Baby Consumer Info

We are so past all the baby stages here in our house that it is hard for me to even remember what those days were like.... but I CAN still recall the lack of sleep and the stress of "are we doing this right" that so often accompanied the baby days.

One big struggle for me was the issue of what to feed Maggie, Kate, and Sarah when my breast milk supply could no longer keep up with their demand. I had the guilt of Ella's never even having sampled formula to add to my concern for their nutritional needs, but the fact of the matter was they were hungry and they required 3 times as much milk! By the time they were 7 months old I just couldn't make enough to go around. Fortunately a company provided us with quite a bit of their brand formula through a program that they offered to families of multiples. Once that supply was gone, being a thrifty shopper and a scientist (MS in Analytical Chemistry) I simply compared the labels on national and store brand formulas and ended up using Target's house brand formula for the few short months that we needed the supplements.

Apparently my decision was a solid one as there is currently a national campaign to make sure parents realize that store-brand infant formulas are nutritionally equivalent to, and confer the same developmental benefits as, the more expensive national brands like Enfamil, the makers of which have recently lost a 13.5 M dollar lawsuit for false advertising against their lesser expensive store brand competitors. Here are several links to the information surrounding the landmark court case:

http://www.pbmproducts.com/press.aspx?ID=310

http://industry.bnet.com/advertising/10004868/a-desperate-mead-johnson-loses-135m-jury-verdict-over-false-claims/

http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_display/esearch/e3i6328aaffeb014c13fbcc5dbedc3d4fd7

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/baby/2009/07/save-money-on-baby-stuff-cheap-formula.html

Here's my take: Breastfeeding is best for babies, but if for any reason you need or choose formula, you certainly don't have to pay twice as much for the name brand stuff!!

So, what do you think? Name brand formula or the store brand variety??

BSM Media provided the above links so that I could educate myself on the facts surrounding this campaign. They also compensated me for sharing this information with you.

Haircuts and Other Hilarity

Several days ago we spent the late afternoon and early evening hanging out at Mimi and Pop's house. As is usually the case, the girls spent all but the time following their "five minutes until we're leaving" warning swarming around Mimi and I asking questions, asking for help, and asking to help cook supper. So when it was almost time to go and they begged to go upstairs to their playroom (finally) I was extremely relieved at the prospect of 5 minutes without any questions. They headed up and for the next 10 minutes played happily while Mimi and I chatted and caught up with one another.



The pleasantness and fun was over when Ella came down holding a pair of scissors and some strands of hair. I immediately ran for the stairs and entered the playroom to find Kate and Sarah happily cutting away at each other's hair...it seemed as if there was hair everywhere. Apparently everyone had a hand in both the cutting and in being trimmed.



Oh, there was lots of ranting and raving on my part, but amazingly after I confiscated all the scissors and settled down I discovered that I couldn't even tell where Ella and Maggie's hair had been cut. Kate and Sarah were not so lucky, but I don't have any pictures of my little Rascals yet.

While I was complaining about the goofy hair to Kate this afternoon she declared, "I'll just go brush it out. Then it looks bootiful." When I told her that SHE was, in fact, still beautiful, just her hair wasn't looking too cute anymore, she said, "But mommy, I like it that way!"

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As I've been typing the above post, Ella has been waiting none too patiently for me to get some nail polish for her. She just looked up and said, "Mom, please hurry, I'm about to loose my patience!"

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Every time Sarah gets into trouble and has to be disciplined these days, no matter what the punishment, whenever it is over she always looks directly at me and in her sweetest voice says, "Fanks..." (thanks)

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Several days ago Ella was painting her toe nails while the girls were napping (noticing a theme here?) and she looked up and said, "Mom, regarding those ladies at the toe salon... why do they speak a different language than us?" Never mind that until today it had been months and months since she's even been in a nail salon.... kids really do notice everything, don't they?!?

My New Club Membership

Well, it only took me 4 years, but I've finally joined one of those elite clubs for mothers.

What club is that, you may ask?!?

..... the "Meanest Mom in the World" club.

Ella spent the night with Kari over at Mimi's last night. She went to bed late and then got up early and had a very full morning.

By the time she got home, she was exhausted. Maggie is sick and was getting extra attention of which Ella thought she herself was the only rightful owner. So I made Ella go to her room for a rest where she spent a solid 15 minutes crying, screaming, and declaring the injustice of the situation... which ended in her declaring my membership in no uncertain terms, "You are the meanest mom in the whole wide wurld" and then promptly falling asleep for a much needed nap.

Later this afternoon when my mom came over I told her all about it.

She stuck up her hand for a high 5! I'm so excited about this new era...... just waiting for the day there are 3 more drama queens and some hormones involved! Woohoo!