Chevy Volt Made Us a Big Deal

My sister Christina called. "Is Matt driving a Volt around?" The answer was yes. Apparently, she and her husband, Tristan, were driving down the street when Tristan saw the Volt coming. He got excited, then realized it was his brother-in-law behind the wheel.

"Do you want to come over and look at it?" I asked. Suddenly all the head turning from the drive to my friend's shower earlier that day made sense. I thought it was because I was running an hour late and probably looked frantic, but it was the awesome car I was driving. Having this car made me a BIG DEAL... Too bad it was only on loan.

I'm not a "car person," so knew nothing about the Volt when I won a week-long test drive at a TheChicagoMoms.com event. I just thought it would be nice to have another car on hand, especially a new car. If you're like me and don't know about the Volt, let me fill you in: According to Chevy, the Volt is "a full performance, electric vehicle with extended range." It's the first vehicle of its kind. It's a pretty big deal.

It's not often that you have the opportunity to drive a new car and very few people will ever have the opportunity to drive a car that is truly NEW: New on the market, new technology, NEW, NEW, NEW! But we did.

The friendly gentlemen who brought it to my house explained that I had about 35 miles of straight battery before it would start to use the fuel back up. It was like he was speaking a foreign language, so my first thought was "I'm nine months pregnant, is this safe? Should I have a car that can only get me 35 miles?" OK, I'm a huge idiot. The car could have continued 375 miles (the gas engine works with the extended range battery mode). The 35 miles were what I could count on to be TOTALLY GAS AND TAILPIPE EMISSIONS FREE. Nothing. The car was quiet, so quiet I had to keep double checking that it was actually running.

I plugged it into the garage every time I came home, more for the excitement of actually being able to plug a car in (seriously, it's that cool). I quickly learned exactly which fuse the garage is on when I started the dishwasher and promptly blew it. The cord wasn't long enough to move it to another outlet, so we just had to be aware of what was being used when the car was charging.

All in all, I loved driving the Volt, but didn't get to drive it a ton. I couldn't bring myself to put the car seat in the back. The thought of damaging it was beyond scary, so I used it only when I could run somewhere without the kiddo. I wish I could have gotten more use out of it, not only because of how efficient and fun it was to drive, but because turning heads is always pretty awesome.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary loan of the Chevy Volt with no other compensation. The opinions in this post are my own.

When a Baby's Fever is Over 100.4

Lessons You Will Learn From This Post:

• Seeing a baby with an iv is just plain sad.
  
• Pediatricians actually have a reason for telling you to keep your babies away from other kids and anyone carrying germs for the first four weeks of baby's life.
• I like to brag about my super human ability to be the last man standing around here, but not include the break down that follows (such as the July 2010 Shingles experience).
• Losing power sucks.
• Sitting in the hospital with a baby for 24 hours is B.O.R.I.N.G. (after you get over the scary part).
• Doctor's answering services want to save you money.
• When your baby's fever is over 100.4, pack your bags... You're going to the hospital.
  

W has had a summer cold that he caught from Matt who caught it from someone at work. Then he spiked a fever and the cold moved to his chest. We tried to keep him away from the baby and tried to keep Matt's baby handling to a minimum. But, despite our best intentions, the baby started a low grade fever on Wednesday night (during our no power period). I checked him every few hours. It jumped around, sitting below 100.1 until around 8 am on Thursday morning when it jumped to 100.5.

All I could hear was my pediatrician's voice telling me to keep the baby away from other kids for the first month and to immediately call the office if he develops a fever above 100.4 and to plan to make a visit to the hospital.

Below is a version of the phone calls that followed:

Answering Service: "Doctor's answering service."

Me: "Um, hi, my baby has a 100.5 fever and my doctor told me to call if it ever went over 100.4."

AS: "Would you like me to call the doctor on call?"

Me: "Yeah, I guess. This is what he told me to do."

AS: "OK, just to warn you, there will be a $50 fee. Would you still like me to call him?"

Me: "Yeah, whatever, fine. Call him. My baby has a fever."

