KVUE Bloggers http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/ en Copyright 2008 Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:20:19 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Holidays and Chaos Are you feeling a little overwhelmed with Christmas drawing near? I know I am! Shopping with a toddler is never very easy and I tend to feel extremely self conscious about even the smallest of disruptions. In some ways, I give credit to parents who can ignore the tantrums in stores and restaurants but I must say, I just can't do it! If Peter is misbehaving (which he does frequently) I feel the need to correct him and remove him from the situation. I just can't ignore it. I guess it's because I sense the nerves being rattled around us but I also know Peter is the type of child who likes to tow the line of discipline. But, isn't that the case for most toddlers? They like to test their limits.

A few months ago, I blogged about my concern with Peter's eczema. I guess a combination of maturity and consistent skin therapy have eased the problem. I know a lot of you have emailed me about your own battles with eczema. Please let me know if I can help you in any way. I know the doctors say this particular skin disorder is hard to treat. I feel the best way to treat it is to trade success stories with other parents. Our winning combination has come in the most unlikely of places.

Hope you and your loved ones have a fantastic holiday and Happy New Year!

]]> http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2007/12/holidays-and-chaos.html http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2007/12/holidays-and-chaos.html Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:20:19 -0600 Holidays Can you believe it's almost Thanksgiving? I am stunned at how quickly the time goes by! It's hard for me and my husband to make the holidays what they should be...as we're both in the news biz and it can be tough! November is part of the normal television ratings period and that means time off is almost non-existent. That also means Mom and Dad have to work and can't travel home to see Grandma and Grandpa. Peter is almost 2, so he won't realize their absence yet..but the time will come. I think this is the time to appreciate the efforts of all of those who work on holidays. Think of the job emergency officials have on the holidays. I remember riding along with some EMS workers while I was working on Thanksgiving a few years ago and they covered horrible tragedies (car wrecks, heart attacks). It was very sobering and it made me appreciate just how terrific my job really is.... I may be working, but I'm surrounded by my family and my extended family here at KVUE. I'm truly thankful!

So, eat some extra turkey and enjoy your time off...because not everyone is as fortunate.

]]> http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2007/11/holidays-1.html http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2007/11/holidays-1.html Tue, 20 Nov 2007 17:15:19 -0600 Packin' a Toddler The time has come, I finally get a few days off. It seems as if this is becoming a rare occasion. Why can't we be more like the European countries, where people get 8 weeks of vacation a year? Why? Oh, one could dream.

I am now trying to figure out how we are going to pack quickly (and I mean quickly) with a toddler! I guess my concerns over packing are part of my denial that we have to fly with a toddler.

I have been over this before, how do you travel without making a scene? Peter is 22 months. This means he does not:
a) sit still b) know what it means to "be quiet" c) care if his Dad and I are humiliated d) sleep from take off to landing.

If anyone is on our flight, we are apologizing, in advance. I am praying for a quiet trip, but God only knows if those prayers will be answered.

Hope you have a great week. I will check in with photos, when I return. Thanks for checking in!

]]> http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2007/10/packin-a-toddler.html http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2007/10/packin-a-toddler.html Fri, 19 Oct 2007 15:52:14 -0600 Parent Trap Hi everyone! I have been contemplating what I should write about today, and I couldn't dismiss my consistent internal nagging about being "one of those parents". I'm sure most of you can relate and I'd bet you have an idea of what I'm hinting at! As a working mom, I have a 'few' vices. Oh, heck, if I wasn't working, I'm sure I'd have very similar concerns! So, here it goes!
1) Loud Music. Call me a kid at heart or an idiot -- either way I really enjoy my music louder than what you might find at, say, a library. But, I guess Peter likes it, too! I was driving down the road the other day and my favorite song came on. It's "Apologize" by Timbaland. Well, I cranked it up "a little" and Peter started bouncing in the car seat, screaming "Come On!" "Come On!". It was hysterical! The more I laughed the more he continued his little baby rap. It couldn't have been cuter (in this crazy mother's eyes). Like mother like son! I bet I will be regretting this when he's 15!
2) The word "no". I tend to say "no, no, no, no" instead of just saying "no". Well, he's made it his very own song. CH: Peter would you like broccoli? Peter: "no, no, no, no". Apparently I missed parenting 101.
3) Baby Einstein. It's his favorite. He even knows the characters! All the experts will tell you NO TV for the first few years. Well, sometimes this mom needs a bathroom break! Peter is very energetic and he's not quite to the point where I feel comfortable leaving him alone. So, turn on the DVD and Mom gets to the bathroom, what a concept! Do you think the experts would be ok with that?
Oh...I have plenty more...but I'll save them for next time. Until then, email me! I'd love to hear about your parental coping mechanisms. I obviously need help!

