Everyone says he looks just like me, but did I give him a genetic condition too?

Before having children, the farthest I thought about genetics was assumptions on whose eye color my children would have or whether they would get my nose, or my husbands hands. I thought of the word “hereditary” in relation to characteristics, not in regards to diseases, illnesses and conditions.

But a quick google search after Arlo’s diagnosis of Ocular Albinism at 3 months old led me to the words “x-linked hereditary” — meaning it is most commonly passed from mother to son. I felt a knot forming in my throat as I read that the gene can be passed from generation to generation before it presents itself in a member of a family. It also meant that if I carried the OA gene, there was a 50% chance that any son we had would also have the condition.

I gave him this, I thought my eyes burning with tears. I felt dirty, betrayed by my genetic makeup, angry that this wonky gene had layed quietly inside me and now I had passed it to my son. I was ashamed of it, mostly because I didn’t understand albinism yet. I was so fearful of the unknown. Continue reading »

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In the news today: High Arsenic Levels found in some organic foods/baby formula. Ughhh. NOT THIS. Can I tell you all a little story before I share the details. I have gone rounds and rounds on choosing the right formula for Arlo to supplement breastfeeding. I read and compared labels and spoke with other concerned parents and my pediatrician. Just two weeks ago, I finally settled on Baby’s Only formula. It’s organic, all ingredients are sourced from the US, and it didn’t contain hexane derived DHA which has been questioned as safe for baby formula. Finally, I thought… the right formula for Arlo.

And then today, a new report - A recent study found that baby formulas with brown rice syrup were found to have 20 times higher levels of arsenic than formulas made without it. Many foods have some level of naturally produced arsenic, but brown rice in particular seems to have a higher concentration. There are no known studies as to the effects of prolonged consumption of arsenic in babies but obviously the outcome can’t be good. Continue reading »

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Is Your Baby Getting Enough Vitamin D? Probably not!

When both of my kids were babies, their pediatrician was adamant about making sure I was giving them both a vitamin D supplement. She asked about it at every monthly check-up and I would diligently apply a few drops to their bottle or paci everyday for the first few months. But as time went by,  she stopped asking and I started doing it less and less, assuming that they got plenty of vitamin D during our trips outdoors.

Recently, I keep hearing more and more about the importance of vitamin D and how most kids just aren’t getting enough. After doing some research, I am back to supplementing Arlo with a 400 IU dropper of Vitamin D oil on his pacifier every day. A study by the CDC in 2010 found that only 1 in 5 formula fed babies and 1 in 20 breastfed babies was actually getting the recommend dosage of Vitamin D. Continue reading »

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There are only so many “Baby’s Firsts” that you get to enjoy as a parent. Celebrating each of Arlo’s first holidays has been so much fun… but I’ve had my sights set on Valentine’s day for a few months now. Why? Because, uh, my kid would make a perfect cupid! I broke out the angel wings and hearts this morning for a little cupid photo shoot. Check out sweet Arlo cupid and his big sis: Continue reading »

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As I’ve shared in the past, I’m really loving my breastfeeding experience with Arlo, but due to a hectic work schedule and a looming 4-day work trip out of town, my  husband and I are trying to get Arlo to take a bottle of formula every now and then to supplement when needed. We’ve been slowly re-introducing Arlo to formula over the past few weeks (after a bad reaction to soy formula at 6 months old) with a half breast milk/half formula mixture recommended by many of the readers here on Baby’s First Year.

With my firstborn, I chose a formula based off the recommendations of several of my mama friends, and my initial  instinct was to use the same brand again with Arlo, but I decided to do some research to see if there was a brand better suited to his individual needs. My best friend found the best formula brand for her son by trying several different ones and seeing how he responded to them (some caused him to be gassy, others he was reluctant to take) before she settled on a preferred brand.

So this got me thinking — how do most moms choose the brand of formula best suited for their little ones? Do they follow the recommendation of friends or their pediatrician? Do they try several like my best friend did? After the jump, check out what some moms on twitter shared about how they made the decision: Continue reading »

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When our daughter Everly was just a tiny thing (6 weeks or so), my husband and I enjoyed our first Valentine’s day as parents. Unlike year’s past, we spent it staring at our new baby and hanging close to home. While we didn’t do the romantic dinner, flowers and the whole nine… we did decide to commemorate the day by making a sweet little video to send home to our family on the other side of the country. It’s only 34 seconds long, but it makes me smile ear to ear every time I watch it.

(after the jump, our Happy Valentine’s day video with our Continue reading »

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Sometimes, just for kicks, I’ll go back and read the archives of my personal blog just to see what I was thinking and doing in years past. Sometimes I find myself smiling over a happy memory but very often, I find myself shaking my head in disbelief over how naive I was about motherhood. In so many ways, motherhood is the great equalizer. It takes all your pride and all your stubbornness and all your know-it-all tendencies and pulls the rug right out from underneath them all. As a mother of two now, some of the greatest commandments I’ve learned as a mom are: Continue reading »

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