Crowd birthing – All aboard, next stop, BIRTH!

The idea that some women want to bring 5, 8, 10 people into the birthing room, along with a live-feed video camera(s), is absurd to me, however, this has been gaining enough popularity that the term was coined, Crowd Birthing.

It’s been suggested that this new popularity began with Kourtney Kardashian’s birth video where there were 8+ people coming and going out of the room (not including the hospital staff).  Nevertheless, this seems to be an (un)natural progression of the teens and twenty-something’s idea of sharing EVERYTHING on social media.  Nothing is sacred anymore.  We’ve seen the Womb-tubers sharing the pee-on-the-stick moment and the first sonogram viewing parties.  Now we’re up to, “Let’s share birth with 800 of my closest FaceBook friends!”  What’s next?  Anyone up for a close-up circumcision video?

Aside from the obvious (to me) oversharing and TMI of doing this, there are other factors to consider. Too many people in the small confines of a birthing room can hinder the nursing staff and doctors from doing their jobs, most especially if there is a medical emergency.  Many hospitals have a limit to the number of people they allow in the room.  There’s a reason for that, not the least of which is that they don’t need the circus atmosphere of multiple unnecessary people talking and milling about.

You know, It’s not like on TV, this is not a glamorous process. It’s messy and exhausting and wonderful but you may not want to invite anyone you wouldn’t want to puke or poop in front of. I mean do we really need a live feed of your placenta?  SMILE, your vagina’s on candid camera!

Baby Monitor Hacking - Keeping control of your nursery technology

We keep hearing more cases about baby monitors being hacked by predators and it’s certainly a very scary and creepy thing.  The most recent case in the news was in Cincinnati, Ohio where parents heard a male voice coming over the monitor screaming at their child trying to wake her up.  Last fall in Huston, Texas a couple heard a male voice screaming at their daughter by name over the monitor.  The child’s name was spelled out over the crib on the wall.  Obscenities were used in both cases. The monitor, which is supposed to follow movement in the room, was panning the room being controlled by the hacker. Parents say if the intruder hadn’t spoken at all they would have never known he was watching and it could have been going on for a while. 

                                  

Parents in both cases immediately unplugged the monitor, which is certainly your first inclination however, powering off  the camera wipes it’s log of IP addresses and therefore any evidence that police had to go on to find out who these people are.  As you can imagine, both families felt very violated and horrified.

Police are not certain whether this could be the same person or a copycat but the monitors in both cases were the brand Foscam (one of which is shown above).  The company had released a firmware update for the camera fixing the problem however people who bought the item through a reseller may not get/be aware of the updates.

Experts say any digital video device that is monitored wirelessly, whether by cell phone, hand-held receiver, TV, tablet or PC, is vulnerable to hackers.   Some newer models of monitors have technology that jumps from frequency to frequency, making them more secure, while older ones do not.  Most newer models also have password capability which is definitely a must.  (Incidentally, anyone with the old analog type of monitors need not worry)

To keep your family as safe as possible, follow these rules:

1.       Enable and use the password capability on the monitor using strong passwords

2.       Use a different password for the monitor than you use for the Wi-Fi

3.       Change the manufacture default settings on both monitor and Wi-Fi

4.       Check with the manufacturer website for current updates frequently

5.     Be aware and pay attention to the monitors movements

Technology is a wonderful thing in this day and age but never let your guard down to keep your family safe.  These two families have decided to go “unplugged”.

Chores. Do they or don't they help out around the house?

Some of you may have seen this chart floating around on the internet recently sparking some talk on the mommy blogs and parenting websites about the topic of having kids do chores.  Should we or shouldn’t we, why and what is appropriate/beneficial to the child or household.

Lots of comments both ways but I find the ones in the “against” column fascinating…. In a train wreck sort-of way.   

A few days ago a Babble blogger wrote an article against having children do chores because (and I’m paraphrasing here) it’s just easier to clean the house myself because the kids don’t do a good job.

