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…people like lists (vol. 14)

1. Earlier this week, we attended a friend’s birthday potluck picnic at a park. There was lots of good food and good people who brought yummy treats to share. Tommy found a container of homemade chocolate chip cookies and helped himself. Unfortunately, that cookies were packaged next to homemade peanut butter cookies. Tommy is allergic to peanuts.

Cross-contamination is real and it can get ugly, fast. Fortunately, I had Benedryl in my purse so I was able to give a dose to him immediately. I felt like he needed one more pill, which I didn’t have, so a friend helped out from her Benedryl stash. My husband took Tommy home to watch him. Luckily, he didn’t need the epi-pen, but he developed some itching and a bad headache. Giving Benedryl immediately probably saved him a trip to the ER.

My PSA: Please package peanut-laden foods separately from other foods. Also, labels are nice. I’m not one of those peanuts-must-be-banned parents because I understand people truly love peanuts. They are an iconic food in the US. Can we try to take care, though? I’m not angry at the people who brought the cookies. Parents who have kids with allergies bear the responsibility in policing what their kids eat, including me. But in a hectic, zany party atmosphere, it’s nice to know we have each other’s backs.

2. Almost a year ago, I went on bed rest. At the time, I had no idea it would end up being a month. The reason was very low amnionic fluid, but not low enough for immediate delivery. 5 is the magic number and I bounced around at 6 or 7. They wanted it to be over 10. Also, my history of deliveries because of low fluid (Joel, Beatrix, and Archie) made them put me on bed rest. The hospital had just instituted a policy that no c-sections or inductions could be performed before 39 weeks unless lives were in imminent danger. I thought it was dumb, but the OB assured me it was for the best. Pediatricians had been pushing for the change because they were seeing babies born between 37 -39 weeks being admitted to the NICU.

Lately, I’ve been seeing many articles backing up the research. Here’s a clearinghouse of sorts in case you or someone you know is heavily pregnant and thinking of asking for an early induction or a c-section. Summer is especially brutal on the very-pregnant, but try to hang in there for the sake of your sweet baby.

Doctors to Pregnant Women: Wait at Least 39 Weeks

Mothers-to-be Cautioned to Wait Until 39 Weeks for Scheduled Delivery

Two More Colorado Hospitals Ban Elective Births Before 39 Weeks

Too Many Babies Are Delivered Too Early: Hospitals Should Just Say No

March of Dimes: No Non-Medical Inductions Before 39 Weeks

Doctors Say Planned Early Births Can Be Risky

3. From the makers of Dippin’ Dots: Coffee dots? Imagine the possibilities. Can you imagine if your job was Ice Cream Scientist? They are moving beyond flash-freezing to make ice cream dots and into other dreamy frontiers.

4. Here’s a list of The 26 Most Disturbing Kid’s Movies. I’ll add one to the list: Rango. The animation was spectacularly detailed. Truly stunning. The kids thought it was weird and creeper, but they laughed. It’s rated PG because small animals smoke. “Smoking” is actually given as a reason for the PG rating. Rango is more suitable for older kids and teens, but even they might scratch their heads at the post-modern themes and over-the-top characters. Normally, I love Isla Fisher, but her character in the movie, Beans, made my skin crawl. Her voice was nauseating.

With that, I’m rolling out my new movie review rating system: Clean Diaper, Wet Diaper, Dirty Diaper.

I give Rango a Wet Diaper.

5. More Fall Fashion 2011 trends for you to adopt. Ladies, start filling your closets with mustard and roadkill. Shroud your bodies in Gulden’s yellow jacket and wear stuffed wharf rat on your noggin. Tres chic! Pair it all with baggy cropped dijon-yellow pants and look like a real live New York City hot dog cart.

5 comments to …people like lists (vol. 14)

  • So sorry about the peanut incident and thanks for the call to awareness. I’ve never even thought to label anything before but will definitely think twice before our next potential peanut butter potluck…

  • I had my daughter at 37 weeks (induced due to fever and high heart rate) in Utah. At the time (4 years ago) it was common for them to induce people if they wanted…because there are soooo many babies being born there. They like the option of being able to schedule them. I wonder if this has changed there too?

    I have no desire to see Rango. It looked weird.

  • So glad Tommy was okay. We have no allergies here, but several friends have kids with peanut and other allergies. I try to be mindful of what I serve and how it is packaged, but I know I could still do better.

    I’m glad the medical community is being more proactive about elective scheduled deliveries. I’ve had 5 c-sections, 4 of them scheduled. All were at 39 weeks at least. My last one was just one day short of 40 weeks I think. Since we knew we were having a boy I was especially glad my doctor didn’t push an earlier delivery. Since motherhood is all about self-sacrifice anyway we need to not worry about our comfort or our schedules so much before the baby is even born, unless of course there are serious medical reasons to deliver early. I’m afraid our culture of convenience has permeated every facet of our lives.

    We will not see Rango. I have yet to see one person speak positively about it, beyond the visual aspect.

  • You will not believe it… we have another thing in common… nut allergies!!! I wrote a post on how to help your kids survive allergies in a non-allergic world, here’s an extract you will appreciate: Beware of the Totally Oblivious: There is always someone who offers your kid something they just can’t have and then in their fluster to recover, they offer them something they really shouldn’t have either!!! We have been out to lunch where a good friend offered us stir-fry and she had cooked everything in peanut oil. She was so excited about this yummy treat. We were less excited. She offered the kids sandwiches and happily made them with the same knife she had just spread peanut butter on a sandwich for her toddler. Yikes!!!
    Here’s the link if you like: http://www.pootsandpans.com/2011/05/how-to-cope-with-child-food-allergies-guest-post/

  • My OB would NOT do the c-section before 39 weeks, no matter how much I begged and pleaded. I really am grateful to her, now. Well, for that and for saving my life, you know…

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