Infant & Child CPR

At each of the pre-natal classes I have attended the instructor has recommended taking an infant & child CPR class. I didn't really take this to heart because I figured that I could just call 911 if there is an emergency. Plus on TV people do CPR all the time and I figured if I needed to I could just "wing-it" or try to remember the CPR training that I had during my Red Cross swimming lessons 20 years ago. Ok, perhaps not the best idea...

Yesterday there was a last-minute cancellation in a CPR course that we were on the waiting list for, so fortunately both Christopher and I were able to take advantage of the open spots. The class was hosted by a local children's store and the attendees were all parents or grandparents of young children, plus us - the expectant couple. It was taught by American Heart Association certified instructors, took 3 hours, and covered adult, child, & infant CPR & choking. The class was very hands-on and gave us plenty of opportunity to practice on the mannequins provided. The steps are very easy to do and can really make the difference between life & death.

During the class some of the others shared stories of a family member requiring CPR, or a time when their child had choked on something, and they were really eye-opening. We learned that over their lifetime, every kid can and will find a way to choke on something (food, toys, etc.). Part of this has to do with their anatomy and how their throats are still developing. Combine that with their natural curiosity and desire to put everything in their mouth and choking is inevitable.

When we left the class both Christopher and I felt that it was the best thing we have done so far to prepare for the baby. I'm really glad we took the time to do it and I would highly recommend it for anyone.

Early!

All the people I know that are expecting babies around this time have been having them early. One little girl arrived 3 days early, another little boy 13 days early, and a friend due in May already knows she will be induced 2 weeks early. It has just hit me like a ton of bricks that this kiddo could show up anytime now!

So do I feel ready? Well although our nursery is all set and we've taken our pre-natal classes, I can still list a few things that I want/need to do:

• pack our bags for the hospital
• launder the baby's linens & clothes
• vacuum the nursery
  
• sterilize bottles
• make space in our kitchen cupboard for the bottle sterilizer, bottles, drying rack, etc.
  
• find "homes" for the bouncer seat & infant swing (why is baby stuff so huge?!?)
• attend a child & infant CPR course (I have been having a really hard time finding these classes)
• sew a tag blanket with the leftover material I have from my nursery basket liner project
  
• have dinner at Red Lobster - I am a sucker for those Cheddar Bay biscuits!
• watch Alice in Wonderland in 3D
• attend my 3 remaining pre-natal yoga classes
  

And beyond this list - does anyone ever really feel fully and completely prepared to become a parent for the first time?

Tick-tock, the countdown is on!

B. Smith

I'm sure everyone has received a phone call where the caller had the correct number, but was asking for someone else, but never have I experienced such a case of mistaken identity!

Our phone number, at some point used to belong to someone else named B. Smith. No problem - I understand that numbers get recycled over time. We figured this out pretty quickly when we were getting calls for B. Smith from various organizations, typically asking for donations.

Now for the longest time I have just been giving my phone number to have the cashier at Petco look up our rewards card number because I was generally too lazy to dig out the rewards tag on my keychain. But it wasn't until I looked at my receipt the other day that I noticed that it said B. Smith! So, B. Smith not only had our phone number at one point, but also had a pet that she purchased items for at Petco, and was a member of their rewards club. All this time when I have just been giving my phone number, my rewards purchases were being credited to her account!

Back when I was ordering takeout sushi, the restaurant I frequent tracks your order by phone number. Again, when I picked up my order the receipt showed my phone number and also read B. Smith! So not only does B. Smith have a pet (like we do) but she also orders takeout from my favorite sushi place (like I do).

Then just last week, we ordered some takeout Chinese food (we are trying to collect and sample several takeout/delivery options in the area for when the baby arrives), again our receipt read B. Smith!!

So far we have learned that B. Smith supported a variety of charities, shopped at Macy's (with a Macy's credit card), had a pet, and likes to order takeout sushi and Chinese food upon occasion. Where will she turn up next?

Open to the Opposite

Someone had told me that when you are pregnant you're not supposed to eat eggs with soft yolks. I don't eat a ton of eggs anyways, but when I do I tend to enjoy them with runny yolks - over easy or soft boiled for the most part.

Christopher prefers his eggs scrambled, so I took this as an opportunity to learn how to perfect the art of scrambling an egg. What I discovered in my research is that I had been doing everything exactly wrong.

When scrambling eggs in the past, I used to break them and mix them up in a bowl with a little bit of milk before putting them in the hot pan. Then I tossed them around for a minute or so and dumped them on the plate.

The scrambled egg recipe I found that I liked the most was from Gordon Ramsay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU_B3QNu_Ks

Following his recipe, you don't break the eggs until AFTER they are in the pan, and you cook them slowly over LOW heat, adding the cream at the end. Who knew?!?

Since uncovering this secret to the perfect scrambled egg I have to say that I have enjoyed them much more than I have in the past. And Christopher gave the recipe a thumbs up too. So if you make scrambled eggs the way I used to, try doing the opposite and see what you think!