No visitors allowed

In case you haven’t heard, beginning Monday, Nov. 9 visitors under the age of 16 will not be permitted at Lodi Memorial Hospital. That includes to visit their mothers in the maternity ward or to see their new just-born siblings.

The reason? Swine flu precautions. I will keep my opinion on this virus to myself because I do regularly report on it and the affects on schools, and instead focus on the lack of thought I feel was put into this decision.

Let me give you some background: I have to have a c-section, which means I am required to be at the hospital two hours before the scheduled surgery on an upcoming Monday. At that time, I will be forced to tell my toddler son goodbye. I won’t be allowed to see him for two days, since that is the standard time a c-section patient stays in the hospital.

I am trying to understand exactly why hospitals have chosen to do this — and many in the Bay Area made the same decision last month — but I’m not really sure if they thought out the implications.

While I won’t be able to see my son, Sam, too, won’t be permitted to see his baby sister until she is brought home. And although I have no immediate family in the area, I must find a babysitter to care for my toddler while my husband is not only visiting me, but bonding with our second child.

The reasoning? Pregnant women reportedly fall into one of the high-risk swine flu groups, and the hospital doesn’t want anyone getting sick, especially the newborns. I get that.

But Lodi Memorial’s birthing rooms are separate from the general public, as are most definitely the surgical rooms. The in-room toilets are only to be used by new and expectant moms, so the chance of germs being spread are slim. In case you’ve never visited the maternity ward, there are no public places.

In the end, I understand hospitals want to keep their patients safe. And while I am smart enough not to let my son inside the maternity ward if he is sniffling or otherwise ill, apparently other people aren’t.

Top 5 things you never say to a pregnant woman

As I countdown in days (as opposed to weeks!) to the delivery of my daughter, I couldn’t help but share some of the top things you should never say to a pregnant woman. (And I won’t tell you which ones have been uttered to me!)

1. Are you having twins?

2. You must be due soon.

3. Wow, you’re measuring big (she surely won’t hear the m-word when followed with “big”)!

4. Are you sure you’re allowed to eat that?

5. How many pounds have you gained?

Feel free to add some of your own.

Headed home from the hospital

In a little over a month, I will be heading home from the hospital with my newborn baby. Although I’ve done this once before, I thought it’d be good to share with first-time parents what they should expect for the car ride home.

I recently received this e-mail from Graco (the people that make the majority of the car seats we use to haul around the five-and-under crowd). It had to so many great tips I thought I would just post them verbatim:

1. Before the big day, do an installation run-through of your car seat. Like any new parent, you won’t want to leave anything to chance. Practice installing your car seat (and even buckling it) so you won’t get caught frantically trying to figure out which straps go where at the hospital. (Chance are, both mom and baby are just going to want to get home!)

2. Dress the part: There is no doubt you’ve packed several cute outfits for your new baby. But, what about something clean, comfy and new for you? This is a time to celebrate and you should dress the part. If make-up is your thing, be sure to pack it. This is also a great time to switch your digital camera to black and white mode. This will soften any puffiness and dark circles that sometimes accompany both you and your baby during childbirth.

3. Bring the essentials: Be sure you’re prepared with the necessities for your little one, too. Most hospitals supply you with knit caps to keep your baby’s head protected during these first days, so use them. Receiving blankets, socks, a pacifier and a burp cloth are also handy things to have as you make your trip home.

But most importantly, drive safely!

What are you doing for Halloween?

Got little ones? Lodi is the place to be for Halloween.

The merchants downtown invite the community to trick-or-treat at their establishments on the Saturday before Halloween between 12 noon and 4 p.m. The Fall Festival, sponsored by the Downtown Lodi Business Partnership, carries on into the evening and has many family activities which include live music, a food court, pumpkin painting, petting zoo, face painting, costume contests, games, raffles and a pumpkin carving competition.

Vine & Branches is offering costume photos for free if you bring in a canned good (or $5) to benefit the Emergency Food Bank of San Joaquin County. The food drive runs from noon to 5 p.m. at 110 W. Oak St. Following Halloween, the images will be posted here for a month-long costume photo contest. Be sure to vote for your favorite!

Also, keep your eyes open for signs in front of churches. Many local congregations throw open their doors for low-cost and safe festival fun like bobbing for apples. This year there is also a kid-friendly race at Lodi Lake.

Know of any other events? List them here.

