Plastic and China

Even before the recent toy recalls by Mattel, I wasn't crazy about giving Aaron a lot of plastic toys. Not only is plastic derived from petroleum, but much of it is made with chemicals such as Bisphenol A (BPA), which can leach from the plastic when it is used for food and drink purposes, so I imagine it can leach from the plastic toys when Aaron puts them in his mouth. BPA has been linked to prostate cancer in rats. How it and other chemicals used in plastic affect our health is still being studied. And chances are good that you've got dozens of industrial chemicals in your body that weren't around 100 years ago, with unknown consequences.

For years I've been reading food labels to limit my intake of artificial ingredients such as colorings and artificial sweeteners. But recently, I've become more concerned about not only what I'm eating and drinking, but what I'm storing my food and drinks in. When I heard that you shouldn't refill plastic water bottles because they start to break down over time and leach chemicals into your water, I stopped reusing my bottles. I have also replaced my Rubbermaid storage containers with glass containers for fear of what might be leaching out of the plastics in the microwave.

But it's more than a personal health issue, it's becoming a serious environmental issue as well. When I heard that San Francisco was planning to ban plastic water bottles because so many of them are not recycled and are ending up in landfills, I decided to find a glass bottle I could reuse for taking water with me when I am out of the house. Plastic does not biodegrade. It breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, but never goes away. That means all plastic that has ever been made, except what has been incinerated, is still on the planet today. In our landfills, in our oceans, in our bodies.

What about recycling? Recycling of plastic is misleading. Even those plastic bottles you recycle, the ones with the 1's and 2's that you can put out at the curb, they don't get recycled into new plastic bottles. They might get recycled into carpet or other derivative products that will also never degrade (or be recycled), so it doesn't really reduce the amount of virgin plastic being made for more plastic water bottles.

There is so much plastic in our environment, the ocean is filling up with it. There are large floating islands of our plastic waste. Not only stuff that was thrown out and ends up in the ocean, but brand new plastic toys and products from shipping containers that have washed overboard during the long trek from overseas manufacturers. Please read the article in the link above if you want to know more about how this affects the environment and our health.

So the more I think about it, the more I want to reduce my plastic consumption. Not only to keep industrial chemicals from getting into my food or Aaron's mouth, but to cut down on non-biodegradable waste. And the recent recalls by Mattel of millions of plastic toys makes toys my next target. (Granted, those recalls were for problems due to lead in the paint and magnets that could detach and be swallowed.)

Before we had plastic, kids had wooden and cloth toys. Believe it or not, there are many great non-plastic toys, painted with non-toxic paints and made with all natural fibers (i.e. 100% cotton versus synthetic materials). Even noisy ones! (Just not battery-powered noise). One of my favorite toy companies I found recently is Haba. Their toys are available online, through Amazon.com, even, but I found they are also available at a local children's shop where I purchased several wooden toys for Aaron.

Haba, along with several other children's toy companies that make classic wooden toys, is a German company. Most, but not all, of their products are actually manufactured in Germany. One thing I like about the online retailer Moolka is that for most of their products, they tell you where they are manufactured. Although all toys sold in stores have this information on the packaging, not all online retailers make this information available.

Am I going to stop using all plastic? No. That's unreasonable. Plastic has its uses and for some things there are no substitutes. Plastic garbage bags, some medical equipment, computers and other electronics, packaging to keep foods fresh in the store, and many, many more. But when there is a reasonable alternative (wooden and cloth toys, glass bottles, etc) I want to go with the non-plastic option. And hopefully, science will find new environmentally-friendly materials for some of those products for which there currently aren't good alternatives.

I do have to admit that we just bought a Fisher-Price Jumperoo that is not only plastic, but was probably made in China. Jumpers and Exersaucers are products that do not have environmentally friendly alternatives. Could Aaron have survived without a Jumperoo? I'm sure. But it is more for us than for him. Until Aaron can sit up and play with toys on the floor, the Jumperoo is a place we can set Aaron to play. It has numerous toys attached that won't fall to the floor from his clumsy grasp. It entertains him and gives us a chance to finish lunch.

But this is more of a container for the boy than a toy and is one of our exceptions. In general, we don't plan to buy Aaron plastic toys or take them as hand-me-downs. We want to limit his exposure to plastics while he is young, and especially while he is exploring everything by putting it in his mouth.

So if you want to buy Aaron a gift, please stick with wood and cloth toys or books and clothes. And preferably ones not made in China. I'm sure not all toys and children's books made in China are toxic, but I am very concerned about their lack of regulations and oversight. I could write an equally long tirade on the outsourcing of manufacturing to China and the failure of American toy companies to take responsibility for the safety of their products.

Aaron's First Thunderstorm

We woke up to a thunderstorm this morning. We thought it would frighten Aaron, but it didn't seem to bother him. We got up a little after 6am and he was awake, but lying contentedly in his crib, one arm out of his swaddle. Since he was awake, Thom got him up and after a cup of coffee, took him out to the back swing to listen to the thunder.

