February 9, 2007
Edition 10
Editor: ~Heather615

CREATIVE VALENTINE IDEASby Michael Webb, Founder http://www.TheRomantic.com/

Sleep under the stars
Buy some glow in the dark stars from the toy department and arrange a special message above your bed.

Their very own coloring book
Draw a dozen or so silly pictures of memorable experiences (browse through photo albums for ideas). Outline in black marker and then have the pages copied and bound on heavy paper at a copy shop. Give with a pack of crayons.

Computer romance
Change the screen saver on the computer to a scrolling message. For added effect, use a wingding or character font that can't be read without decoding.

Got milk?
Hide a bunch of silly prizes and a card in your love's favorite cereal.

Jump start the romance
Tie your card or gift on a three foot string and tie it to the bottom of an automatic garage door. When your honey comes home, the gift will magically arise to greet them.

Warm the heart
While your love is in the shower, put their towel in the dryer for a few minutes so it will be toasty warm when he or she steps out.

Music to their ears
In your own voice, record a book, fairy tale or poetry on tape for your dearest to listen to on the way to work or while he or she is out of town.

A winter picnic
Move the living room furniture and have a picnic in the middle of the floor complete with blanket, picnic basket and all the fixings (in front of a roaring fireplace would add to the effect).

Send a mail bomb
Sending a card can be explodingly romantic just by adding something unexpected: a feather, leaf, matches, lock of your hair, pressed flower or your handkerchief scented with perfume/cologne.

Mirror, mirror on the wall
Use Rain-X Anti Fog (used to keep car windows from fogging up) and a cotton swab to write a message that will mysteriously appear on the bathroom mirror while your sweetheart is showering. Or put that old tube of lipstick to good use with a good morning greeting on the mirror.



Prayer Requests

Belle4KP – Send prayers as she had a hysterectomy on 2/6, due to fibroids and uterine cancer.

Magic*8*Ball – Send prayers to Amanda and her family as her grandparents were reported missing and later found brutally murdered.

Terpbac - Prayer Request for herFIL... He was diagnosed with cancer again and has surgery on Thursday.

Suisinac – Prayer’s for her nephew’s 4 month old DD -- they found out over Christmas that she has leukemia and she is undergoing radiation treatments.


Cooking Tips by SandraChelle

• When using a cookbook, make sure to add notes about the recipe. How it turned out, if you used a substitution, what you would do differently next time, etc.
•
• Devote an entire drawer to one thing – baking supplies, cutting utensils, take-out menus, etc. When you are looking for a particular item, you'll know right where to go.
•
• Use a toothpick while sewing. Place the toothpick between the fabric and the button. The extra space will keep from sewing the button on too tightly.

**If you have a tip to share, please SandraChelle on the nest or email: darceylou@hotmail.com**

For Sale by Nestie
There are things that we are constantly having to buy for our kids – things that are expensive in the store but can be found cheaper used. Are you looking for a particular item? If there is something you’re looking for, submit a request with your e-mail address to nestienewsletter@yahoo.com and the request will be put in the next newsletter. If another nestie has the item you are looking for and is willing to sell it, they can email you and you can work out a purchase or exchange. This can help us all save a little money here and there and let someone else get use out of something that you don’t need any more!
Submitted by DiSpy01


Congenital Heart Defect Fact Sheet
Sometimes during early pregnancy, a baby's heart fails to form properly, resulting in structural abnormalities known as Congenital Heart Defects. Although some defects are genetic, in many cases the cause is unknown.
It is estimated that 40,000 babies with Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) are born in the United States each year. More than 1 million American children and adults with Congenital Heart Defects and Childhood Onset Heart Disease are alive today.*
CHD is the most frequently occurring birth defect, and is the leading cause of birth-defect related deaths.
Although some babies will be diagnosed at birth, sometimes the diagnosis is not made until days, weeks, months, or even years after. In some cases, CHDs are not detected until adolescence or adulthood.
Some CHDs may not require treatment other than periodic visits to a Pediatric Cardiologist. Others can be treated with medications or repaired with surgery and/or procedures. Complex defects may require several surgeries and are never really "cured".
Many cases of sudden cardiac death in young athletes are caused by undiagnosed CHDs and Childhood Onset Heart Disease.

http://www.congenitalheartdefects.com/typesofCHD.html
http://tchin.org/index.htm

DISCLAIMER: This material is intended to provide information, support, encouragement, and links for further research to the reader about certain medical conditions. It is not a substitute for examination, diagnosis, and medical care provided by a licensed and qualified health professional. These pages are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice for any facts or circumstances. If you believe you, your child, or someone you know, suffer from the conditions described herein, then please see your health care provider. Do not attempt to treat yourself, your child, or anyone else without proper medical supervision.


Feb. 7-14, 2007 is
Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week

Nestie Photography Group!