AS: "The office opens in 45 minutes and then you wouldn't have to incur the fee. Would you like to wait?"

Me: "Not really. If the doctor said to call right away, I'm guessing he has a good reason. I'm calling because he told me to."

OK, so maybe I have a tendency to assume that the bad warnings will never apply to me and tend to zone out during these conversations in all aspects of life. So, of course I had NO IDEA why the fever might be an issue. In my head I had created a scenario in which a fever could cause brain damage and that every minute would count in saving my baby from long term complications or something dramatic. Going on...

The phone rang within in a couple of minutes and here is a little part of our conversation:

Dr: "Can you tell me what's going on with B?"

Me: "He has a fever of 100.5 and the doctor told me to call if it went over 100.4."

Dr: "OK, is he acting normal?"

Me: "Um, I don't know. I don't really know him that well, he's pretty young. But, yeah, he's normal. Sleeping more during the day, feeding more, not sleeping at night, but that's all normal for him, I guess. I'm pretty sure he has the same cold my husband and other son have. He's pretty congested. I'm the only one who hasn't caught it." (yes, I feel the need to let the pediatrician know that I'm doing just fine.)

Dr: "That could be it, but we can't make any assumptions with a baby. So, I'm going to ask you to go to the emergency room. I'd rather be safe and this is how we would normally treat an infant with a fever. I'll call and let them know you're on the way, so you won't have to wait."

Me: "Ummm, OK. So, I have to go now?"

Dr: "Yes, as soon as you can. And they might want to keep you for a night or possibly two, so you should pack a bag."

Me: "Really? Could the thermometer be a fluke? Should I retake it?" (Cue tears.)

Dr: "Are YOU okay?"

Me: (Cue more tears.) "I'm fine. Really, I am. It's just been such a long week. Everyone is sick. I haven't gotten more than two hours of sleep for weeks. I've had mastitis, then we both had thrush. All he wants to do is eat and he only sleeps during the day. And the power! Our power has been out. I haven't showered in days. Our power just came back on and now I have to leave?"

Dr: "This power thing is crazy, right? I just got here and could barely see to open the door with my key. It's hot in here and kind of smells like sewer. Our computers are down, our phones are down, and we only have enough power from the generators to keep the vaccines cold enough. I can't see anything."

And I immediately pulled it together, realizing the world is much bigger than what is going on within the walls of our little house. I needed to suck it up. After we talked through what would happen at the ER (urine test, blood test, and spinal tap to cover all the bases and then lots of antibiotics given by iv), I through a bag together and we were off to the hospital where he'd been born only four weeks prior. Too early for a return visit.

I spent 24 hours in the hospital with the baby, which meant I held him for 24 hours straight, working around his iv to hold him, nurse him, and change him. There are no swings or bouncy seats in the hospital, just your arms. Luckily, my mom, sisters, and Matt each paid us some visits while passing W around. I sat on a hospital bed, greeting the nurses coming in and out, didn't get much sleep, and may have watched Dear John in the wee hours of the night (don't judge, my choices were worse).

Now we're home, healthy and happy. Everything checked out OK and Matt got his first good night's sleep in four weeks.

When the Power Goes Out

This week was our first tornado warning as parents. As the Chicago area was just starting to get pummeled on Tuesday night, we were taking turns holding the baby and eating the salad I'd thrown together for dinner. W was asleep. We were looking forward to catching up on some So You Think You Can Dance when we remarked about how dark it was outside. Then we heard a branch come down on the ceiling and a second later the tornado sirens started. We looked at each other, both wondering if it was worth waking up W to head to the basement...

Obviously, it was. After all, it is our responsibility to keep them safe. But, if we didn't have little ones in the house, we may have finished our salads first. Matt grabbed W, I ran down with B. Our basement is functional for storage, a work out space, laundry, and a small office, but not much else and definitely not for camping out with two little kids.

Within a second of getting into the basement W noticed the snacks and toys that I store (read: HIDE) down there.

"Wow! