Exercise

Did you burn more calories before or after having kids?
Just wondering. And if your eating per se doesnt change while you're pregnant, will it be easier to take off (shut up I'm already at least 20 lbs overweight so i dont need to gain any) later on?
Just wondering...

does anyone wear a pedometer to see how far they really go in a day?

Bedding and nursery themes

hmmm so I took a friends suggestion and looked at Babies R Us online at nursery bedding. Wow! you can't buy the pieces separate, and the sets are near $200 to over $250 and that seems a little outrageous to me. I am a little disappointed because I saw from Walmart and a brief trip to Target was pink and blue. Note the disgust with pink and blue, it's important. Also, I started looking at Target online and was enthralled by this "Ultimate Crib Sheet" thing. I didnt think about crib sheets being a pain to change especially holding the baby, but it would be, wouldnt it? The idea is that it snaps on so you can easily pull it off, and if you have more than one, then it could be layered and easily have another underneath and then if you have a repeat offender then it's not so bad. What do you guys think about that? It got really good reviews except one person who had the straps tear when you wash it (someone else said, duh, they unsnap, take them off) and that if you have a solid wall on your crib it's harder to use... it's a combination mattress pad and sheet. If I think of it that way, you save all that money on additional sheets and mattress covers, and you just buy a couple of these and you're set. At least that's how other mom's who reviewed them, seemed to make it seem.

What else do you think about nursery bedding? Is a dust ruffle necessary? Or just for cute? I take it a bumper is the thing on the inside about head level that keeps them from "bumping" their heads on the slats? And that would be necessary. And they all set blankies, but you're not supposed to give a kid a blanket for so long a time because of SIDS right? When does that end? Do you get a lot of use out of cutesy bedding or is it just something for people to buy at a baby shower that's a lot of money and makes the room really cute? And wouldn't you want somethign that would go for a girl or boy since you may have more than one kid?

Thanks for your input...

Going for neutral...and simple...and smart!

Bad, Bad Baby Names..check it out if you have a while

http://notwithoutmyhandbag.com/babynames/

Quirky Parenting Rules

This reminds we of my sister-in-law so much. Mostly the one about not listening to whiners. Her kids are flat out trained not to whine. I love all these rules. They make so much sense, even to me. Feel free to steal them. I think I'll get a sign made with the rules on it. he he.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/parenting/06/21/par.quirky.discipline/index.html

purchasing items

do you buy anything up front for a baby or do you just expect a baby shower before and/or after to take care of everything for a while? Would it be good to buy inexpensive/clearance baby clothes ahead of time? or diapers? Would it be better to buy the infant car seat and take care of that and put the bigger car seat that converts to booster on the baby shower list? Do you really need a lot of clothes, like do they go through 3 sets a day, or do you really only need basically one a day plus a couple extras if you've got a washing machine? Is less more? what do you totally forget you need and have to make your first run to the store for?

for instance, we recently saw items for about half price in walmart. we double checked back in the baby section and the items, example 12 month onesies a five pack were $10.88 and on clearance they were $5. same with other items that were on sale. what do you think about that?

car seats

I saw an ad (emailed to me from BabyCenter.com) for a Britax car seat. It's quite expensive ($250 or so) and is supposed to work for babies and kids 5lbs to 65lbs, so that would take you from newborn to almost out of a booster seat. Almost all of the reviews that I read were positive, just a couple of people had trouble with their car seat not fitting the car or the straps adjustment or something. But they almost exclusively said that their kids grew out of an infant seat or changed to the Britax when their kid was 5 or 6 months old. Someone I met a few years ago said that their kid at like 18 months was on their 3rd car seat, so umm. what's the difference? And I've seen ones that have a whole set thing that you can unlock and put your kid in different cars or in a stroller that all hooks together. I'd hate to invest a bunch of money in a car seat that doesnt work for a little little baby and have to have 2, but if you have to have 3 or so anyway, what's the + and - of that?

gendered clothing, blankets, etc

the only things i've seen have been clothes, toys, blankets, etc. and you can BARELY ever find anything other than pink or blue. all pastels. very rarely, and now walmart carters i think carries some yellow and green. if/when we have a baby, i dont want to find out the sex/gender beforehand AND i dont want pink or blue clothes type things if i can help it. any ideas how to keep people from over-genderizing everything? I had a lot of issues because i was constantly put down for "being a girl" and it made me close off from other people, hide from trying new things, not to be melodramatic, but I still am scarred from it. i dont want my kids to be started in with that whole thing before they can even talk. did you have any problems with that with your kids, or were you not treated that way and/or with your own charming way have you told people to stuff it?