There is a Nest Photography group for any photography enthusiasts. Any camera, any level welcome!! Join to share tips, resources, etc. If interested, visit the board at:
http://z6.invisionfree.com/The_Nest_Photo_Board/index.php
Expecting0207 – Jamie born January 19
LizLovesJason – Brendan born January 25
HTS99 – Jonathan born January 29
SJerseyBride – Molly born February 3
goodhartedmommy – Bella born February 5
MSUMommy
baybe
jessicaandjoe
Newlyengaged75
rik20101

AmyGrnEyz – BOY!
juleslovesjesus – GIRL!!
HippoMommy – BOY!
UPDATE FROM LAST NEWSLETTER
Directly from KnotLisa:

“Hi everyone - Recently I've seen a lot of talk on the boards about our new baby site and I just wanted to give you the scoop. We have been hard at work on a site for moms and moms-to-be and we'll be launching a site called "The Nest Baby" soon. It will be its own site at http://www.thenestbaby.com/ (not anything else you might have heard - right now this url takes you to our baby shop) as well as a link off The Nest. We'll have lots of message boards and reviews of all the local baby resources in your area. (You may also have heard that we recently acquired Lila Guides, kind of a Zagat guide or City search for baby stuff - this is true and very exciting!). You'll be able to search for resources and write your own reviews of your favorite places. We'll also have community photo galleries that you can upload baby pics, belly pics, nurseries and more. In addition, we'd love to hear exactly what you want to see in a baby site - so send us your thoughts. thenestbaby@thenest.com”
Hidden BoardsYou can access the hidden boards by going into any board, like Parenting, and then changing the forum ID in your web browser.
419 = buying a home420 = 1st Tri 421 = 2nd Tri 422 = 3rd Tri 423 = 0-6 months 424 = 6+ months 425 = Trouble TTC 426 = Miscarriage/Pregnancy Loss 427 = Adoption 428 = Step Parenting


Potty Training

1. Make sure you have three days to focus on potty training and nothing else - you will have a greater success at getting it accomplished faster.

2. Start out first thing in the morning talking to your little one about going potty. Put big boy/girl pants on him or her and get all excited about them being so grown up now. Be sure to encourage them not to pee-pee on Spiderman or whoever is on the underpants.

3. Before you get them dressed, say “Okay lets go potty.” Take them to the bathroom with you. First you sit on the potty and then have them sit on the potty. If they go great if not, it is not a big deal, yet.

4. After breakfast take them to the bathroom again, and repeat taking them every thirty minutes.
Do this for the first two days, on day three no longer take them every 30 minutes and just start asking if they need to go. Again always emphasize to them not to pee-pee or poo-poo on the big boy/girl underpants.

These tips have worked for me, however we have not made it through the night yet.
Moving to a big boy or big girl bed

Have your child go with you to pick out the bed and/or the bedding. Give them two to choices and let them pick the one they like.

When you are driving home, explain to them that it is time to go to a big boy and or big girl bed and that now they get to sleep in a bed just like mommy and daddy. Have them help make up the new bed and show them it is not scary at all.

At night, leave a night light on and follow your normal night time routine. Many parents put a gate up at the door to prevent the child from coming out of their room at night. After discussing it with the fire department we decided to turn the locks around and lock the door to the bedroom (hey they suggested it!) We never missed a beat on the night time routine and they went right to sleep, even at nap time.
By Bell4KP
By CryptoCrystallin
Welcome to the sleep training section of your newsletter! This week we're going to talk about getting ready for sleep training.

If you are considering using this method, I suggest that you do some exhaustive research (no pun intended, I swear) first, in advance of actually trying it with your baby. One of the most important aspects of any successful sleep training method is preparedness. You know how you're not supposed to go food shopping when you're hungry, because then you make poor food choices? In much the same way, I think that attempting to begin sleep training without a clear understanding of the method, and a carefully thought-out approach--when you're incredibly sleep-deprived and desperate for a solution--can lead to negative outcomes for you and your baby.

In addition, because there's a lot of misinformation, or incomplete information, flying around about sleep training, moms may not really know what it entails or whether it's the right approach for them and their babies. On any given day, I see the question "What is CIO" on the nest. Depending on who answers the question, the poster comes away with very different ideas about what it is! The goal of this month's article is to provide everyone with some direction so you can all answer these questions for yourselves.

Here are some books that you might want to read that address, in great detail, the subject of sleep training. These are three of the books I read, and I found them all helpful. It can get overwhelming to read TOO much on any one subject, so I'm providing this short list as a guide to what you may decide should be further reading. My favorite is the first:

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbuth, MD
Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems by Richard Ferber, MD
Sleeping Through the Night by Jodi Mindell, MD

These books can help you understand why you might be a proponent of sleep training, what's involved, how to prepare, and the various techniques you can use to help your child sleep better. In future newsletters, I'll get into more detail about each step and ways to make the method work for you!

