The Adventures of Baby Arthur

by Lincoln



Arthur officially passed the 21-month old mark. While he's not quite two yet, I felt like it was time to give a status report on how our "parenting agenda" has gone, as has been described on many of my posts. In other words, did any of this crap work?!

Eating Picky-ness: We have stayed true to Dr. Frenchy's food training methodology on picky-ness. He's never eaten baby food and we always "let him eat what we eat". I don't really have any criteria to base the success of the tactic on, but while Arthur is not aggravatingly picky, he's definitely picky! It wasn't until last week did he begin to consider eating meat. I guess he figured out how to use his molars! Before then, it was almost exclusively rice, macaroni and vegetables. Getting him to deviate much was a task! Grade: C+

Food Training: In terms of eating by himself, Dr. Frenchy's tactic has been a resounding success. Arthur eats all by himself with limited assistance and everyone is impressed. Grade: A

Sleep Training: It's been up and down, but as of today, Arthur still cries for at least a few minutes every night before he settles down. This is a source of worry for me, as I think he will outgrow his crib soon. I'm worried that he'll just crawl out of his toddler bed, bang on the door, and pass out on the floor! We'll see what happens.. Grade: B

Tantrum Aversion: We've been doing as Dr. Karp says! While Arthur is not yet 2 years old, it's too soon to tell if we've averted the terrible twos! But there haven't been very many intolerable tantrums. Arthur is definitely a good kid. Grade: A

Reading: I haven't specifically blogged about this, but Liz has been religiously reading to Arthur and trying to teach him the ABCs. While Arthur is not reciting the alphabet yet, he's repeating after us now and he can identify a handful of letters! I think this one's working out pretty well. Good work Liz!! Grade: A

In other news, Blogger.com has decided to change the way they work, which is going to negatively affect this blog! I need to figure out to adapt to their changes.. so this blog will be going into official hiatus. I'm not sure for how long, 2 weeks, maybe a month? But it'll get done!

Stay tuned and thank you for reading! I'll be back.

Labels: guessyourbaby.com, parenting

by Lincoln and Liz

Our search for a pre-school, which has included stops at Love-a-Lot, Stinkin Chinatown Day Care and Your Kids Our Kids Day Care / Pre-School, moved on to our last stop: Educational Alliance. Educational Alliance is actually more than just a pre-school as they offer many different types of programs for children and adults alike. Check out their website for details.

As things usually go, Liz learned about this pre-school from a personal contact. Her best friend's sister Bertha, whose 3-year old son, Berthos, attends the school. Bertha had positive comments about the school as Berthos has been thriving and his speech has drastically improved since he began attending. Like us, Bertha was looking to place Berthos in an environment where he could interact socially with others. Liz made an appointment for a tour.

Liz walked into Educational Alliance, which had a lobby and a receptionist. All guests are required to announce themselves and sign in. The children area is upstairs and accessible by elevator (plus emergency stairs of course). The tour proceeded as scheduled, which is more than we could say about Stinkin Chinatown Day Care.

The Program Director herself conducted the tour. She seemed like a person of authority, yet professional and welcoming. In addition, she has Montessori experience, which we found to be a plus. Educational Alliance is setup like a public school. Each child is assigned a cubby in the hallway, where they can place their coats, lunch boxes, and other items. There was art work made by the children on the wall and the children were separated into classrooms by level. The entire environment was organized and clean. Educational Alliance also has a rooftop gym, which had the regular playground items like swings and slides. Staff to child ratio is approximately 3:1.

The Program Director explained how every toy served a purpose, whether it was for developing motor skills, speech, or cognitive thinking. Learning through play and experimentation in a nurturing environment is emphasized. The day time is split into periods of instruction in reading, arts & crafts etc. Field trips are also conducted. For example, they will take the children to the market and teach them about the different vegetables. Special weekly classes, such as yoga, dance and music, are also held.

Educational Alliance is a Jewish organization and they observe all of the Jewish holidays. In addition, parents are required to supply meatless lunches to their children. No meat, poultry or shellfish is allowed. Even though I'm a meat activist, I think I can live with that!

One look at their website is telling. It is very informative and professional looking, unlike Stinkin Chinatown Day Care, which doesn't even have a website! A quick Google search did not reveal many parental reviews, but a few articles did come up about the school, including one that called it "under the radar".

Educational Alliance is our selection. Ta-da! At $641 per month for their 3-day part-time program, this was the kind of price point we were looking for. Of course, there was a waiting list. After completing the arduously long and detailed application (Again, UNLIKE Stinkin Chinatown Day Care's one-page abomination!), Arthur has been accepted to their 2-day part-time program, which runs for $480 per month. We are on the waiting list for the 3-day program and hope that it will work out soon. The combination between the convenient location, price and quality made Educational Alliance an easy pick.

Labels: parenting

by Lincoln & Liz

Our search for a pre-school continued after visits to Love-a-Lot and Chinatown Day Care. The next stop was Your Kids Our Kids Day Care / Pre-school . This experience was quite a departure from the Stinkin Chinatown Day Care. Showing up to the facility for a scheduled tour date, Liz walked into a waiting area that was separated from the child care area by a secure door. Unlike Stinkin Chinatown Day Care, there was a receptionist to greet her! They even had juice and cookies available for the visitors.. How nice of them to pump Arthur up with sugar before the tour!

Walking into the facility from the waiting area, the room opened up into a larger area that was sectioned off by partial height walls, so anyone could see what was going on in any section. Liz called them "a maze of bullpens." While it was good to see that staff members could keep an eye on all of the children from anywhere, the environment felt a bit loud and chaotic. There did not seem to be an effective classroom environment that would be conducive for learning with all the noise. Any screaming child in any section would be heard by all. In addition, the facility was a bit dirty, messy and disorganized.

The positives were that they have musical specialists work with the children once per week at each level. The directors and the staff seemed genuine as caregivers and looked like they knew what they were doing. The lead director herself gave the tour and was very warm, friendly and good with kids. The staff ratio was about 4:1 children to teachers (Stinking Chinatown Day Care was more like 6:1, Love-a-Lot was 3:1).

After the tour was over, there was a brief Q&A session with the tour group. Unfortunately, there was not any personal attention and Liz couldn't get all of her questions answered. At a cost of $1500/month for their full-time schedule, Your Kids Our Kids is far more expensive than Stinkin Chinatown Day Care but not quite as expensive as Love-A-Lot. They do not offer a part-time program, which is definitely a downer for us.