]]> http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2007/10/parent-trap.html http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2007/10/parent-trap.html Tue, 16 Oct 2007 20:45:57 -0600 Busy Day! Sometimes being a parent can be a bit overwhelming, can't it? Working parents can certainly have their hands full. At least I do!
I started my morning bright and early at 6am attending an awesome event, the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women breakfast. It was so powerful to see more than 300 women dressed in red and raring to go, despite the early hours. Then, it was on to work. Then a stop home between newscasts and a trip to the Domain with Peter. Had to get him out of the house for a little while. And the mall always seems to make him happy (as long as he's not in the stores).
Which leads to the big problem I stumbled on... WATER. My son is obsessed with it. ANY and EVERY fountain catches his ear. I swear he can hear water trickling from 3 miles away. But, boy did he have fun splashing around at the mall. He may have been entertaining himself, but he did a good job of keeping me on my toes! All and all it was a great night and I'm so thankful for every minute I can spend with him -- but I will be so happy when my head hits the pillow around midnight tonight. What happened to heading out on the town on a Friday night? Yeah, parenthood really changes things! But, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Thanks for checking in! Have a wonderful weekend!

]]> http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2007/10/busy-day.html http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2007/10/busy-day.html Fri, 12 Oct 2007 21:10:32 -0600 Time DOES fly! When Peter was an infant, everyone told me how quickly time goes by and pleaded with me to cherish each and every moment. I certainly have done that, but now that he is 22 months old, I can't get over the little BOY I have in front of me! Peter is no longer a baby -- he now tells me what to do! Every morning, he drags me to my closet saying "Mommy Please" "Mommy Please" -- of course, handing me my shoes to wear! He always wants to go outside. He could live outside 24 hours a day. He LOVES being outdoors. All he needs is a hose and a few buckets -- he's set!

As happy as it makes him to be outdoors, it makes him equally MAD to return inside. I just started "time outs" and wow that's tough! We've been trying to sit together for 30 seconds on the couch until he calms down. At first, I didn't think he understood. But, now, by the time I get to 25 -- he is quiet. Well, usually!

The funniest moment this week -- for this crazy mother -- happened when I tried to get Peter to try raisins. He looked at them and grimaced. He quickly handed 2 of them to me and said "No, thank you". At least he's polite despite being defiant. Gotta love kids!

As if parenting wasn't a full time job, I've also been busy working as a volunteer. Along with the wonderful people at Austin's Susan G. Komen Foundation, I have been putting in extra hours to help spread the word about the importance of mammograms. Don't forget to watch for our stories on breast cancer every Friday @ 6pm on KVUE.
I'd love to have you on my team for this year's Race for the Cure!

Thanks for checking in! Have a wonderful day!

]]> http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2007/10/time-does-fly.html http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2007/10/time-does-fly.html Mon, 08 Oct 2007 14:28:56 -0600 Flying with a Toddler I just returned from a wonderful visit home to see my family and boy, what a trip....in more ways than one! Peter is 19 months now and all energy as I've explained before. However, this was one flight I won't soon forget. It was a direct flight returning late from Chicago to Austin and I thought that maybe he'd sleep...well, he did, for awhile. But, about 15 minutes before the plane was about to land (12:15 am) the pilot came on the load speaker to talk about...well, a lot of things. Things that really weren't necessary when it's 12:15 am and I'm concentrating on keeping Peter asleep. Actually, there were a lot of kids on the plane -- so you would have thought he would have tried to keep the volume down. Instead, the crew flashed the lights over and over again and the pilot went on about the normal things only it seemed to be at record volume. Peter couldn't stay asleep -- instead he was scared out of his mind. He screamed at a pitch and intensity even I hadn't heard before and it went on for about 15 minutes. There was nothing I could do to comfort him -- he was tired, hungry, jet lagged, hot, uncomfortable and ticked off. I can't tell you how happy I was to get off that plane! I'm sure my fellow passengers were feeling equally thrilled with our parting of ways. I just hope he isn't going to think of that horrible 15 minute experience every
time he gets on a plane. He was pretty good the rest of the trip -- just the typical toddler issues. So, I am hoping to seek out the advice of fellow parents for my future travels. Let me just say I won't be doing anything other than direct flights until he's about 18. It's either that -- or I'll be riding on the exterior of the plane!

Thanks for checking in!