There are other books on the subject of infant and toddler sleep issues as well which do not promote CIO or sleep training in the "traditional" sense. These are not books whose advice we followed with our son, but I thought I would include the "top three" to provide a balanced presentation, and because I'm a geek who reads a lot. It might be helpful for you moms who are on the fence about sleep training, or aren't sure of the different approaches out there that can help your baby get more sleep, to see the differences between the various methods.

The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley and William Sears, MD
Nighttime Parenting: How to get your baby and child to sleep by William Sears, MD
Good Night Sleep Tight by Kim West and Joanne Kenen

I'll be honest: the last book was pretty good. I liked that the author (who, btw, is a social worker like me) talks about the prevention of sleep problems and not just how to remedy already-existing issues. What you'll find, as I did, is that there is a very long continuum between "letting your baby cry until she barfs" and "holding your baby 24 hours a day until YOU barf." I am certain that somewhere between both extremes is a method for helping your baby sleep that will work well for your family.
Until next time, happy reading, and please don't hesitate to email me or nestie newsletter with specific questions if you think I can help!
Support other nesties and their businesses!
CLICK HERE to Visit the Baby Bumble Bee Boutique
Custom-made Tutu's!
Nestie lynz80 has her own home business-- Girly Tutus-- Custom Made Tutus- email her at girlytutus@hotmail.com for more information and pictures. Order now for St. Patrick’s Day!!
Written & Compiled by Irishbride04
Have a question for our fitness expert? Page Irishbride04 on the nest or email her at karintrains@hotmail.com!
Q: I’m exercising three days per week and eating 1300 calories a day. Why aren’t I losing weight?

A: Well, depending on how tall you are, how much you weigh, and the intensity of your exercise, you may be eating TOO LITTLE! Your body may very well believe it’s starving and won’t let you lose any more weight out of survival mode. Let look at these equations:
Just to be able to breathe, get out of bed, etc.
10 x (Ideal Body Weight) = Basal Metabolic Rate
10 x 140 = 1400

Now add in your daily activities:
3 (sedentary lifestyle) x IBW
5 (moderate activity) x IBW 5 x 140 = 700
10 (strenuous: running 45 minutes, four times per week) x IBW

Add those two figures: 1400+700= 2100 (to MAINTAIN current weight)
Now to lose a pound per week, subtract 500 calories.

That’s 1600 calories you should be consuming daily to LOSE WEIGHT.

If you find that this number of calories seems high and would cause a weight gain, your metabolic rate may have decreased because of chronic dieting, frequent weight fluctuations, or fasting.
Mommies-to-Be: NEVER DIET WHEN YOU ARE PREGNANT!
Check with your OB/GYN before starting any exercise program.
Walking and swimming are great, low-impact activities to keep you in shape during your pregnancy. Prenatal yoga is also another good choice. Other exercises which are generally considered safe, but which may require modifications by your doctor, are jogging, running, and weight lifting.

PLEASE REMEMBER: If you experience any dizziness, shortness of breath, bleeding, or contractions you should stop exercising IMMEDIATELY and contact your doctor at once!
Absolute hysteria courtesy of BOTBhttp://boards.thenest.com/boards/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=22095681http://boards.thenest.com/boards/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=22095893

http://boards.thenest.com/boards/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=22096229

“Welfare has been a peach.”
http://boards.thenest.com/boards/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=22173419

Nesting makes you neglectful parents…
http://boards.thenest.com/boards/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=22228483

And the C&P to Parenting…
http://boards.thenest.com/boards/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=22228619

Mama2Aaron* tries defending her comments…
http://boards.thenest.com/boards/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=22229668

This gets done a lot, but it’s always interesting… Most Annoying Nestie Poll:
http://boards.thenest.com/boards/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=22239554

And a S/O: Most Annoying Posts Poll:
http://boards.thenest.com/boards/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=22245883

Wondering what happened to some bios?
http://boards.thenest.com/boards/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=22256481&MsdVisit=1

When simple questions turn into debates…
http://boards.thenest.com/boards/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=22474557

Abortion debates turn nasty…
http://boards.thenest.com/boards/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=22715905 http://boards.thenest.com/boards/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=22718240
Get your very own Velvet Vagina here…
http://boards.thenest.com/boards/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=22690949

The Vagina Game
http://boards.thenest.com/boards/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=22721355

Misplaced sympathy brings out the claws
http://boards.thenest.com/boards/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=22733037

Veggie Pizza
By Karamac15

(2 packs) Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
(2) 8oz cream cheese blocks (I like fat free)
1 cup low-fat/no-fat mayo
1 packet of ranch dressing (powder)
Assorted veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, green pepper, red pepper, onion, carrots, tomatoes, etc.)
Shredded cheddar cheese