Wow, did you hear that?  Really? She didn’t even have to duck, right over her head! TOTALLY not the point of having children do chores….and there were lots of comments, believe me. (If you want to read it for yourself: http://tinyurl.com/ktr2ofn  )

My point is, I think that it is actually harmful to the learning process if you don’t have the kids do some chores. While I don’t agree with this particular chart (outdated and it has the child drying dishes, watering the plants and making beds before they can replace a toilet paper roll…what?),  there is nothing wrong with giving your kids things they need to do around the house which teaches them that the family is a team effort and  that everybody contributes plus they begin to learn responsibility, accomplishment, self-pride and that Mom is not their maid.  Is it really horrible to teach your kids to pick up their toys, appreciate them and learn to take care of them?  Is helping to cook and clean in the kitchen ridiculous?  They’re gonna need it as an adult. Will it hurt them to gather their clothes for the laundry or help Dad put tools away in the garage? 

If you start early, you may be able to avoid the kind of narcissistic children who grow up to be the lazy teens and young adults with that never ending sense of entitlement. 

So, should you make the kids do everything and become your personal slaves, of course not!  Age appropriate duties to contribute to your family? …Yes.  Each child is different... but you know what your kids are capable of and what’s important in your family. When they’re little, will they make a bigger mess trying to help? Certainly, but it’s all a learning experience, they’ll get it…..Will they complain about chores as they get older? Absolutely!... And that too is a right of passage.

Tell us what you think!

At the Pool (or WTH?)

Now, I’m not the most prude person out there, but this weekend, as we’re lying out in the sun, at a public pool, I saw something I couldn’t believe. There were families enjoying the weekend, hanging by the pool, mom and dads, lots of kids and people in general.  What disturbed me was the child who looked to be 5 or 6 yrs old (girl) whose mom removed her bikini top and who spent the entire day walking around with no top on. I can see doing this with a toddler, say 2 yrs,  but certainly not a child as old as 5 or 6.

It’s not just about weirdos,  though they are out there. I feel there’s a need to teach your daughters that this is not acceptable once they are old enough to understand the concept.

This mom made sure there were towels for the child, she diligently put sunscreen on her and we even had our sunglasses…but somehow, no top was fine!?!  Do some people need help understanding appropriate? 

To add another dimension:  Does it matter if they were clearly German and may have different cultural ideas?

I clearly don’t agree with this but how do you feel about it?  Up to what age do you feel topless is OK with your daughters?

New Baby Day Camp

A small group of youngsters sit in a circle around a pretend campfire. They watch as the procedure for changing diapers is covered and how to feed and hold a baby.  This class is a great idea for youngsters who are expecting a new baby in their household. It’s meant as a primer on what to expect when mommy brings the new baby home.

Most kids have no idea what having this new little person around will be like and they learn ways they can help out in the process and feel included. When they leave here, they will be certified big brothers and sisters.

Classes like this are sprouting up all over the states, usually in the larger cities, sponsored by hospitals, churches and women’s organizations. It’s a wonderful way to include your younger children and get them excited about having a new sibling.

This is awesome, they didn’t have that when I was a kid and Mom and Dad brought home this stinky brother of mine. J (He was born in December and I thought he was my Christmas present)

Election 2012 - Wicked Cool Baby Style

Now that the election is over, we can go back to life without all the political ads. Whether you’re Republican or Democrat, the months leading up to Nov 6 are taxing on everyone (pun intended). Even though the littlest “constituents” don’t really know what’s going on and they won’t be able to vote for years, judging from their little faces, they were OVER it!


Incidentally, the practice of “baby kissing” is believed to have started back in the time of Andrew Jackson and has survived, even flourished, through elections as a time honored way to get out the vote and gain public (women’s especially) support trying to get out a positive image. Today, it’s almost a superstition although there’s no case as to whether it helps or hinders.

Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis act out this humorous version of the cliché in this scene from a recent movie “The Campaign”, http://youtu.be/QKbziodzimo

As for Obama and Romney, they were both reported as being fairly ill-at-ease while holding infants and likely to hand the child back like “a grenade with the pin pulled out”.

So how about you? Does kissing babies make the candidates any more appealing or charismatic to you?

Onesie Crosses the Line for Some

From the desk of Wicked Cool Baby:

Last week a particular printed onesie was in the news, available at Gordman’s (at least in Mississippi) for a short time before the powers that be, removed it from the shelves reacting to outraged parents who felt it was wildly inappropriate.

