On Trend DIY Hanukah Shirt

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I made the cutest holiday wear for my kids!  

 

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The NEWEST Baby Bear!

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It's been almost one year since this little guy came into our lives.  I'm starting with a healthy photo, so we can go back in time and see all of the amazing miracles that he is!  

Our middle daughter was a C-Section, since she was going to be large.  I had the option of what I wanted to do for this guy, and decided that C-Section was again the safest way for him to be born. Well... he wasn't ready and his lungs didn't get all of the goo squeezed out during the birthing process, so he was born purple and breathing way too fast.  He was rushed to the Special Care Unit (there was no NICU at the hospital that he was born at).   We were told that it would be a few hours and then he would be brought to my room.  Hours passed and it because clear that his condition was worse than originally thought.  

 

This photo was taken in his NICU pod. 

We waited 3 whole days before the hospital would let us hold him. 

 

They withheld feeding him because we were told that he was unable to eat. They later inserted a GI tube and fed him through the tube.  They would only let us hold him for short amounts of time.  

He didn't grow and was showing liver problems.  But not typical jaundice that was reversed by the UV lights.  He was not allowed by the hospital to have visitors. 


notice the unusual skin color that he has in the photo

We were told that he might have Biliary Atresia.  It is a condition caused by the bile duct system being absent or malformed in the body.  We were told that he had holes in his heart.  He was transported to the University of Michigan Mott Children's Hospital NICU.  He traveled in this pod in an ambulance to the hospital.  




Mott Children's Hospital knew how to handle him much better.  His sisters were able to meet him for the first time when he was almost a month old.  
 



More about our Biliary Atresia and Alagille Syndrome Journey to come.  

Digital Gratitude in the New Year for Busy Moms

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Being a Mom is very rewarding, but sometimes I find myself buried in the mundane daily routine.  I look back and miss those precious moments that slipped away and sometimes focused on the not-so-positive of my routine.   

Gratitude jars were so 2017.. for 2018, Instead try this new free app (now only available for Android but IOS is coming soon) called Happy Keeper. It is a simple concept, that fills that app with photos and memories. 

Here is a sample of the app

Just add ANYTHING that makes you happy, grateful, thankful, and joyful to your app.  This will allow you to look back and reflect when you are stuck in the ruts. 

The developer says "Every few weeks, the app will pop up a quick reminder of the good things you’ve entered, and it’ll hopefully make you smile. At the end of the year, it’ll give you a retrospective, and it’ll hopefully make you smile a lot."

Metro Detroit Indoor Play Places for Rainy or Cold Days

Pin It Now! Active Play and Jumping:

Backyard Playroom Cana Luthern Church- FREE
2119 Catalpa, Berkley  
For Ages 0-3
Tuesday and Friday 9:30-Noon

Boogie Babies $
1928 B Star Batt Dr. Rochester Hills,  MI 48309
Tuesday-Thursday 9am-6:30pm
Friday 9am-8pm
Saturday 10am-8pm

Sunday 10am-4pm

Bounce U $
1101 Rochester Rd, Troy, MI 48083
Contact for open play hours

Detroit Adventure Center $ (Free under 2y)
1801 Atwater Street, Detroit, MI 
Wednesday-Friday  10AM – 3PM
Saturday 10AM. – 5PM
Sunday Noon – 5PM

Detroit Kid City $
29115 Greenfield Rd, Southfield, MI
37051 S Gratiot Ave, Clinton, MI 
Monday-Saturday 9AM-3PM

Fort Clakston- $
7127 Dixie Highway, Clarkston
Monday - Thursday 9:00am - 8:00pm
Friday and Saturday 9:00am - 9:00pm
Sunday 9:00am - 6:00pm

GYMBOREE PLAY & MUSIC, BIRMINGHAM $
Adams Square Shopping Center
643 S. Adams Rd, Birmingham, MI 48009
2220 Crooks Rd, Rochester Hills, MI 48309

See site for open gym hours

Kids Gotta Play $
53535 Grand River, New Hudson, MI 48165
7732 Auburn Road, Utica, MI 48317
Tuesday – Friday 10AM – 4PM

Natures Playhouse $
703 Livernois St Ferndale, MI  48220
See site for open play hours

Jungle Java $
6481 N Canton Center Rd, Canton, MI
27658 Middlebelt Rd, Farmington Hills, MI
44595 Enterprise Dr, Clinton, MI 
Open Play Hours

Kidz Kingdom $
18602 Fenkell Ave, Detroit, MI 48223
Call for open play hours

Little Big World $
310 Livernois Road, Ferndale, Michigan   
Tuesday-Saturday Noon-5pm

Pump It Up $
28373 Beck Rd, Wixom, MI 
46090 Michigan Ave, Canton, MI 
1720 Opdyke Ct, Auburn Hills, MI  
25710 Northline Rd, Taylor, MI 

15117 Commercial Dr, Shelby, MI
Contact for play hours

Rochester Play
380 E. Second St. Rochester, MI
MON-SAT 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM

SUN 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM 

Tiny Town Play Lounge $
15444 Haggerty Road, Northville, MI
M-F 9:30-5:30
S 9- Call for hours
Ages 0-6

Troy Gymnastics-$
1600 W. Maple Rd., Troy, MI 48084

1921 Northwood Dr., Troy, MI 48084
9am-12pm open gym 

Under the Sea Playground, Troy
78 W Maple Rd, Troy, MI 48084

Ward Church Playscape and Coffee House-FREE 
6 Mile and Haggerty in Northville
The playscape is cleaned each day before opening!
Indoor play and climbing Area
Hours M-F 10-4 Sunday 12-4