Spread out crescent rolls in pan. Just fill a cookie sheet with the two packs. This is your pizza crust. Bake according to instructions, once done, let it cool
Combine cream cheese, mayo and ranch dressing. Spread the mixture on the cooled crescent rolls. Add cut up veggies on top (may want to press into mixture to make sure to stay on!) Add shredded cheese on top. Enjoy!
Pumpkin Pancakes
with Apple Cider Syrup
By pip875sqk

2 1/3 c Bisquick
1/3 c pumpkin
1 1/4 c milk 2 eggs
1/4 c vegetable oil
2 T sugar
4 t each of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger

Mix all ingredients and cook like normal pancakes :)

For the Apple Cider Syrup:
1 c sugar
3 T Bisquick
1 t cinnamon
2 c Apple Cider or Juice

Mix ingredients and boil in small saucepan for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add in 2T lemon juice and 1/4 c of butter. Can be refrigerated and stored for later use – just reheat in the microwave.
Italian Meat Patties
By KarenndPhil

1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1/2 c. Italian bread crumbs
few tbsp tomato sauce or pasta sauce
1 tsp Italian seasoning
few shakes onion flakes, or few tbsp of fresh onion
salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients. Shape into 4-5 hamburger type patties, but thinner. Fry in a skillet until cooked. I usually serve this with mashed potatoes, or roasted potatoes.
jenny.d- February 9 IT'S A BOY!
Juniper450 – February 9 IT’S A GIRL!
Wanderlustmom- February 16 IT'S A GIRL!
MrsMeg- February 17 IT'S A BOY!
LilRhody – February 20
Justus4 – March 7 IT’S A GIRL!
akr&jjm- March 14
ready_for_baby- March 17 IT'S A GIRL!
JB&Emake3- March 22 IT’S A GIRL!
Becoming_untied- March 24 IT'S A GIRL!
auntsmoo – March 25
MattsBrat- March 30 IT'S A BOY!
luv_being_a_mom – March 31 IT’S A GIRL!
DJGS2005- April 1 IT'S A BOY!
JMFX2- c-section April 4 IT'S A BOY!
Needaname- April 5 IT’S A GIRL!
MarchMom06- April 6
Ang101604- April 8 SURPRISE!
LestaMarie-April 8 IT’S A BOY!
Lizwiz- April 11 Big u/s November 14
kel_bry413- April 13. SURPRISE!
Dancingmommy- April 14 SURPRISE
lisa99lmk – April 15 IT’S A BOY!
AndysKissy- April 16 IT”S A BOY!
ripcurlgirl- April 19
jnicks19- April 21 IT’S A GIRL!
Jpickles- c-section April 23 IT’SA BOY!
gomela – April 24
Dazz- May 1
Ashlynnsmommy- May 5 SURPRISE!
Amberleigh- May 11
superslug- May 11 IT’S A BOY!
ms.aug23- May 22 IT’S A GIRL!
HappyBrideMel – May 29 IT’S A GIRL!
Aries007- June 1 IT’S A GIRL!
SaraSmile0402- June 1
mjl2436- June 2
ALP- June 3
jeepgirl2004- June 3
Krub- June 17
turtleann- June 17
JulieChili- June 18 IT’S A BOY!
AmyGrnEyz- June 22 IT’S A BOY!
daiygirl- June 22



Djaner1- June 27
Lisita- June 28. TWINS!
HippoMommy- June 30 IT’S A BOY!
DandR- June 30
victorsbride- July 4
AwesomAidansMom- July 6
Melanee- July 6
mel8778- July 8
ccm1203 – July 10
Juleslovesjesus – July 13 IT’S A GIRL!
Ryanmakes3 – July 14
bvhcpa – July 17
dcubed- July 20
Happy April Bride- July 21
Mrs.YoungSept19 – July 23 SURPRISE
Slm27z- August 2
Milhouse – August 6
mrswhite – August 6
Kevschickee2 – August 8
septnybride – August 9
Mommynow – August 10
Sulla- August 15
Laura73104 – August 16
mom2jakob – August 22
NowMrsB – August 25
Amanimals – August 26
KristenandLuke – August 29
WVIovin –
baybe – September 2
MSUMommy – September 4
Mom2Natalie – September 5
MichelleWP – September 7
K1226M – September 9
June20bride – September 10
Page17 – September 10
Poochie-
hotfudgecustard – September 21
MazzyStarz – September 21
MrsTJ –
DiSpy01 – September 27
Married2matt – September 27
MissSexyPants – September 28
shopgirl78- October 2
Jessicaandjoe – October 3
momintn – October 4
newlyengaged75 – October 7
Rik20101 - TBA