A Google search on Your Kids Our Kids did provide a lot of information. Unlike Stinkin Chinatown Day Care, they actually have a website! In addition, there are many reviews available and most of them are positive.

Your Kids Our Kids did not make our cut. Your Kids Our Kids is probably a good day care that works for many parents, but it is definitely more day care than pre-school. Aside from the lack of a part-time program, an actual classroom style environment is important to us. The search continues...

Labels: parenting

by Lincoln and Liz

Our search for a pre-school, which technically began a few months ago, has recently run hot again for the last several weeks. After our last foray into pre-school research, Liz and I tacitly agreed that by age 2, we would send Arthur off. It seemed so far away back then! But as NYC pre-schooling goes, wait lists only get longer and with only 4 months left before Arthur's 2nd birthday, it is time to get cracking on this mission! Our plan is to ease him into the mix, 3 days a week for a half day session. After seeing how that goes, perhaps we will ease him full-time. Since Arthur will be expecting TWO new cousins within the next several months (one on each side!), this plan will work well for the Grandmas.

Disclaimer: Liz grabbed the bull by the horns this time! I did not personally visit any of these places, but Liz is sitting right next to me now and I can feel her WRATH! As of today, we have applied to one pre-school and have our fingers crossed that he will be selected. There is a wait list though, and we are hoping for the best. All total, Liz visited 4 schools in the last 3 weeks and I will be reporting her findings in a multi-part series.

Chinatown Day Care - 35 Division St.

After the sticker shock from Love A Lot, we went in search of more economical options. That brought us to Chinatown! In the spirit of the Stinking Chinatown Doctor, Chinatown Day Care did not disappoint. Liz walked straight in and was greeted by.. no one. No security! No reception! After flagging down a lady, who appeared to be in some position of authority:

Liz: Hello, I'm here for the tour.
Stern Lady: What tour?
Liz: I called a few weeks ago and scheduled an appointment for a tour today and to get more information.
Stern Lady (sternly): There's no tour.
Liz: Do you mind if I take a look around and get more information about the school?

Stern lady then proceeded to show Liz a classroom... from the doorway. But they couldn't go in! No ma'am, that is not allowed!

Liz: What kinds of activities do you have for the 2 year olds? Do you take them outdoors?
Stern Lady: We do not take them outdoors. Sometimes we take them down to the basement and let them watch some TV.

TV?! They let them watch TV?? In the basement?? Is there some kind of dungeon down there? Though Stern Lady explained that they show them educational programs, I would have expected more from allegedly trained professionals!

By now, Arthur was squirming around and tried to bully his way into a classroom. NO! That is strictly forbidden! And in her best sarcastic, condescending Chinese voice, Stern Lady said to Liz, "Your boy isn't shy is he?".

Liz returned home fuming about Stern Lady's comment! Arthur is curious! What's wrong with that?! While she ranted about Stern Lady, I peered over their application. It was a one page, poorly worded questionnaire that asked things like, "Can we take child to Hospital? If no, what should we do?"

Chinatown Day Care does not have a website. None of the review sites from a quick Google search revealed anything of use. There seemed to be the perfunctory single good review on a couple of sites. The lack of posted reviews isn't all that surprising, as the school appeared to be nearly 100% Chinese and likely the children of immigrants. However, not having a website is definitely questionable.

Objectively speaking, Chinatown Day Care appeared to be a sterile, clean and organized environment. Lack of security and open access from the outside is an issue for me though. At $683 per month for their full-time program, it's much cheaper than Love A Lot, but still nowhere nearly as cheap as outside the city. There is also a wait list, which could explain Stern Lady's general disinterest. Her recommendation was: "Well you can try to apply when he turns 3 or 4."

Overall, Liz was left with a poor impression. While Love A Lot clearly strived for an open and nurturing environment, Chinatown Day Care was closed and militant. We will not be sending Arthur to Chinatown Day Care.

Labels: parenting

by Lincoln

I've been playing music for Arthur since a very young age. Not only do I enjoy good music, I've always felt it was a good way to stimulate him. Let him use his imagination a bit, hear the beat and let the music envelope him! Plus, it beats TV. When he was an infant, I found that the And Christmas For All! The Holiday Tribute to Metallica (Metallica in christmas bells!) was quite effective in putting him to sleep. Even today, sometimes I'll sit him on my lap and play some music to help him nap. Before long, Arthur was translating the stimulation into motion by bopping his head and shaking his body. Of course, the first thing I did was play him "Bang Your Head" by Quiet Riot! You guessed it, I am a classic-rock metal-head.

Eventually he was shaking to all kinds of classic rock hits and the Ramones.. "I Wanna be Sedated!" Trying not to be too prejudiced (though I still refuse to play him pop music, sorry Britney), I played him plenty of other genres as well, such as jazz and classical. There was always a mood for something. Our DirectTV subscription comes in very handy for this as it has all kinds of satellite radio channels with all kinds of music available.

Unfortunately, the day came when I decided to give hip-hop a try on DirectTV's Hip Hop Hits channel. Needless to say, I am not much of a hip-hop, gangsta rap kind of guy. To my chagrin, Arthur's reaction to the heavy beats was unlike any of his other reactions to music. His head was bopping, his body was hopping, his feet were stomping, his mouth was hollering and his fist was pumping! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Arthur would not be denied. My attempts to switch him back to classic rock were unheeded as he would nod his head in disapproval while saying, "Not this! Not this!"



You can't touch this!

We have since compromised with Bob Marley and an obscure Hawaiian group called Keahiwai.

Labels: parenting

by Lincoln



The truth is, I read this book too early. I started reading it when Arthur was around 10 months old and I think he just wasn't ready for most of the techniques in this book. They would work here and there, but I think it was mostly because Arthur was amused at the way I was acting!

Anyway, things have taken a turn in the last few days (He is now 19 months old). At dinner time, Arthur is often struggling to grab and eat out of the family plate. While Grandpa may find this amusing as he pushes the family plate closer, this is not the kind of dining etiquette Liz and I find acceptable. Nevertheless, dinner would sometimes become a struggle as Arthur would ignore his own plate, grab at anything else on the table, and on occasion, end up in a time-out amidst a full-blown tantrum.

So about 3 days ago, I gave the "Fast Food Rule" a try:

As Arthur was struggling to get at the family plate..

Lincoln: Arthur wants more? Arthur wants more?
Arthur: MMMMM.. (nodding yes)
Lincoln: But Arthur has some right there! (pointing to Arthur's bowl)
Arthur: Looks down, sees he DOES have some of what he wants and starts eating it!