Since this is a related topic to what Wicked Cool Baby does, I felt the need to comment.

I get why parents would dislike this particular onesie, I rather dislike the design myself. I feel it’s inappropriate to create infant wear that depicts any design that is sexual in nature. I’m guessing that’s the basis for the parental outrage over this one; it’s distasteful. By the sound of this story, I’m not alone in my thinking.

I have also seen onesies and infant wear that comment on sperm “winning” and Daddy “getting it up”…I hate these too!  Although, I have to say, over the years I’ve seen other things that bothered me much more, like Abercrombie’s “Push-up” bikini tops for 7 year olds (padded tops) last year http://tinyurl.com/6s93f3y  and a few years back, thong underwear in very small sizes featuring a charm on the back center which appealed to the littlest girls (I don’t remember where), not to mention the crotchless undies recently for sale at the “Kids N Teen” shop here in Colorado. http://tinyurl.com/7gbngbc

Those are a few of the more extreme instances. Kinda makes the bikini onesie from Gordman’s seem a bit tamer…or not. Some folks said it didn’t bother them while others were offended. Wherever your thinking falls on this issue, the bottom line is that babies, infants and children are not supposed to be sexy, objectified or sexualized. That being said, realize that this bikini onesie was supposed to be all in fun, it’s intended as a joke, albeit not a very funny one. This is why you’ll never find these types of designs at Wicked Cool Baby.

How do you feel about this bikini onesie? All in fun or wildly inappropriate?

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Wicked Cool Baby.com strives to be cute, funny and maybe a bit naughty without being gross, distasteful or nasty. We believe our baby onesies and toddler tees are a wicked cool and fun addition to any infant’s wardrobe. ~WCB staff

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Halloween is around the corner!

 It's almost October and we have some great toddler tees and fun infant playwear with funny Halloween themes and witty sayings for your great wicked cool kids!  Stop by the website and see all the fun new designs! http://www.wickedcoolbaby.com/

The Latest in Wicked Cool

Recently, I spoke to a mother who told me that when she had her newborn, she searched the web for weeks looking for a baby shirt or onesie that had a design that said anything about Daddy and his occupation. She found shirts mentioning policeman, fireman and a few other assorted jobs but unfortunately her husband is a meteorologist and she had to have a shirt made up.

Well, that is Wicked Cool Baby's specialty! We've added a saying for Moms, Dads, Grandmas and Grandpas that's completely customizable; convenient for you to add any occupation you need! Look no further for the cutest shirts and onesies for your adorable kiddos and spread the Wicked Cool...

Wicked Cool Baby funny t-shirt contest

While joining the fabulous blog carnival in March at L.A. Mitchell’s blog last month, we tossed around the idea of having a contest to see who could write the best and funniest wicked cool baby shirt design. The gauntlet has been thrown down; will it be the authors and writers or our wicked cool customers, friends and fans that come up with the best ones?

Try your hand at it and submit your entry by Thursday (April 22) midnight at either the http://www.wickedcoolbaby.com/ website or at L.A. Mitchell’s blog at http://www.la-mitchell.blogspot.com/.

Winner gets a FREE wicked cool baby garment with their winning design and gets their design added to the WCB web catalog.

Every entry gets a 15% off coupon for use at the Wicked Cool Baby site and entered in a drawing to get a baby onesie or shirt of their choice.....so you have two chance to win!

Winner established by a vote hosted on L.A. Mitchell’s blog at http://www.la-mitchell.blogspot.com/. Voting starts Friday, April 23 and ends Sunday, April 25. Winners announced Monday, April 26 on both sites.

Come vote for the best even if you don’t enter yourself!

In honor of the Blog Time Carnival hosted by up and coming time travel author, L.A. Mitchell, Wicked Cool Baby has added some fun baby items having to do with TIME; something there’s way too little of when you have a baby!

L.A. Mitchell is a romantic fiction author published with Wild Rose Press and a multi-year Finalist in the Romance Writers of America prestigious Golden Heart contests.

Pop on over to join in the carnival fun on the midway at http://www.la-mitchell.blogspot.com

and OF COURSE, visit http://www.wickedcoolbaby.com/ to see the new baby items we added for the carnival TIME theme.