In my lazy web-wanderings I found myself at a site called Baby Proofing Directory. I found it helpful and thought I'd pass along the link and detail some of the information they can provide.

Keeping your baby safe is undoubtedly important, and you might be feeling a bit overwhelmed at all that needs to be done to baby proof your home. I know in my case, there were many things that I didn't know until I read or heard about a particular home danger.

The Baby Proofing Directory can help you locate a professional who can help you make sure no stone goes unturned in your baby proofing quest. It also offers room-by-room baby proofing sheets that you can check out. I found those to be particularly helpful.

So as you prepare your home to be a safe-haven for your little one, be sure to pass along any resources that can help others in their endeavors too.

I love pumpkin. There is nothing more gratifying in the brisk chill of autumn to whip up some pumpkin delights for the family. I've done everything from pumpkin soup to pumpkins rolls to classic pumpkins pies. Pumpkin offers such a warm, filling taste of fall, doesn't it?

In honor of this scrumptious autumnal fruit, I recently wrote several pieces on making pumpkin baby food recipes. No reason to leave your little one out! I included a yummy pumpkin breakfast for baby, basic pumpkin purée, and common FAQs about selecting and preparing pumpkin for baby food recipes. I swear I haven't stopped drooling since.

So today is grocery day. I definitely have plans for some pumpkin.

Photo © cheyn021, "Sugar Pumpkins 2," http://flickr.com

Couldn't resist the pun in the title.

I just found out one of my favorite cloth diaper stores, Zannadu, is closing up shop. Joanne is a top-notch WAHM (Work at Home Mom), and I loved doing business with her. I actually took the plunge into cloth after I attended one of her Cloth Diapering Workshops. She taught me the difference between pocket diapers and AIOs, detergents to use and to avoid, and pretty much everything else I needed to know.

So, yeah, I am a little saddened to hear she's closing. Evidently, after 6 years in the business she is retiring. The store will close its cyber-doors on December 31, 2009.

The good news is that between now and then she is offering 20% off nearly everything in her inventory. Great deals to be had, that's for sure.

So thank you to Joanne who got me started on cloth, saved me a bundle of money, and helped me do a little something to protect our environment.

I've witnessed many a heated debate over the topic of administering vaccinations. I've read about it in parenting magazines, seen quarrels in internet communities escalate to catastrophic proportions, and listened to friends talk candidly about their vaccination preferences. The issue - to vaccinate or to decline vaccinations -gets a lot of attention.

However, for parents who do choose to vaccinate, there is another facet of vaccinations that they must consider, especially if they are inclined to use Tylenol (generic: acetaminophen) to prevent the fevers and fussiness that may come following a routine shot.

A new study detailing the effects of Tylenol on vaccine's effectiveness published in the medical journal, The Lancet, discouraged the practice of routinely using Tylenol to prevent fever-related side effects and fussiness.

If you are like me, reading the study itself can be a bit confusing as it is filled with such words and phrases as "prophylactic paracetamol administration," "vaccine antigens," and "antipyretic drugs." So in laymen's terms, let me relate the implications of the study:

• This study specifically was looking at using Tylenol to prevent a fever that develops after a vaccination. We cannot apply the findings to the practice of using Tylenol after a fever has developed.
• The study determined that although administering Tylenol before a child receives a vaccine does reduce the risk of febrile seizures; it also may reduce the amount of protective antibodies that are made.
• For the children in the study who received fever-relieving drugs, nearly 90% of them achieved satisfactory protection after the booster dose was given later in life.

So what does all this mean? Well, that ultimately is for you to decide. My take on it is that there is sufficient enough reason to not routinely give Tylenol to babies before a vaccine as a means of preventing fever or febrile seizures. I think it's another one of those times when parents need to think about their child's past medical history. Perhaps for children who have a past history of febrile seizures, Tylenol is the right way to go. But for the majority, it may be better to wait and see if a fever develops.

What about you? What are your thoughts on using Tylenol to prevent fevers following a vaccination? What are your plans?

Photo © Julien Harneis, "Not sure about the vaccination" http://flickr.com