This was no fluke! It has worked every time since the first! Therefore, I am commemorating Dr. Karp's genius by writing about it on my 50th blog post (Gongs Crashing!).

The dominant message of the book is communication. Toddlers are like "cavemen" and they need to be "civilized" by us, parents! But to do that, we need to be ambassadors and communicate in a way our toddlers can understand. The Fast Food Rule is about verbalizing what your toddler wants first, so he can see that you understand what he wants. Afterwards, it's your turn to tell him what you want! This also applies to adults doesn't it? When you need to vent, sometimes all you need is someone to listen, empathize and understand how you feel.

The book goes through numerous other techniques for amusing, understanding and communicating with your toddler. It talks about positive reinforcement, "time-ins", acting like a "boob" and much more. Many of these things do not come naturally to me, so having a book like this to point them out is very helpful.

OK, so I only made it through 75% of this book. This read is a bit tougher than Happiest Baby, in that the techniques are not quite as straight forward. Toddlers are tough! It took a bit of time to absorb the material, but the book is well written with good anecdotes. And like I said above, I think I read it too early!

Nevertheless, the message was delivered and I can personally vouch that it works. I'll probably pick the book up and finish it off.. or I'll just get the DVD!

Click here to find out more about the book.

PS: One of my friends, who borrowed my copy of The Happiest Baby, purchased the DVD for his wife so she wouldn't have to read the book. While he vouched for the techniques, he mentioned that Dr. Karp was quite an interesting character in person!

Labels: books, parenting

by Lincoln

Happy New Year Everyone!

I'd like to report that Arthur has crossed another level of cuteness. For the past week he's been charming everyone in sight, saying more words, interacting with anyone around him, laughing at everything and eating like a bottom-less pit. He even charmed the unflappable Dr. Frenchy today. While Dr. Frenchy was applying the stethoscope, Arthur was fascinated with instrument, grabbing at it the entire time. When the exam was done and the stethoscope was hanging from Dr. Frenchy's neck, he continued to grab for it, placing it back on his chest. Lollipop? No thanks.. Stethoscope please! Dr. Frenchy was so enchanted he said, "Wow! Isn't that amazing?", followed by a kiss on the head. Then he quickly applied his shots and looked at the ceiling as if nothing was going on. Not a single sob was wailed from Arthur's mouth. Two amazing events in the span of 2 minutes! I'm just glad Arthur is braver than me when it comes to needles!

Arthur has been in quite an unusually good mood lately. It's almost as if he's extra happy.. like the kind of happiness you feel when you've been given perspective. Maybe it is, because the last three weeks has not been rosy.

The week before Christmas Day, Arthur came down with something.. and it was no normal cold. The first night, he vomited unexpectedly several times. We checked his temperature and sure enough, there was a slight fever. For the next two days, Arthur seemed a bit uncomfortable, but he was still acting normally for the most part. The fever on the other hand, seemed to go up and down with nap-time. We kept up with Motrin and he seemed to get passed whatever had.

But the vomiting returned and Arthur's mood worsened. He had trouble keeping his food down and whatever he did manage to eat seemed to irritate his tongue and throat. To make matters worse, a strange milky-like patch appeared on his gums. We never did figure out what it was, but I suspect it may have been thrush. (Though this could not be confirmed at Dr. Frenchy's office) Our visit to Dr. Frenchy's office (We didn't get to see him personally) was not too comforting either. Their advice was to keep a look out in case the fever returned. Otherwise, Arthur would have to just ride it out. The onset of a second fever they said, may indicate an escalation of the sickness. (Like pneumonia)

We all tried to do whatever we could to help Arthur eat. I tried making him some Banana Yogurt shakes (recommended treatment if he did have thrush), but he only ate it once. A steady diet of Congee was not too appetizing to him either. None of his favorite foods would do the trick. He barely drank any water, though he did accept milk. We thought he may have been dehydrated and he developed diarrhea as well. We tried giving him a mixture of ginger ale and water or Gatorade as recommended to restore his minerals, but he didn't seem to enjoy that much either.

The sniffles, cough and phlegm inevitably followed and our poor boy was just miserable. He just couldn't be put down and essentially had to be carried at all times. We limited his bath time to every other day to try to keep him comfortable (he did NOT want to be in the bath at all), but when we did bathe him, he had visibly lost weight. He was always pale and he wasn't sleeping well through the night either (and neither were we). This all went on for a week, it was just a terrible.

Christmas Day came along and Arthur still was not feeling very well, but we decided to attend my family function anyway. Arthur never left Liz's side and he wasn't sociable like he normally is. Clearly, he was not 100%. But the worst part was the endless stream of judgemental, huffy advice that poor Liz had to endure from my family. Like a pack of wolves, they pounced. How could we not be giving Arthur medicine? We MUST change doctors! Dr. Frenchy is no good! Blah blah blah.

I was spared the wrath of the wolf pack but Liz's confidence was shaken. Nevertheless, we agreed that we would stay the course and that we both believe in Dr. Frenchy. I just told Liz to ignore those animals! I'm no doctor and I don't know if one has to do with another, but the children of one of those mothers (my cousins) suffer from terrible allergies. Did too much medicine at a young age make a difference? Maybe they were shielded from germs too much? I don't know.. but I am 100% in agreement with Dr. Frenchy's methods and as far as I'm concerned, Arthur's present health is his vindication!

The next day at Liz's family gathering was a bit better. Arthur was not recovered, but his spirits were slightly improved. From then on, he showed improvement everyday moving forward and by the time the New Year's Day came, Arthur was back!

Everyone was relieved and his recovery brought upon a voracious appetite the likes of which no one has ever seen! Arthur was grabbing his bowl, shovelling his macaroni down, and asking for seconds. He's been consuming whole buns of bread, raisins, cherrios, bowls of rice and coming back 5 minutes later to ask for more! He's making up for 2 weeks of not eating!

As for Liz, with relief came the crash.. on the Saturday morning following New Year's Day:

Liz (trying to take a nap with Arthur): shh-shh
Arthur: aaahhhhh
Liz: shhhhhhhhh
Arthur: aaaaahhhhhhh!!!!
Liz: Go to daddy.

(silence)

aahhhhh!!!

(silence)

aaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!

After the second aaaaahhh, I went to investigate. Liz had locked Arthur out of the bedroom! I guess she needed some well-deserved sleep!