I joined them on the swing after writing my previous blog, and after a few minutes, Thom asked "What's that noise?". I hadn't really noticed, but there was a sound in the distance that was gradually getting louder. I said "Traffic?" since it sounded like traffic, but it wasn't 7am yet on a Sunday and it went from quiet to sounding like a lot of traffic pretty quick.

And then a large drop of water landed on the other side of the patio and we realized the noise was rain. Heavy, big droplet, tropical rain. I'd never heard it approach like that before. In another minute, the rain became heavier and heavier until it was a heavy downpour. Apparently it is remnants of Hurricane Dean.

After a few minutes, I went to grab the camera to document Aaron's first thunderstorm. I think this is also the first time it has rained since the day we brought Aaron home from the hospital.Look closely at the picture above. There is a strange circular object towards the top of the photo. We aren't sure, but we think it is a water drop. If you zoom in on the photo, it appears to be falling. But I'm not sure how the camera caught it or why it is magnified. Any ideas?

Some more photos are posted on Picasa, or you can watch the slideshow below.

Sleeping Through the Night

Everyone asks if the baby is sleeping through the night. But what I've learned is that technically, if the baby sleeps for a 5-6 hour stretch at night, say 9pm - 3am, that is considered "sleeping through the night".

I think the more relevant question is whether the parents are sleeping through the night. That is the more significant milestone.

And the last two nights, I am happy to report, I have slept through the night. After two very fussy and frustrating days last week, Aaron slept for 11+ hours Friday night, going a record-breaking 12 hours between feedings. And again last night, he went 11 hours between feedings. Both nights I was able to sleep about 8 hours.

As with any other time he has gotten me used to a new routine, I don't expect this to last, but I am going to enjoy it while I can.

More Photos for Mom

Well, my mom said to post more photos, so I must comply. She is the grandmother, after all.

Here are a couple of photos from the family's new Summer Birthdays party. Since Barb joined our family, we now have enough people to qualify for their own birthday gathering. Barb, Elizabeth and Conner, along with my brother-in-law Ernie and my nephew Alex are all born in summer months. Previously we have celebrated Spring and Fall birthdays, leaving out summer and winter birthday people.

Jim and Barb hosted the gathering at their new home. I took these photos of Grandpa and Larissa with Aaron before my camera batteries died. I will post more photos (or a link to more photos) from the event when I can. My Dad took some pictures, too, so there should be more photos from the day.

The first weekend in August, Thom's friend Vikas and his wife Christina and their two kids came down for a visit. Thom went to grad school with Vikas, along with Linda, who joined us for the afternoon. Below is a photo of Thom and Aaron, Linda, Vikas and Vikas' daughter Talia.

4 month checkup

Aaron had his 4 month checkup today. He weighed in at 16 lbs 8 oz, was 26.5" long and his head circumference went from the 75th percentile at 2 months to the 90th. That's one big melon! His weight gain has slowed down - he only gained 2 1/2 pounds in the last two months. But he's 3.5" longer. Which explains why he is outgrowing his onsies in length. (Thank you Jessica for the onsie extenders!)

His shots went better than last time. He still didn't like them, but it didn't seem as traumatic as the first set and he calmed down quickly afterwards. He's been sleeping most of the day, waking up to feed a little more often than usual, but staying awake for shorter periods.

Since I have allergies, she recommended we don't start him on any solids until he is 6 months old. If I can hold out, she said. I asked what that meant - wondering if he was going to be ravenous as he gets bigger and I was going to be dying to give him baby food. She said some parents can't wait to feed their babies solids - they start asking about it at 2 months. They think the baby needs it or they think it will help the baby sleep through the night. Not me. I'm happy not spending money on baby food or going to the trouble of spoon feeding him any sooner than necessary. But at 6 months, it sounds like he'll need more iron than he can get from breastmilk, so we'll start him on rice cereal fortified with iron.

I knew we'd introduce foods gradually to catch any food allergies, but I didn't realize there were limits on when we could give him certain foods - except honey, which I know they don't recommend before 1 year since it can contain botulism.

Here's what she told me:
Starting at 6 months, I can give him rice cereal and then fruits.
Before 9 months - no wheat and no meat
Before 12 months - no honey, chocolate, strawberries, seafood, egg whites, soy or dairy
Before 2-3 years - no nuts

Overall, he's doing well, she said. Although we did get another lecture about not giving him Trivisol, which is a vitamin supplement. She thinks he needs Vitamin D, which she says most American women are deficient in. Thom went to the store to get it after our 2 month checkup (during which she reiterated her earlier recommendation to put Aaron on it) but wasn't happy with the ingredient list, so he didn't buy it. I read on kellymom.com that as little as 30 minutes of sun exposure a week can give him the Vitamin D he needs. Plus I'm still taking my prenatal vitamins which have a full dose of Vitamin D. And soon enough, he'll be getting vitamin fortified cereal. In the end, she said it was up to us and she wouldn't say we are bad parents for not giving it to him, but she has to go with what the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends.