Welcome to the troublesome threes?

Three years ago today I delivered a bouncing baby boy. As a first-time mom, I had read all of the pertinent parenting books and was prepared for his first year. Then life happened.

I’ve stopped reading books about child-rearing and have instead turned to the internet or friends with older children when something comes up that I’m not really sure how to deal with. All in all, it hasn’t been too hard. Yet.

But someone once told me if the terrible twos weren’t so terrible (and they weren’t), then hold on for the troublesome threes. I’m holding tight, literally.

My son’s personality is in full force, as are his words and actions. He is truly a little person now — with a big attitude. (I thought they didn’t start blatantly ignoring you until at least their pre-teens!)

As I prepare for this next chapter in childhood, what books would you recommend in rearing a 3-year-old? Here’s what I already have on my shelf (although I admit I haven’t gotten very far into it because well, between potty training and getting his first bicycle, life happens).

Nowhere to run

If you live in the Lodi area, chances are last Tuesday you didn’t leave the house with little ones. (Although I do know a couple of friends who planned ahead and went here to allow their kids to blow off some steam.)

But what about if you were STUCK in the house. Several families I personally know spent Tuesday AND part of Wednesday in the dark. With no electricity. No running water. No TV. And toddlers.

Unfortunately in this day and age, too many of us rely on DVDs and other electronics to pass the time. But without those back ups, how do you keep busy with the under-five crowd?

Share your ideas here. I may need them in the future.

Random acts of kindness

Thanks to a gesture from a kind gentleman at Dee Dee’s Sunday, my son woke up with a new favorite stuffed animal. You know, one of those toys that is really hard to describe, kind of like a horse with tiger stripes and an orange mane. But that’s not what’s important.

My mother and I were enjoying a leisurely meal at the Cherokee Lane restaurant that was moving a bit too slow for my almost-3-year-old. When the man in the next booth noticed our plight (and probably witnessed my son sitting on the floor under the table), he sent his wife to the front of the restaurant to retrieve this silly stuffed animal.

Apparently, the gentleman plays that claw game near the register where for just 50 cents you try your luck at retrieving a prize and every time he snags a toy, he saves it for times like these. We encouraged Sam to say “thank you” several times, which he did (to the man, his wife, the lady in the next booth, the waitress, you get the point).

In the end, I hope I am teaching my son to not only be thankful, but to learn that random acts of kindess to strangers can make everyone feel good.

Creating money-savvy children

I hope we’re not creating a child who gets overly excited about money, but my husband and I have recently let Sam put our loose change into his piggy bank himself. The saving part is something my in-laws actually started, handing us a big plastic bag of stray nickels, dimes and pennies every time we saw them.

Years ago, the gesture didn’t mean much, but now my almost-three year old exclaims “Money, money” whenever we show him the shiny stuff.

Here’s a web site to help parents teach their pre-kindergarteners how to recognize each coin. And, while you’re at it, go ahead and set up a savings account for junior and watch it grow. Most banks offer no-interest accounts for children and some, including our local Umpqua Bank, go into local schools armed with pass books ready to teach students to start saving their coins early.

Ingredient replacements

In the last couple of months, a lot of my mom friends have provided for me tips in getting my toddler to eat healthier since his favorite choices appear to be dry Cheerios and raisins (it could be worse!).

Here are some great ideas to sneak a few better-for-you ingredients into dishes for the whole family:

* Making rice crispy squares? Replace the main ingredient with brown rice.

* Add applesauce in place of vegetable oil when preparing brownies from the box. Want to throw in some unsuspecting antioxidants? Replace the water with a splash of iced fruit tea.

* Making homemade spaghetti sauce? Toss in a bit of pureed carrots, peas, green beans, whatever you have on hand (just not enough for anyone to be able to taste, or the secret might get out!).

What are some of the ingredient replacements you’ve found to sneak in more of the healthy stuff?

Second best?

My friend, Shauna, swears by the Second Best fall/winter sale in Galt. It starts Friday at 8 a.m. and seems like the not-to-be-missed place to get a deal.

I have never been, but I understand the bi-annual consignment sale features gently used children’s clothes, furniture and toys. Many of the participants sell outgrown clothes and make a little bit of money, while, at the same time, outfitting their kids for next season.

Check it out through Sunday at 4 p.m. at 10749 Boessow Road, right off the main C Street exit. (On the last day of the sale, everything’s half-off!)