By the time Great-Grandma's 90th came along, mischief was back in style!

Labels: arthur, parenting

by Lincoln

I was surfing through Netflix's Instant Playlist the other night when I decided to watch the documentary, Food Inc., for no particular reason. (And almost on cue, an article about faulty beef treatment with ammonia showed up on the NYTimes.com.) The 94 minute documentary covers a broad number of issues, but to make a long story short, we don't really think about where our food comes from do we? Food Inc. attempts to follow the trail from the supermarket to the source and it exposes an alarming number of issues that everyone should know about.

The story of Kevin Kowalcyk resonated deeply. Kevin was a perfectly healthy 2-year old child until he suddenly became ill and died in a span of 12 days. The diagnosis: E.coli O157:H7 poisoning, from several hamburgers he had eaten during a family vacation before he passed. Since then, Kevin's mother, Barbara Kowalcyk, has made it her mission to prevent such a tragedy from happening again. Her efforts have resulted in the sponsorship of new legislation, appropriately named Kevin's Law, that would empower the USDA power to shut down plants that repeatedly produce meat contaminated with E-coli or other deadly pathogens. But the story is the same as it is for many issues in this country. The bill is not currently on the Congress floor as a result of resistance from the powerful meat lobby.

How did this all happen? Over the last few decades, the food industry has undergone consolidation and production of our food has moved away from the small farmer towards several extremely large and powerful corporations, such as Tyson and Cargill. Almost everything we buy in the supermarket can be traced back to these mega-companies. The mechanization, automation and factory line style production was introduced in order to maximize profits. Animal feed is engineered so cows, pigs, chickens and other produce can be raised from birth to slaughter in the shortest time possible. The feed used is often unhealthy and unnatural, which has led to the introduction of bacteria like E-coli into the system. To make matters worse, the animals are often crammed together in tight spaces and they are basically standing in their own feces for their entire lives. Add these two factors together and what you end up are the mass contaminations that we've been reading about in the news for the last 10 years.

To combat this problem, some companies have been washing the meat with ammonia! (NYT Article) Food Inc. attributes many of the health problems we see in this country as a direct result of all the various chemicals that are introduced during the factory-style production of our food.

The documentary really enforced what Liz and I have been trying or best to do when it comes to groceries since Arthur was born. When given a choice, we always buy the organic option. However, it's pretty impossible to only eat local and organic foods in our society and I do enjoy a McDonald's meal every once in awhile. But we won't be feeding Arthur that anytime soon!

I also started thinking about our trip to Dutchess County (Day 2) and remembered the farms we visited, the fresh food and just how clean and simple everything was. You see the animals grazing and that's where the food is from... not from some dark, busy factory plant somewhere no one knows about. I'm glad that the small farmer lives on.

It might be worth the added cost of seeking out the local options and buy from places like Fleischer's Meats and stick to grass-fed beef. I'm glad we're lucky enough to have such options here in NYC at least. I think even doing this half of the time will probably be better than not at all.

Labels: feeding, food, parenting

by Lincoln

The terror has begun. The days when Arthur didn't move, barely rolled, barely crawled, crawled, shakily took a few steps and paced around only cautiously are completely over. He's officially running (albeit still a bit wobbly!), climbing, tripping, falling over and causing general mayhem. This added mobility has only nurtured his healthy sense of curiosity. He picks up, grabs at, touches, and struggles for anything he can get his hands on! Lately, he's particularly enjoyed pulling his favorite blanket over his head and trying to walk around without being able to see where he's going. We can't our eyes off him!

So what have we done to help save Arthur from himself?

1. Baby Fencing (Surround Play Yard): On the top left - that fence surrounding the TV is actually an unfolded "surround play yard" that's meant for outdoor use. Come to think of it, are we protecting Arthur or are we protecting my prized 50" plasma TV?? The fence has actually come in handy inside the house for many uses, including closing off whole parts of rooms, estimating Arthur's height (it's 30" tall) and enclosing Arthur in a fixed space when we just need some rest from chasing him around!! (We have to rest with him inside the play yard of course).


2. Baby Gate: Preventing toddler ingress to danger areas of the house, like the kitchen. Hot stoves, dirty floors and sharp objects are all bad. The one we have kinda sucks, as it falls of the hinges all the time. Pick one carefully!
   


3. Handle Free Cabinets!: If we can barely open these cabinets, how can Arthur? OK, so maybe I skimped on cabinet handles, but it's worked out quite well so far and I think it looks better too.
   


4. Rubber Floor Padding: Those hardwood floors look awfully painful. This has probably been the most important child-proofing measure. Arthur took a lot of falls when he was figuring out how to walk, and will probably take more falls as he figures out how to run. I have to admit, I'm looking forward to seeing my wood floors again someday.
   


5. Corner Guards: Lots of them and all over the place. Lest Arthur pitter-patter his little head into sharp table corners.
   


6. Window Guards: Duh, as required by law! No picture provided.
   

That's about all we did. It doesn't seem like much. In the end, we leaned towards the wisdom of my West Coast friend Dina. Unlike us, Dina has a large 4 bedroom house that's about 5x bigger than our apartment and has amazing things like.. stairs. With two young boys, there's just no way anyone could baby proof everything! So her method was to rely on teaching. Tell them enough times to stay away or stop touching, and they will.

This has actually worked out pretty well for us so far. For example, Arthur does not go near the toilets, garbage can and he'll stay away from the recycling bin most of the time. In fact, he's learned how to throw things away into the garbage can instead! I'm sure this is because the garbage can is the one thing that we've been dead consistent on for him to stay away from. Unlike the laptop, which he happily slaps at every chance he gets!

Arthur has had his share of falls, scratches, bumps and bruises but he's been relatively unscathed so far. Luckily for us, Arthur will normally come walking after us if we're not within eye sight (for now anyway). As my good friend and father of two Bigs says, "He can learn to be a boy without the head trauma."

Labels: parenting

I can see the desperate, sleep deprived parents lining up to give this thing a try. Liz and I have been there. But it just seems bizarre to rely on your iPhone to communicate with your child! In the beginning, we were lost. But after awhile, we were able to figure out what Arthur would be crying about without the help of a fancy gadget (Especially Liz, most be a mother thing!). The intonation of the cry went into it, but we tried to keep Arthur on a routine as much as we could so he would know what to expect everyday. When was the last time he ate? When was the last time his diaper was changed? When was the last time he napped? Chances were that he was ready for the next item on the list. And there aren't many items on the list for an infant!

