Underweight babies

I'm curious if anyone else out there has a small low weight(on the graphs)baby. Our little Bundle of sunggly joy is just that, little.

Happily we got the official call that he is now back where he is supposed to be again, not on the chart, but on the right trajectory.

We have been giving him a wide variety of foods(even stuff we don't really like)
We have also been giving him pediasure, but I'm interested if anyone has a more natural alternative to it. I didn't think I was giving him that much... certainly not as much as the N.P. recommended, but he has had enough of it that he is starting to smell like the pediasure.... yuck.

For fat and protein I am considering finally introducing peanut butter, I am sensitive to some tree nuts when my other allergens are high, so I am a little wary of peanuts and peanut butter and tree nuts.

I"d love to hear your ideas. please leave a comment!

Becky

Bowie Parents Network and Babysitting Co-op

I ran into a great mom, Alexandra, at the SS Gym the other day and she told me about an interesting network and co-op. the Bowie Parents' Network hosts a "Coffee Break" every Wednesday between 9:30 and 11:30 am. they get together to connect, offer support and just have some conversations with other adults(kids are welcome of course :) ) at St. Matthews United Methodist Church. They are located on RT.450 beside Bowie High School.

Alexandra told me that at least once a month they have babysitters who come in to watch the kids so that the parents can relax and connect with each other without worrying about the kids.

You can find out more information on the website, at the email, or by calling them at:(301)809-1884, bowiemsg@verizon.net or, http://bowieparentsnetwork.qlubb.com/public

She also told me about the Bowie Babysitting Coop. They meet at Borders in Bowie, and more can be found out about them at babysitterexchange.com

Thanks Alexandra!

Going through the Community Calendar...

Going through the thursday Gazzette, I came across the community calendar and thought I would share some of the things I would like to attend. Just as a heads up I don't know anything about these events or who puts them on, other than what I saw in the paper.

I also saw some museums in Bowie that I would like to take my little guy to visit a number of times as he grows up to see what peaks his interest at the different ages.

so here are some .




1. What kid doesn't like trains at some point growing up... okay maybe there are a \few, but I think the bowie railroad museum in old town is worth going to see. and note the juxtapostion of the classic trains they tell you about and the fast modern trains you can see go right by museum.

2. I've heard great things about the radio museum. which might sound a little dry at first, but apparently it is really well done and a cute building to boot. if
you've been there leave me a comment to tell us how you liked it.

and 4. As a Bowie-ite. I feel some embarrasment that I haven't visited the main masion in the area Meaning of course the Beliar mansion and also the stable. I drive past them all the time but never stop. I'm not going to let that happen to the kiddo, and I'll remedy my deficit as well. :)




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How does your baby sleep?

A big topic of conversation after storytime this past thursday was about how your baby sleeps.

The main topic was how do you get babies under a year to stay asleep while trying to lay them down in their crib.

Also I was wondering how many people co-sleep with their babies? If yes, do you use a bed next to yours or keep them in your bed? If no, how did you transition or how did you deal with sleeping arrangments?

What is your main concern with your babies sleep habits? How old is your DLO (dear little one)?

Leave a comment to share with us.

Before Baby Toddles Off.... SilverStars gym

There are a few things that I have found around Bowie that is free or a major discount if you go before the baby starts to walk or do things on thier own.

One of my favorite things is to take Leo to the Gym. I'm not talking about the place with treadmills and elipticals and has a little room for the tykes, nope this place is for the kids.

IT is a blast! Everything is padded and its one of the few places I can relax a little, and run after my little one for fun, rather than saying "no, don't touch that" ... "put that down"... "thats not safe".

The floor is totally padded, the trampolines are lots of fun (kids only please) the instructors who are around out front or setting up for the next class are really nice.

There are two sections of the gym. the top part for open gym and little ones. and the bottom gym for classes and the bigger kids if open gym is really packed ( the instructors or front desk people will tell you if its open) and let me tell you this gym is big. I have yet to be there when its really packed, not because of the people there, but because of the square footage, plenty. Its bigger than thier other gym in silver spring I'm told, by quite a bit.

You should know that if you kid is not walking open gym times do not cost anything. All you have to do is go and sign yourselves in at the front desk. if they are walking it costs $7.00 per visit. ( although you can buy a card of a certain number of visits and then it works out to about $5 per visit). They hold open gym 2-3 times per day, Monday through Friday. always from 12-1pm, and 2-3 pm. and

It says on their site tuesdays, wednesdays, and fridays they are open in the morning from 10-11.

14201 Woodcliff Ct., Bowie, MD 20720

phone: (301) 352-5777

Who am I... and why am I doing this?

My name is Becky. I'm now mom, to an awesome little boy who is now 1 year old! As well as an older chocolate lab and puppyish yellow lab mix. I am married to a great guy and have been exploring Bowie as a resident since '97( yep, that was a few years before Bowie town center arrived and pushed back my ETA an extra 10 mins!)

I'm starting this blog because of a suggestion in storytime at the Bowie library today. All the moms were talking about things to do with our kids and their individual needs. When in a repeat of last week one mom spoke up and declared "You should have your own blog" followed by(paraphrased), If I need to know what to do in Bowie, I should call you!

I don't pretend to have an inside track about the babies in Bowie, but I do have some knowledge that can be helpful to moms and dads with new babies and older babies in Bowie.

I want to keep learning about Bowie ,Md (not Bowie, Texas) and the secret lives of the babies who live here. Starting with mine! I'll share my opinions and experiences.

I also have asked some other moms to bring in some other experiences and ideas for a couple of reasons. One reason is I want this to be a blog for all moms, also I want this to be easy and fun for everyone including the writers!Lastly, there is so much that goes into being a mom. People feel more passionate about some aspects than others and this way we can offer a wider base of knowledge to everyone involved!

Being a mom of a small growing toddler, you never know what will happen and having a network of people to support me in this and me to support them will hopefully make it easier and keep it going during the times when it is more difficult to reach the cyber world.

I feel the more I share with you, the more you will share with me and all our babies lives will be full of healthy learning experiences! So... Here it goes...

Welcome to "The Bowie Baby Blog".