]]> http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2007/07/flying-with-a-toddler.html http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2007/07/flying-with-a-toddler.html Tue, 24 Jul 2007 20:28:51 -0600 The talking and the whining! I admit it -- I'm one of those mothers. I am a worrier! Maybe it's because Peter is my first child..and he's a boy.. but, I am not "ok" with jumping on or off of anything! Peter is truly a very agile child. He can climb onto beds, couches, chairs, you name it. But, what's worse? He can jump off of them, too. His dad and I go back and forth about what's normal boy behavior. Here's what I can't help but consider. Someday, if I let him climb on everything and walk on every couch, he's going to do a nose dive off of the pew in church! Peter is also starting to show his "challenging" side. Moms, does this sound familiar? I say "NO" when he decides to stand up on an office chair or on the bed. I tell him he can only stay on the chair if he sits. So, he does. I then look back and I see this little smirk come across his face and then, yep, a standing 19 month old! I say "no" -- he giggles and sits back down. Oh, and the cycle goes on and on and on! I have been reading some parenting books and trying to reflect on the days of my parents reprimanding me for my "challenging" behavior. If you have any good books/programs you can recommend, please let me know!
Have a great day!!!

]]> http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2007/07/the-talking-and-the-whining.html http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2007/07/the-talking-and-the-whining.html Wed, 11 Jul 2007 13:58:26 -0600 Eczema A new concern for a new mother! My son has/had Eczema. My gosh, I've never felt so awful for him. The itching and crankiness is enough to make any mother squirm! I think the hardest part of Eczema is the fact that it's hard to find the source of the problem. For Peter, it was out of the blue. I don't know if it was his favorite breakfast of scrambled eggs or the window cleaner! Fortunately, a friend of mine recommended a wonderful skin product that cured it almost instantly. Unbelievable! (If you ever want a recommendation, just email me.) But, as I researched this pesky problem I found so many people suffer extensively from it. Have any of you been able to find a cure or even a source for eczema? If so, please let me know. I'd love to hear from you and I'm interested in doing a news story in the near future.

Until next time -- have a wonderful day!

]]> http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2007/04/eczema.html http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2007/04/eczema.html Thu, 26 Apr 2007 17:32:49 -0600 Growing up fast! Hi everyone. I wanted to take a moment to say "hi" and gush a bit about a new stage with Peter. He's 16 months old now and I'm feeling more and more of a connection with him. He's talking up a storm (I wonder where he got that from) but he's also initiating games of peek a boo with me. I was overwhelmed last night when he was able to run and hide from me and start calling out "ma ma" from behind my bed. He was just giggling until I came and found him. I never before REALLY understood why kids change your life. But, for me, Peter has changed my entire perspective on life. And that's really the truth -- no embellishment. I have never felt so excited to sit on the floor with a blanket on my head just to hear him giggle or walk closer to see my reaction. There have been so many times that I felt so unappreciated, you know, waking up 3 times a night just get screamed at by a teething toddler! But, every game of peek a boo and food throwing makes up for all of it. I guess it's a 16 month old's way of saying "thank you" even before he can really utter the words. I just hope he will soon understand how thankful I am ... for him!

Thanks for checking in. Have a wonderful week!

]]> http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2007/04/growing-up-fast.html http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2007/04/growing-up-fast.html Wed, 11 Apr 2007 17:38:38 -0600 Traveling with a baby! Hi everyone. I'm just returning from a long weekend. We took Peter to Houston to visit the zoo and the aquarium. We had a blast! I will be honest, I was EXTREMELY nervous about traveling with a 15 month old. Peter was a trooper! We've taken him to my parents house in Chicago, but that's different because he has a house to run around in when we arrive. However, a hotel room is a little different. The rooms certainly aren't baby proof, there are endless cords everywhere and then there's the concern over cleanliness. I don't care how much you pay for a hotel room --there's just no guarantee! I've seen those investigations - haven't you? And of course Peter must drop everything on the floor 18 times! Ugh!

But, all and all we had a great time and almost felt like we had a bit of a vacation. Go figure! Well, I'll admit we traded dining out for frequent stops for cheerios -- but that's ok with us! We loved every minute of it.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

]]> http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2007/03/traveling-with-a-baby.html http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2007/03/traveling-with-a-baby.html Mon, 12 Mar 2007 15:42:45 -0600 14 months and counting! Boy, time is flying! Peter is now 14.99 months old and all BOY! I guess it just took me a little while to realize that he doesn't enjoy watching mommy put make up on or scrub the sink -- he would much rather focus on "PETER". Sound familiar? So many moms tell me they know exactly what I'm talking about. Peter has been walking since 9 months and is now running, jumping, opening doors and pointing to everything. His favorite time of day is "airplane time". We have quite the flight pattern over our house and he will be in the middle of watching Baby Einstein or anything else -- and he will hear the plane and start running and pointing to the sky. He says "airplane" but it comes out sounding a lot more like "a-po-lee". Seriously, I think kids speak their very own language. If only I was the translator! He is so talkative but most things leave me scratching my head for a week and then I'll get it, "oh, you mean tree"!