Labels: parenting

Normally, after about 30 seconds of mealtime, Arthur is reaching for Liz's bowl or plate and trying to eat off of it. She usually relents and gives him her plate and they share for the rest of the meal. We did try to switch things up by giving Arthur the large "adult" plates while we used the "baby" bowls for ourselves, just to see how he would react. He refused to eat altogether. So much for that experiment!

Nevertheless, after three weeks, it actually seems to be working. While Arthur has not grasped the idea of scooping, he is able to stab at the food with a fork and shove whatever he ends up with into his mouth.

Now that the "food training" is underway with a little bit of success, I've begun to hear the instructions about potty training. Apparently, we are supposed to quit using diapers. If he "goes", he'll feel discomfort and he'll learn not to go in his pants. Of course, we suffer the cleaning consequences.

Expect a far more unpleasant blog entry soon.

Labels: parenting

Labels: parenting

by Lincoln

This past weekend, we met up with some extended family for dim-sum (Chinese brunch) to spend some time, catch up, and let the kids play around a bit. It was really great to catch up with everyone and observe the different personalities running around the restaurant!

The future of our extended family was on display and it brought back memories of how me and my cousins were the same way once. Also in attendance was Jordan, the original front-baby of GuessYourBaby.com!

He's a big boy now and he even has a little sister, Juanita, who is also a big girl now too! I still crack up when I see Jordan holding that bat with the sinister grin on his face.

The great thing about these kinds of gatherings is that it really gives us a chance to talk with trusted family about parenting. Liz and I had been thinking about sending Arthur to a daycare / preschool and we had a chance to speak at length about this topic with Jordan's parents, Karl and Kandi.

Surprisingly, this whole thing was my Mom's idea. Arthur's development seems to be progressing very well. He's very curious and he seems to be as social as a 16-month old boy can be. Whenever we take him out, he is drawn to other children and he even tries to talk (babble) to them! As my mother spends two days a week with him, she has been feeling that Arthur may need more stimulation and group activities to usher him along and further develop his social skills. She also felt that Arthur was getting bored of the same books and toys and it was starting to become more difficult to keep him interested without him whining for TV. It's tough to keep a toddler entertained! Liz had also floated the idea around to other mothers and they seemed to think that a day-care situation would be a good idea, even if it was only for several days a week. On top of all this, we thought it would be a good idea to give the Grandmas a break once in awhile.

So we took a look at a local preschool called Love A Lot Preschool. Liz had heard good things about it, so she made an appointment for us to go check it out. Of course, the first question I asked before even going was: "How much is it?" She refused to tell me! After a few minutes of incessant badgering, she finally relented and said: "about $900 per month." I was aghast right away as she explained that the $900 wasn't even for a full-time program! Anyway, the day of the appointment came along, she peeled my butt off the couch and off we went with Arthur in tow.

My first impression was good. The gates were locked and there were uniformed security guards. The woman who gave us the tour seemed to know what she was talking about as she explained the curriculum and their philosophies. The entire program is be run like a school with classes focused on early development (colors, shapes, alphabet, numbers, exercise etc.) and the children would be constantly monitored in their development by trained experts to identify any problems. As we walked around the facility, everything seemed to be orderly and put together. They had special bathroom facilities designed for children, a gym, and nameplated cubbies for each child. The ratio of teachers to children appeared to be a healthy 1 to 3 (we were promised at most 1 to 5) and the children in the classes we observed seemed to be well engaged. According to school, 75% of their "graduates" continue into "gifted" kindergarten. (Whatever that's supposed to mean!!)

Arthur had a blast as he swiftly ambled up and down the hallways, barged into classrooms and even tried to muscle his way into the 3-year old yoga class. It seemed like he approved of the place! As for me, I did like the idea of having trained professionals overseeing my child. As rookie parents, we wouldn't necessarily know if something was wrong. For example, one of the things I am paying most attention to is Arthur's speech development. While he seems to be doing just fine, one of the services the school provides is facilitating speech therapy if it is required with costs covered by the state.

Naturally, there was ONE SPOT left in Arthur's age group. The $900 per month fee was actually more like $1600 per month and we were encouraged to make a quick decision.

Sixteen hundred dollars per month. That's $19,200 per year. That's nearly as much as my college tuition was! As I began to work out our finances in my mind, the panic really started to set in. I remember when I was young and single, I used to scoff at those crazy parents who were sending their kids to $10,000 per year preschools as if they were trying to engineer themselves the next John F. Kennedy. Now here I was, thinking about sending Arthur to a preschool that cost double that amount!

So what was Karl and Kandi's take? They did send both Jordan and Juanita to a daycare/preschool for the same reasons that Liz and I are thinking of. Only they sent their children to Stillwell Prep in Brooklyn for a mere $380 per month! They had nothing but great things to say about the Stillwell Prep and they raved about how both Jordan and Juanita had such a great learning experience. Juanita, who has just entered kindergarten, is miles ahead of her school's curriculum. I glanced over at Liz and we telegraphically agreed: "Maybe it's time to move to Brooklyn!" Though I doubt DUMBO would be much better (as in, cheaper!).

What's the big deal about preschool anyway? Is it really worth it? According to this CBS News piece, preschools of today are more then about playtime and napping with a focus on education and it is recommended to develop a child's social skills. However, according to this UC Berkeley study, a family's social status impacts the effects and benefits of preschool in that children from lower-income families show greater improvement versus those of middle-class white families, whom showed diminished benefits. Alarmingly, the report also states children who are sent to pre-school too early show a slower pace of social development. Well that would defeat the entire purpose wouldn't it!

So Liz looked to the BabyCenter Community for some additional opinions on what other parents thought on the matter. A whopping 84-percent of respondents (48 out of 57) did not agree with sending their children to an expensive preschool. The opinions varied from extremely against ("GAH!!! NO NO NO. Never.") to moderately against ("Find someplace cheaper"). Others made some valid suggestions on lower alternatives, such as library, community center and even local high school programs for toddlers. Not surprisingly, those from Manhattan were not surprised and some were paying the money. Overall, the consensus was that preschool is not necessarily a requirement and that we could do just as well at home. That's aside from the conclusion that Manhattan is RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE!

The search goes on and we haven't reached a conclusion yet. But between his grandparents, extended family, friends, us and of course the BabyCenter Community, Arthur is in good hands.