Thumb vs. Pacifier

I went through the whole debate in my head of whether it was better for Aaron to use a pacifier or suck his thumb. Initially I wasn't keen on using a pacifier, but when he started using me as a pacifier and he wasn't yet able to suck his thumb, I started to use the plug. I hadn't realized until his pediatrician told us, but he needs to suck more than he needs to eat, so I'd rather he suck on a pacifier than me.

Since he's been using the pacifier, I thought the debate was settled and I was just hoping he would grow out of using the pacifier when he is fairly young so we wouldn't have a battle over it when he is older. I try to give him the pacifier only when he is tired and close to going down for a nap or when we are out in the stroller, I give him one to keep him calm. But lately, he has started spitting out his pacifier and then putting his left hand into his mouth. Well, not his whole hand, but at first it was his thumb and fore finger. Now he is getting more adept at just getting the thumb in there. And then he chews on it. Then he takes his hand out and cries.

What I've realized is that he is ultimately going to decide the debate. He seems determined to learn how to suck his thumb. He actively spits out the plug to suck on his hand. His father was an avid thumb sucker so maybe it is genetic. At nearly 4 months, I'm not going to use negative reinforcement to discourage thumb sucking. I've tried putting the plug back in when he spits it out, but that doesn't seem to work. Although it will be harder to ween him from thumb sucking than a pacifier, at least if he figures out the thumb sucking business, he'll be able to self soothe when he wakes up instead of crying until we put the pacifier back in his mouth.

And for those of you who may be worried about it, Thom sucked his thumb until he was old enough to remember having done it, and there was no lasting effect on his teeth.

Aaron Laughing

Aaron started laughing a couple weeks ago, but only recently did Thom find a way to get Aaron to laugh pretty consistently. You have to kiss his cheek just under the ear so that your jaw is against his shoulder. If you don't get it just right, there are no giggles, but you still get big smiles.

I took this short video after Thom had been getting Aaron to laugh for a couple of minutes, so towards the end, you can see that Aaron is getting close to melt down from over stimulation. Oddly, he seems to be happiest just before he is ready to go to sleep, so he quickly goes from smiling and laughing to fussing and crying. (I guess this is the same for all babies, but it still puzzles me.)

The problem with swaddling blankets

What a difference 3 months makes

Grabby Baby

Aaron has finally figured out how to use his hands and there is no stopping him. I took this picture yesterday when he was smiling and cooing. Yes, he does have bed head.

He's playing with his favorite toy - his burp cloth.

Today, I met my sister for lunch. We went to a new Italian place near where she works and Aaron sat in his stroller quietly the whole time, although he was getting more and more fidgety as time went on. On the way home, I heard him smacking and figured his pacifier must have fallen out and he was sucking on his fist (which is his new thing). I could also hear the handle of the pacifier clacking as if it was bouncing around in his car seat. But when I got home and took him out of the car, I saw that he had been playing with his pacifier, holding it by the mouthpiece. When I picked him up, he tried to put it back in his mouth, without much success.

Here's a short video clip I took towards the end of an episode of cooing and generally being adorable.

Playful Baby

Aaron is about 3 1/2 months old now. In the past couple of weeks, he has finally taken an interest in the play yard's hanging animals. When he moves around in the bassinet, the animals shake and he seems to like this. He is very talkative when he is in the bassinet, too, just jabbering away at his animals. Part of our daily routine now involves spending time in the bassinet. (By the way, that dinosaur outfit is labeled 3/6 months and he is about to outgrow it.)

Aaron is also starting to touch things deliberately. We have a touch and feel animal book and he reaches his little fist out to the textured part of an animal and then awkwardly unfurls his fingers to try to touch the fabric with his finger tips. The other day, he was also reaching out to touch a little frog toy I was dangling in front of him. This is more hand control than he had even weeks ago.

But his favorite toy is still his burp cloth, which he likes to grab with both hands and try to smother himself with.

This is a great picture of Aaron with his Grandma. You can really see how big he is getting - he's going to outgrow Grandma's lap before long.

Although my hair starting falling out in handfuls a few weeks ago, it looks like Aaron's is going to stay. And it looks like he is going to be a tow head like his dad was as a kid. His roots are very light, unlike the darker, coppery hair he has on top. In a few more months when he needs his first haircut, we'll see.

In other exciting news, Aaron has been sleeping longer stretches again. In fact, his longest stretch was 7 hours - with 8 hours between feedings. That hasn't happened again, but he has been going about 6 hours or more pretty consistently in the last week.

And he is starting to sleep more often with his hands out. He usually manages to get his left hand out of his swaddle pretty quick, so most of the time we just leave it out so he doesn't spend 10 minutes struggling to get it out. In fact, he usually falls asleep faster when we leave it out. Later, he will wake up and try to get his right arm out and if it is during the day and we hear him making noise, we'll go in, let out his arm, put in his pacifier, and he goes right back to sleep. This morning, I even put him down without swaddling him and he went almost immediately to sleep. Granted, he didn't sleep nearly as long as he normally would, but it is progress. Right now, he is swaddled and sleeping peacefully.