  How old was your baby?  Regrets?

I'm Sorry

Please accept my apology.  I didn't post at all last week, as I'm sure you noticed, and I'm sorry.  I went on vacation and I decided to take a week off from blogging.  I'm usually proactive with setting up some posts that automatically go live while I'm away, but I failed on that front last week.  Poor planning on my part.  So, again, sorry!!!

Where I was for a week (aka Heaven)

While I'm apologizing for last week's failure, I figure there are a few other apologies that I owe you.

First, I'm sorry for screwing up the post title on The Blue Ivy Conspiracy.  The post was originally and accidentally entitled The Blue Ivry Conspiracy.  Ooops.  It stayed that way for about 3 hours until a friend gave me a quick text message to the effect of, "you screwed up Beyonce's baby's name".  I don't know why I wrote Ivry instead of Ivy.  It was a mistake...but kind of a big one.  What's more is that because I originally used "Ivry", even after changing the title to Ivy, the URL of the post remains with Ivry (http://nextstop-baby.blogspot.com/2012/01/blue-ivry-conspiracy.html).  I apologize to you, Beyonce, Jay-Z and Blue Ivry...errrr, Blue Ivy.

Blue Ivy Carter

I'm sorry for not following through on the Holiday Gift Countdown.  Last November I came up with a plan to blog a gift idea for each day of December leading up to Christmas.  I knew it would be labor intensive going in, but I already had accumulated a bunch gifts that I adored, so I figured it would be manageable.  I had a head start.  I skipped December 6.  I skipped December 10-13, and made one, big post on December 14.  By December 20, I called it quits.  So, I'm sorry about that.  If I do a holiday gift countdown again this year, I'll come up with a plan that works better for all of us.

The first day of the 2011
Holiday Gift Countdown,
still one of my favorites.

I'm sorry for posting about baby hats so much (here, here, here and here).  I know there's more.  I love baby hats and I can't help it.

This hat (here) remains my favorite.
I just love it.

I probably owe you a couple several more apologies for poorly conceived posts and lingering grammatical errors, but I'm going to stop before I feel like a terrible, horrible, really bad blogger.  I hope you can forgive last week's missing posts and continue to follow and read NSB.  I appreciate your readership, encouragement and support.  And I'll try to lessen the number of times per month that I write about baby hats.

Stuff People Google 48

After last week's edition of Stuff People Google (the horror), it's time for something a little light and a little weird. 

tiny toes baby bunny felt shoes 

Was this a search for baby booties in the shape of bunnies?  If so, was the reference to "tiny toes" necessary?  Maybe we're just looking at the product of a less-than-savvy internet searcher.  It's all about key words.

The Hardest Sacrifice

What's the hardest sacrifice that a woman has to make when she gets pregnant?  Don't think too deeply on this one.  I'm not talking about life-altering, emotional sacrifices like choosing the needs of one's unborn baby over oneself.  I'm talking about the opposite - shallow, temporary sacrifices.  Today I'm polling this question for no other reason than satisfying my curiosity.

Which of the following would be, is or was the hardest thing to sacrifice during pregnancy.  If I don't list your vice below, please feel free to spell out whatever else it is that you will miss/are missing/have missed for 40 weeks.  Kindly leave your choice in a comment.


ALCOHOL - This has to be top on the sacrifice list for most, or am I just a wino?

image here

LARGE AMOUNTS OF CAFFEINE - You are correct if you believe that small amounts of caffeine on a daily basis are no big deal (at least this is what I read after a stitch of research).  But, if you're a pot of coffee a day type lady, there will be necessary cut backs.  A cup of Joe a morning is fine, a half dozen espressos is probably not.

image here

SUSHI - I've recently heard that as long as you're eating reliable sushi, you're allowed to keep the soy sauce flowing.  Reliable sushi being sushi from a restaurant/vendor that you know and trust to be 100% bacteria/parasite free.  But, it's very hard to know when you're eating reliable sushi, so for most this will be a sacrifice.

image here

RECREATIONAL DRUGS - I just put it on the list to see if anyone was interested in admitting their habits in the publicly accessible yet judgment free forum provided on NSB.

image here

CONTACT SPORTS AND EXTREME SPORTS - I'm not an ob/gyn as you may have known or guessed.  But, from what I have learned through the journey of blogging on NSB, activities like horseback riding, bungee jumping and lacrosse become less easy to do when you're pregnant.  And, there are some studies showing that they present a risk to the little one.

image here

Now go ahead and comment with your vote.  I'll vote too.