Labels: parenting

by Lincoln

In my mind, I often play out conversations that I will likely someday have with Arthur and I think about the kind of advice I would give. Arthur may not yet speak, but I don't think I'm the only parent that does this. In a July post titled The Rules: 25 Life lessons for my daughter, MetroDad laments about how his father never had any advice for him. You could say I've been thinking about this topic since before Arthur was born. And I will definitely say, I've thought an awful lot about my own relationship with my father in the process.

I am of the belief that parenting is all about trying not to "screw your kids up" too much. I know that both of my parents, in their successes and failures with my siblings and I, were only trying their very best to do what they thought was right for us. I certainly didn't understand this as a child and I still remember scoffing whenever my mom would say "wait until you have a child someday." Mom, I get it now!

While my mother was a housewife and she was the one that "raised" us, my father was undoubtedly the patriarch, master and commander. His words pierced and his influence over my entire personality is both undeniable and evident.

I owe my Father everything. And I appreciate everything he's done for me. I couldn't ask for a better Dad.

Our family household was not of the typical Asian mold, where the Mother tends to the house and the Father is silent. It was more like chaos and my Father was never short of things to say. Growing up, it was advice, advice and more advice (Actually this hasn't changed all that much!). Advice on everything, from the simple to the serious. Typical scene in the car: Older siblings incessantly arguing with my father while I stare out the window. For some reason, I was the one that took to my father's words the most and followed his mold. His way of thinking was seared into my brain as I followed his footsteps and studied engineering in college. Later on, I even made a career switch into his field despite success (and talent!) in other arenas. Somehow, my own passions and beliefs were lost through it all. It took me a long time to realize that maybe that wasn't such a good idea. This may be a ridiculously abbreviated version of the story, but you'll never hear me blame anyone but myself for the choices that I made. But I guess I finally grew up. And now I have a kid too!

Unfortunately, I never got to meet my Grandfather, but I'm told that he was a man of few words and short on advice. As the pendulum swings back, I pledge not to allow my own personality to overshadow Arthur. I will work my butt off to give Arthur the same advantages that my parents gave to me. I do have lessons to teach and I want Arthur to have a good head on his shoulders, but hopefully my advice (where appropriate!) will be more like suggestions and less like mandates! If the boy wants to be a musician, let him be a musician.. hopefully he becomes a rock star! Without the drugs, of course (Yes that's a MANDATE).

We'll see how I feel about this in 15 years.

Labels: parenting

by Lincoln

Liz has introduced Arthur to the exciting world of Gymboree. He's definitely too young for pre-school, but we both agreed that the more interactions with other children Arthur has, the better off he will be socially as he grows older. As all parents, we hope for Arthur to be a well-balanced individual.

While we have been taking Arthur to the park on a fairly regular basis, Gymboree is a little different. It's an actual class and interaction with other children is almost requisite, even though 15-month old children don't really know how to play with each other! We've grown accustomed to Arthur's personality around the house, but observing his personality as it related to the other children at Gymboree was an unanticipated.. surprise (for lack of a better word)!

You could say Arthur can be expressive and passionate.



When he gets excited, he has a tendency to jump up and down, point and exclaim. Sometimes he'll poke and grab, but never in a way we've ever thought was hurtful! I'm sure he picked up the poking from me, as I do have a tendency to poke him like the Pillsbury Doughboy (hee hee!). Needless to say, at Gymboree, Arthur's enthusiasm may have been construed as aggression at times. Liz was present to mediate the situation and to make sure Arthur didn't knock anyone over!

When she came back from the visit, we both wondered aloud if we have a bully on our hands. I definitely do not think Arthur is a bully. But, if I had to choose, I'd prefer he bully then be bullied. OF COURSE I want neither! But we don't always get to choose do we? I was bullied throughout my entire childhood, all the way up through my junior year of high school. I was always small and I didn't even break 100lbs until the 9th grade. I was also always in the minority as a Chinese-American. I was a prime target at school and prime target at home too! It's possible that no one bullied me more than my older brother, who is built like Bolo Yeung.




Don't ask me how we're related. (Photo from ImDB)


While I eventually got over it, my experience as "the bullied" left a mark and there is no doubt that bullying has long term effects. I do believe that adversity builds character and maybe it made me a tougher person. But, I still feel the anxiety from being bullied as a child today. I'm not sure I would want Arthur to have to go through it.

This topic came up the other night while I was having a few drinks with my close friends Lance, Henry, Sanjay Brown and Shugs. Today, bullying is a big deal! If the government makes an entire website about the problem, it's a big deal. There were strong feelings about this topic all around the table. Shugs and I were on the same page. Lance, a social worker, had a very strong reaction towards the victims of bullying and immediately switched to caretaker mode.

However, no reaction was stronger than Sanjay Brown's. It's common knowledge that when adults have to deal with children, we have to face our own childhood demons. It's important to keep those demons in check. Sanjay Brown seemed to almost shut down when recounting his memories of being bullied and he didn't even hear my arguments at all!

Yes, bullying is bad, we all agree. I do not want Arthur to be a bully. I will do everything I can to teach him empathy and the evils of bullying if he needs to be taught that lesson. But, it is definitely easier to teach a child not to bully than to teach a child how to deal with a bully! No one is ever going to convince me otherwise! I've wondered alot about what I would say to Arthur if he ever came home crying because some bully picked on him. For now, I'd have to say I'd lean towards the lessons of Michael Westen, who also has advice for kids too (See below!).

I guess Liz and I will have to cross this bridge if we ever reach it.

**************

Hilarious Lesson for a Kid Dealing With a Bully - from one of my favorite shows Burn Notice! From Season 1, "Pilot", script provided by TwizTv.com. You can also see the full episode here. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any edited video excerpt high-lighting this!

MICHAEL WESTEN: That black eye. How'd you get it?

DAVID: Kids at school.

MICHAEL WESTEN: Yeah, why?

DAVID: I don't know. They don't need a reason, mostly. Last time, they took my new shoes. The time before, it was just [shrugs] "'cuz".

MICHAEL WESTEN: How many were there? Is it a group or an individual? It matters... tactically.

DAVID: [irritably] It's a group. They get up in my face, and they start pounding me, okay?

[He keeps his back to Michael. Michael hears him sniffle.]

MICHAEL WESTEN: [uncomfortably] Are you crying?

[David shakes his head.]

MICHAEL WESTEN: You're not crying? Looks like you're crying. Don't, okay?

[David doesn't comply.]

MICHAEL WESTEN: All right, don't cry. All right, stop, all right?

[He walks over to David and pats him on the back.]