Peter is truly a gift and I love every inch of that little boy, but he is a handful! My mom always laugh when I remind her of this and she just says it's about time you pay for your raising! Let's just say I'm paying and I may even be paying double!

Until next time, thanks for checking in!

Christine

]]> http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2007/03/14-months-and-counting.html http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2007/03/14-months-and-counting.html Wed, 07 Mar 2007 20:20:58 -0600 Time is flying! Hi everyone. Some big updates to pass along. Peter is now 8.5 months and he took his first 2 steps on Tuesday. Wow! He is getting so big -- I can hear all of those voices telling me "cherish these moments because they'll fly by" ... we'll that advice is ringing true. I've always spent my life looking forward to the next step -- the next season. Now, I can't help but look back. I was at the park today with Peter and I kept thinking about how the little things in life are some of the most important moments to remember. I read a quote the other day and it made me think of motherhood and I have to share it.... "we will be born and we will die ...but the moments in between really shine light on the quality of life". Isn't that great? Being a mom has really made me realize that I can't take anything for granted. Every moment is so precious.. and when I see my little boy smile -- I know I'm doing something right!!

Thanks for checking in .... until next time.

]]> http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2006/09/time-is-flying.html http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2006/09/time-is-flying.html Fri, 01 Sep 2006 16:36:46 -0600 Time -- what time? Hi everyone! I must take a day to have a Mommy "pitty party". Geez ~ I only have 1 child and I just can't seem to find the time to do anything anymore! I'm sure parents can relate and many are probably laughing right now thinking ... "oh she thinks SHE has it bad?" You're absolutely right -- I only have 1 baby but boy kids are a handful. He is crawling all over the place and he's into everything! The challenge lately has been getting him to go to sleep in his crib without hurting himself. He's in that stage where he thinks it's hysterical to jump up and down while trying to hold on to the side of the crib -- we'll sometimes his balance isn't quite as good as he thinks it is. But, he does a fine job of giving his mother a heart attack! My husband says "he'll be fine"....but I'm the worrier in the family. I worry enough for 5 people... that's what Mom's are for, right? I am just trying to make sure I remember every single moment! I found myself laughing harder with him than I have laughed in probably more than a year....all thanks to a game of peek a boo! Peter may be a lot of work but he is the the best thing that has ever come into our lives.

Thanks for checking in and watching! Have a great week.
Christine

]]> http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2006/07/time-what-time.html http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2006/07/time-what-time.html Thu, 27 Jul 2006 21:24:43 -0600 Baby with an attitude! Hi everyone! It's been awhile since I've checked in here! Sorry, we were having some technical difficulties with the blog. I'm happy to report Peter is now 6.5 months old and has a tooth! My husband and I almost threw a party. What a relief to see those white spots. But, before we get too excited .. there's more on the way. He's not done yet. It seems as if he's been teething since we brought him home from the hospital. But, a few weeks ago my sheer frustration/determination paid off during our 6 month check-up at the doctor's office. I have been telling the doctor for months that I thought Peter had symptoms of something more than teething -- acid reflux. He was constantly screaming, refusing food, irritable and just plain fussy 24/7. The doctor had told me time and time again that it was just teething -- until this last visit. He was arching his back and screaming like a maniac through the whole appt. and I begged for some sample acid reflux medication and she finally gave in and said "let's give it a try". Guess what? 24 hours after that medication I had a happy JOYOUS baby. To this day we're still in shock over how good natured he really is even while teething!! We had no idea. That poor baby had a burning tummy for the last 6 months of his life and had no way to put out the fire. I feel just awful -- but elated that we finally realized what was really going on inside that little boy.

Sleeping has still been an issue. He still gets up a couple of times a night to eat but I'm trying to look past it until I know it's not teething pain. But, he's standing on his own and today he started to crawl! He took 6 steps all by himself! It would figure that he only crawls in an effort to reach the remote control. Dare I say ... typical guy??
He's starting early ... soon he'll be chanting "beer, beer, beer".

And so it begins...

Thanks for checking in.. and feel free to email me if you ever have any questions on infant acid reflux. I've done a lot of research on the issue lately and would be happy to exchange stories.

Have a great day!

Christine

]]> http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2006/07/baby-with-an-attitude.html http://www.beloblog.com/KVUE_Blogs/2006/07/baby-with-an-attitude.html Wed, 05 Jul 2006 14:32:14 -0600