A Diaper Quagmire

Something that a non-mother would never think about - diapers.  In fact, most non-mothers specifically avoid diaper interactions.  Diarrhea and warm urine aren't typically handled by choice.  But when your next stop is having a baby, it's time to suck it up and get down to (dirty) diapers because there are options.  You didn't realize there were diaper options?  There are.



DISPOSABLE DIAPERS


First up are the modern, plastic, throw out diapers.  These are the diapers you see in television commercials (i.e. Huggies, Pampers).  There are a couple unique pros:

• Easy and Convenient.  Fans of reusable and hybrid diapers will argue that they're just as easy.  As an outsider to reusable diaper changing (and diaper changing in general), I'm gonna disagree.  To me, a disposable diaper is easier because when it's dirty you chuck it in the diaper pail and don't look back.
• Bells and whistles.  Some disposable diapers have "wetness indicators" and sweet fragrances to mask the not so sweet fragrances.

Huggies disposable diapers

REUSABLE DIAPERS

Next are the old-school and coming back in a big way reusable diapers.  They are what they sound like - diapers that are reused after each use.  There are couple unique pros:

• Cost.  In a diaper to diaper comparison, disposables are much cheaper than reusable/hybrids.  But, in the long term a baby will need more and more and MORE disposables where as reusable diapers can be reused, thus they're a one-time expense.  And reusable diapers can be passed along to additional siblings.
• Natural material.  Reusable diapers are made of natural materials, cotton or wool, which is a huge bonus for babies with especially sensitive skin.

Charlie Banana reusable diapers

Before I discuss the 3rd type of diapers, it's important to address the environmental impact disposable and reusable diapers because it's a bit of a quagmire (side note: quagmire is one of my favorite words and it's the name of a character in Family Guy).  I'm guessing you're confused.  You thought that the key difference between reusable and disposable diapers are that the former is less harsh on the environment and the latter is more harsh on the environment.  Well, it turns out that it's not quite that cut and dry.  

The major issue with disposable diapers is that they don't decompose.  They sit in landfills far beyond the lifetime of the baby and when a single baby is using a couple thousand disposable diapers from birth to potty training...that's a lot of diapers.  Supposedly there are some new disposable diapers that decompose in 10-15 years, which is an interesting solution.  But I feel compelled to use the word "supposedly" because there haven't been 10-15 year long studies to prove this claim.  Meanwhile, reusable diapers don't hang out in landfills because they're busy being reused.  And when a reusable diaper finally meets its maker, it will eventually decompose because it's made of natural fibers.  That's the good news.  But, reusable diapers do impact the environment with the water and energy consumption that it takes to clean them.  For those using a laundry service there is the additional impact of the vehicle (gas, emissions, etc.) that picks up and drops off the diapers.

HYBRID DIAPERS


Finally, the third option.  Hybrid diapers are part reusable and part disposable.  The diaper itself can be washed and reused, but there is a disposable insert.  With some brands the disposable inserts are thrown away and with some brands the disposable inserts can be flushed down the toilet.  Could these be the answer to the disposable/reusable quagmire?  I'm not sure.  These are a relatively new option, so I couldn't find comparison studies regarding the environmental impact.

Diaper buyers and changers - what option did you choose and why?  Would you make the same choice all over again after your experience?  Any other pros that I missed?

Pregnant in Heels...Again

She's back.  Our favorite lisping (or regular speaking...depends who you ask) British pregnancy guru is coming back to Bravo for another season.

If you don't watch Bravo during every spare second of your day then you might not have seen the new commercial for Season 2 of Pregnant in Heels.  No fear, head to the Bravo website (here) to check out the details of the new season that will start on May 15.

After visiting Bravo.com, head to Hulu.com
to rewatch the SNL spoof from last year 

And you can check out all my old posts on Rosie Pope at the links below:

Your Burning Rosie Pope Questions

Rosie Pope Said...Wha???

Slightly Scared of Pregnant in Heels

Stuff People Google 47

Today's Stuff People Google goes back to the roots of Stuff People Google - MESSED UP internet search phrases.  I get it - the beauty of internet searching is that it can be done from the privacy of one's home (aka a judgment free zone)...but these phrases are just upsetting.  I mean really. 

jessica simpson pregnant manatee

nasty mexican pregnant

Po-TAY-to versus Po-TAH-to

Baby craziness is so fun, when you're in it and ready to go.  When you're not in it and SO not ready to go, it's really annoying.