MICHAEL WESTEN: You have to lose some fights so you can learn to win. I mean, look at this.

[Michael lifts up his T-shirt, exposing his bruised ribs.]

MICHAEL WESTEN: I got the crap beat out of me. I have two black belts, and they kicked my ass. So you got nothing to be ashamed of with me, okay? I'm the champ of getting beaten up. But I'm also very good at winning. You want it to stop?

DAVID: Yeah.

MICHAEL WESTEN: The key to fighting a group is taking out its leader. Take out its leader, they'll all leave you alone. It's bully psychology. Works with third-world military units, as well. When I was in Afghanistan... [stops himself] Never mind that. Um, who's the leader?

DAVID: His name's Jake.

MICHAEL WESTEN: Jake.

[And Operation Take-Out-The-Leader-Bully begins. Michael stands in front of David (who's just half his size.).]

MICHAEL WESTEN: I'm gonna push you. When I do that, you drop down into a ball like you're scared.

[Michael pushes David. David drops to the ground.]

MICHAEL WESTEN: Protect yourself. Tight up like a ball.

[Sitting on the ground, David pulls his legs close and wraps his arms around them, keeping his head between his knees.]

MICHAEL WESTEN: Good. Now, he's gonna move in to make fun of you. [pushing David's elbows inside] Keep those elbows tight. [pretend-kicks David's sides] He tries to kick you. Protect that spleen, protect that liver. [leaning over David] I want you to stand up quick and get your head right up underneath my chin. Okay? Go![Michael keeps his hand underneath his chin. David jumps up and hits his head against into Michael's hand. Michael lets out a fake grunt.]

MICHAEL WESTEN: I'm a little dazed. Make your fist. [counts as he and David clenches his fingers] One, two, three, four, five. Now box him.[David sends his fist as hard as he can into Michael's palm. He tries it out three more times. Michael holds his fist and chuckles.]

MICHAEL WESTEN: Very good.

Labels: parenting

by Lincoln



If we had to pick a favorite "Arthur first", the first taste of solid food would rank up near the top. Let's face it, a baby's reaction to first tastes can be priceless! (Above: That really is Arthur's first solid food experience, and he did NOT like his applesauce!) And I'll never forget how his face turned so red after trying a taste of Chana Saag! I didn't think it was that spicy! But, entertainment value aside, Liz and I love to eat and I enjoy cooking as a hobby. Food and mealtime is an important part of our family life, so once Arthur was able to eat some good solid food, we were excited.

We started Arthur on solid food at precisely 6 months of age after Dr. Frenchy gave us his dissertation on solid foods:

Dr. Frenchy: "Just let him eat what you eat. And then he won't be a picky eater later on, trust me."

Us: "Wait, eat what we eat? He doesn't really have teeth, do you mean blend up whatever we're eating?"

Dr. Frenchy: "Yeah, do that."

Us: "How about Congee? It's like porridge, it's a rice dish."

Dr. Frenchy: "(Angrily) Just let him eat what YOU eat!!"

OK, so the exchange didn't quite happen exactly that way. Dr. Frenchy didn't know what Congee was and mistook it for the baby rice cereal, which is the kind of special "baby food stuff" he meant for us to avoid. Dr. Frenchy's approach to allergies was also a bit different. His position was to: 1) Let the baby try whatever the food is. 2) If he has a reaction, then stop feeding him it. 3) Try again later to see if he reacts the same way. If he does, then he's probably allergic.

We 100% bought into Dr. Frenchy's philosophy. It made a lot of sense to me. I've never avoided eating anything in my entire life and I have no known allergies. When I was in the 5th grade, I was diagnosed by a pediatrician to be allergic to just about everything! I mean he said I was allergic to tea, grass, and a whole slew of other things that I don't even remember. Even at that young age, I laughed it off and completely disregarded the doctor's orders. My mom surprisingly went along with this and I ended up fine. You could say that it's not my philosophy to coddle. I think a little fun in the mud with the germs can go a long way too. And here was a doctor that agreed with me!

Arthur has never eaten a bite of baby food in his entire life. It's not like we didn't try (organic with all natural ingredients of course), he wouldn't eat it! At first we gave him a heavy diet of Congee made with a variety of different meat and vegetable combinations. As time went on and he grew more teeth, we would blend up whatever we were eating. By about 12 months, he was eating his food "nearly" as-is (also an exciting day!). Nearly meaning we would still dice up the meats and serve him softer foods that he wouldn't have trouble chewing. However, the blender was out!

Through it all, I would only serve him food that I would personally eat. I would put the same seasonings that I would put in my own food, despite the objections of Grandma, who firmly believes that children shouldn't eat anything with flavor! I've been fighting Grandma on that one. Although I wasn't able to fight off the meal of oatmeal mixed with eggs (YUCK!!), overall, Arthur has been eating what we eat as Dr. Frenchy ordered. Besides, he has already figured out how to SPIT out whatever he doesn't like!

His top favorites:

-Porridge with pork and frozen vegetables
-Steamed flounder with ginger and scallion with white rice (True to a Chinese baby, Arthur LOVES rice)
-Yams
-Sweet Corn - he cannot get enough of it. He literally will grab the corn and not let it go.

There doesn't seem to be a heck of a lot of actual research on whether or not certain types of foods should be emphasized or avoided. You can find "expert advice" on spicy foods and guides for making baby food. The American Academy of Pediatrics does provide guidance on certain types of foods (that not all pediatricians agree with!). Many seem to think that rice cereal is the best first solid food (To the chagrin of Dr. Frenchy!). But I think there is evidence, even if it's anecdotal, that the guidance on baby food is mostly driven by culture. I've heard from friends and TV of Korean and South Asian children eating super-hot food from a very young age!

Regardless, Arthur has proved to be a really great eater with an excellent appetite. Luckily, we haven't encountered any food allergies either. I look forward to the day that we can go out for nice juicy porterhouse!

Labels: feeding, food, parenting

by Liz

As with all new parents, one of the biggest challenges we've faced is sleep: lack of sleep for us and getting Arthur to sleep for himself! Everyone knows that the first 3 months of any newborn's life consists of bi-hourly wake-up calls 24 hours a day. This is not a myth. I wish I could say that the challenge ends after 3 months, but the challenge has continued even through today at 15 months of age! Anyway, I was pretty much a zombie for the first 3 months of Arthur's life. During those nightly feedings, sometimes I would think to myself that somewhere out there, there's another mom that's awake with me… which really did not make me feel any better!