Safari Playground $
700 North Pontiac Trail Walled Lake, MI
Mon - Thu and Sun 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Fri - Sat 10:00 am - 10:00 pm


Kid Friendly Museums:

Ann Arbor Hands on Museum $
220 E. Ann St. Ann Arbor, MI 
Monday: 10 - 5
Tuesday: 9 - 5
Wednesday: 10 - 5
Thursday: 10 - 8
Friday: 10 - 5
Saturday:  10 - 5
Sunday: Noon - 5 

Cranbrook Institute of Science $
39221 Woodward Ave, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Tuesday-Thursday 10AM-5PM
Friday/Saturday 10AM-10PM
Sunday 12-4

Chi-Town Union StationTrain Museum $ (under 4y Free)
8275 Cooley Lake Rd, Commerce Charter Twp, MI 48382
November-March 11AM-5PM (Friday-Sunday)

DIA FREE for residents
activity room Open weekends

Libraries with Things for Kids to Do:

Royal Oak
Farmington 
Farmington Hills 
West Bloomfield
Clawson Library
Ferndale Library
Southfield Library
Berkley Library
Huntington Woods Library
Bloomfield Library
Birmingham Library
Northville Library

Mall Play Places

Somerset
12 Oaks 

Kids Active Classes:

Born Yoga

Bubble Club

Mega Fun and Fitness- Novi

Fool Proof Baby Sleep Tips for Traveling

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Sleep is so important for parenting as well as babies health.  I have some great tips from Debra Stern to share with you to make this holiday season's travel a lot easier!

Baby Bear, Mini and Cousin (can you believe how big Baby Bear is-7!!!)

Fool Proof Sleep Tips for Traveling this Holiday Season with a Newborn, Infant or Toddler

1. Practice at home! Many times babies are not used to sleeping in a travel bed or pack-n-play.Put baby in travel bed or pack-n-play for naptime at home in weeks leading up to the trip.
2. Keep sleep routine as close to home as possible to help baby feel safe and secure.  If weather permits, dress baby in pajamas/sleepsack/swaddle blanket that he/she is accustomed to.  If renting a full-sized travel crib from a hotel, bring bedsheets from baby’s crib at home to recreate familiar sleep environment. Sing the same bedtime songs you sing at home and read favorite books.
3. Try to stay on baby’s time. If possible, try to keep naptimes and bedtimes as close to the same schedule as at home.  When traveling across time zones, gradually adjust baby’s bedtime. Some parents like to travel at night so baby can sleep and wake up in destination refreshed. This can lead to an exhausting first day of the trip. If you can “tag-team” with your partner by alternating napping and caring for baby during the first day, then traveling at night could be a possibility.
4. While it is tempting to let a sleeping baby spend the night in a Once at the destination, DO NOT rely on carseats for safe sleep. Carseat or stroller,carseats can sometimes cause breathing problems in babies and death in rare cases. Follow the recommendations of the American Association of Pediatrics and the “Back to Sleep” campaign by creating a safe sleep environment and putting baby on back for sleeping.
5. Slow it down – You’re on Baby’s Time! Don’t expect to have a jam-packed site seeing schedule. All the new sights, sounds, and experiences are very stimulating and exciting for baby. Baby could get fussy if overstimulated and too exhausted.  Remember that sleep begets sleep. Keeping baby awake longer than his/her bodies need may work for one night or one nap, but fighting against baby’s natural rhythms leads to meltdown. While it is nice to have alone time with your partner, caring for a baby can be even more exhausting than usual when traveling. We like to remind parents to not stay up too late too!

These tips are from Denise Stern at LET MOMMY SLEEP! To find out more about her, click here

Halloween Candy Alternatives

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I know that everyone loves to get candy on Halloween, but my kids have enough candy as it is.  I found a great list of things that you can give out instead of candy to keep Halloween fun!

A Photo Booth
Instead of giving out treats, give out photos!  Make a silly frame or background and grab your Polaroid or printer to snap shots of your trick or treaters in the groups that they come with.  They will be able to treasure this for years to come.  

Spooky Accessories

As kids age, they may not be interested in the latest and greatest candy. For older trick-or-treaters, consider spooky accessories like temporary tattoos, pirate eye patches, vampire fangs, etc. as festive alternatives.

Games and Activities

If you're wanting to keep candy to a minimum, engaging kids with Halloween themed games, finger puppets or coloring/activity books, is a fun and positive alternative to traditional trick-or-treating options.

Light up Necklaces and Glow Sticks

A favorite for both kids and parents, light up necklaces and glow sticks can help keep younger kids entertained while also helping parents keep an eye on little ones as they’re going door to door after dark.

Healthy Snacks

From apples to oranges, more and more Halloween is becoming an opportunity to teach kids and adolescents about making healthier food choices. So, instead of filling up on sugar filled candy, parents can help kids learn about portion control and having a balanced diet by providing healthier items to give out during trick-or-treating.  I would recommend some kind of wrapped healthy snack like dried fruit in place of fresh fruit so that kids will feel safer eating it!

Clean and Happy Mouths

After eating all that candy, kids may be more prone to cavities. Use Halloween as an opportunity to get kids excited about dental hygiene by giving out toothpaste and colorful or fun action figure toothbrushes.

Gifts Cards

A smarter alternative, easy investment platform Stockpile, is encouraging families and individuals to swap candy for $5 gift cards from Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Nike, and Google, as a fun way to teach kids about investing!