When a single friend is surrounded by a crop of coupled up friends, slight tensions may arise.  The single friend wants to frequent bars, guzzle red wine and mingle with co-eds.  The coupled friend wants to order take out, play Apples to Apples and be in bed at a reasonable hour.  Okay, those are extreme stereotypes, but the truth isn't far off.  Single friends are typically driven by the desire to find partners in crime.  Coupled friends are typically driven by the desire to maintain relationships with their partners in crime.  When two good friends find themselves on differing sides of this dividing line it can be a game changer.

Apples to Apples is THE best game.
You know what side of the divide I stand on...

When a friend who is NOT baby crazy is surrounded by a crop of baby crazy friends, serious tensions regularly arise.  The baby crazy friend is trying to get pregnant or already pregnant or already a parent.  Her entire life revolves around wanting a baby and/or adoring the baby she has.  The non-baby crazy friend (coupled or single) is fully content without adding a baby to the mix.  Her entire life revolves around everything but baby stuff.  Much like the single versus coupled friend, the interests of the baby crazy versus the non-baby crazy friend differ.  But, when it comes to baby crazy differences, it's not just interests that differ it's full fledged lifestyles.

Tori Spelling is definitely baby crazy.
She's pregnant with her 4th!  

With pregnancy and babies come physical limitations and non-negotiable responsibilities.  Being baby crazy is an all encompassing state of being - in part because it's exciting and in part because it's actually life changing.  It's impossible hard to consider, think about, discuss and behave in a way that doesn't revolve around a baby.  Meanwhile, for the non-baby crazed individual it's excruciating to not be able to talk about or do anything that isn't directly or indirectly affected by a baby.  

I'm not suggesting that the baby crazy and the non-baby crazy folk can't get along.  They certainly can and do.  All the time.  But, it's important to recognize these major differences and be sensitive to them.  It's not about feeling sorry for lifelong bridesmaids or hopelessly baby crazed ladies.  Rather, it's about understanding the seriousness of these differences in terms of the way they affect interests and day-to-day life.  And, it's about respecting friends accordingly, just like you would with any other difference.

You say poTAYto, I say poTAHto.  You say I'm not ready for kids, I say I've been ready for kids since I was twelve.  Let's NOT call the whole thing off.      

Baby Season

In Wedding Crashers, Vince Vaughn's announced to Owen Wilson, "It's wedding season, kid!" and shortly thereafter the wedding crashing began.  You know what "wedding season" is, right?  You've heard the term.  You've probably used the term.  It's a pop culture staple when it comes to wedding talk.  Well, that's what I thought until I checked Urban Dictionary, the holy grail of all pop culture terms.  I had expected to find "wedding season" with a definition that went something like this: the time of year, between late spring to early fall, when the weather is at its best and people get married in droves.  I expected a reference to Wedding Crashers and maybe something about open bars and bridezillas. 

I was shocked to find that there is NO definition for wedding season on Urban Dictionary.  Huh?!  You can, however, find the definition to Bean Season.  You really do learn something new every day... 

With Easter right around the corner,
I think it's arguably Jelly Bean Season.

I'm going to depart tradition and say that, even without an Urban Dictionary definition, wedding season is a term.  And it's not only a term but it's also a reality in enough people's lives that a whole movie was based on it. 

What's decidedly NOT a term is "baby season".  Weather has no impact on baby making and thus there is no season affiliated with baby births.  Ummm, again, that's what I thought.  Turns out there is sort of a baby shower season - late Spring.  Statistically speaking, the most babies are born in the summer with August usually winning out as the biggest birthday month.  This finding has proven to be remarkably consistent over the years.  Nine months before summer times is late fall/winter time.  So it would seem that when the weather gets cold there is a spike in indoor activities...

As you know, Next Stop Baby is about the time in life when wedding season is over and baby craze begins.  But I guess it could have been about when wedding season is over and baby season begins.  Just doesn't have as nice a ring to it.

Have these statistics proven to be true for you?  Do you find yourself going to April/May/June baby showers for June/July/August due dates?  I found a bunch of interesting birth statistics over at BabyCenter.com (here) that are definitely worth checking out.