I was desperate for a sleep solution, especially because I knew that I had to be functional for my eventual return to work... and I NEED a good night's sleep to be functional! At Arthur's 2 month visit with our pediatrician, Dr. Frenchy discussed the topic of sleep training with us. The sleep training method basically involves letting your precious little one "cry it out". This method is otherwise known as "Ferberizing". Dr. Frenchy basically said: "Once you are ready for his bed time, put him in his crib and don’t open the door until 7am the next morning – even if he cries. After 3 – 4 nights, he will be a sleeping through the night like an angel." He also mentioned that this method works for roughly 95% of his patients. He was very straight forward and matter of fact about the whole thing. I had a gazillion questions in my head, but I was mostly shocked. Does this really work??

Lincoln and I were both lukewarm to this idea as it seemed a bit cruel and unusual to the both of us. At the time, Arthur was just a helpless looking 2 month old! Both of us felt uncomfortable with this, but I knew that something had to be done. I asked a ton of moms for advice, read articles, blogs and went through the pros and cons for about a month. I finally decided to give it a try a week before my maternity leave was up.

The first night's attempt was a miserable failure. After letting Arthur cry it out for maybe 30 minutes, Lincoln and I could not bear it any longer and we ran in to this bedroom. By now, the crankiness and exhaustion from my sleep deprivation was reaching a fever pitch. Lincoln and I finally reached a breaking point with a massive argument... He wasn't talking to me, I was miserable, Arthur was crying, and seemingly by default, it became "the night". Arthur cried for about 2 hours, and it felt like the worst night of my life. I cried with my eyes glued to the baby monitor the entire time!

Lincoln and I made up by the morning (I don't even remember what we argued about anymore!) and things took a turn for the better. Arthur cried a little less than the night before and by the 3rd night, he pretty much slept through the entire night all on his own! We were THRILLED! It worked!

Arthur has been a good little sleeper ever since (for the most part). Sometimes we would watch him in amazement through the baby monitor, as he quietly and happily played in his crib before going to sleep. However, as I mentioned in the beginning of the post, the challenges have been ongoing. While we have had to "re-train" him 2 or 3 times since the first time, none was ever as bad as the first time. Events like an exciting day, a mental breakthrough, teething, or any other similar change could disrupt his sleeping. In fact, as I write this, I am exhausted! We've had a tough weekend sleeping and the NYC Saturday night noise did not help at all!

All in all, I'd have to say that sleep training worked for us and I would do it again. Research seems to point in the direction that set bedtimes are beneficial. I love my son tremendously, but I also believe that in order for me to be a good mom, I need to be happy and functional. In addition, a rested Arthur is a happy Arthur!

Labels: parenting, sleep

by Lincoln

Football is back! I am a guilty, obsessed NFL football fan who's Sundays are fully booked for the next 4 months. That's right, I am commissioner of 2 different fantasy football leagues and this year, I am "managing" five different fantasy teams. This may be a fact that I shouldn't be proud of but I've got to be me! For opening weekend, we had a few friends and family over and two TVs running side by side with my NFL Ticket subscription on for a solid ten hours.

That's ten hours of viewing pleasure for everyone in the room, including Arthur. GULP! I've read no shortage of articles sermonizing the ill effects of excessive television for children and others with tips on how to control it. They say that too much TV will cause your kid to develop Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). The American Academy of Pediatrics officially recommends no more than 2 hours of TV a day.

While the general consensus is that it's a good idea to avoid excessive TV, there may not have been enough studies done for toddlers. A study by the Children's Hospital of Boston states that TV viewing before the age of 2 has no cognitive benefit OR detriment. Of course, this also means that all of those educational programs that we limit Arthur's TV watching to are useless.

There is no doubt that Arthur is eerily drawn to the television. When it's on, his eyes are glued. He knows what the remote control does and he often picks it up and points it to the TV, sometimes even shrieking to tell us that he wants it on. He loves Sesame Street and even knows he can watch it on the laptop too. It's clearly an amazing source of stimulation for him, but what's running through his mind when he watches? Is he zoning out into auto-pilot? Is he absorbing?

Picking which expert to believe and follow is always a challenge. If you Google long enough, you can find any answer you want. No matter what anyone says, Arthur can now identify Elmo, Big Bird and Cookie Monster when we ask him to. To us, that was an exciting development and it has got to be a good thing.

Before Arthur came along, we always had the TV on as background noise whether or not we were actually watching it. We've tried with decent success to curb this habit once Arthur came along. But I lapse, especially on those early mornings when I just want 30 more minutes of sleep!

It's going to be close to impossible for me to give up football Sunday. It's a drug and I can't get enough. Today, Liz took Arthur out to the park for an hour or two while the games were on. Moira, See-fut, Wylie and other friends and family were also over, so Arthur had people to play with instead of zoning out and staring at the TV. I guess we'll just have to make Sunday an event to keep his attention elsewhere!

Labels: parenting

by Lincoln



This is as good a time as any for me to write down my thoughts about this book because three of my friends are expecting!

I'll start off by saying that this was by far the best book I've read about parenting at the infant stage. I consider this book mandatory reading and tell everyone I know that is expecting to read it. I've already lent out my copy to several people.

Before Arthur was born, I had no idea how to deal with infants and I worried about it all the time while Liz was pregnant. I feared the loud shrieking baby and the helpless feeling of not knowing what to do. I'm not exaggerating when I say this book made it all better. It's a good read from start to finish with plenty of anecdotes, historical references and cultural solutions from across the globe. Dr. Karp provides a very specific technique for calming infants down. It worked for Arthur 99% of the time and EVERYONE, including my mom and Liz's mom, was extremely impressed and even puzzled at my magic touch.

Here are some of the main points you'll learn about:

• Trigger your crying infant's calming reflex by applying the 5 S's. Fathers will have to skip the last "S". :)
• Dr. Karp theorizes that babies are born a trimester too soon, which explains why they are so helpless and need us to trigger the calming reflex when the world becomes too overwhelming.
• Dr. Karp also theorizes on colick and how it's rare as an actual medical condition. Some cultures have no colick!
• Click Here for more excerpts direct from the official website.

The techniques in this book worked for us for the first 3 months or so. After that, it was a whole new ball game! It's amazing how kids change everyday.

Sometimes I wonder if Arthur was such a well-behaved infant because of the techniques we used or if it was because Arthur is just a great kid (Which means we're just plain lucky!!). Anyway, I swear by this book. Give it a shot!

Labels: books, parenting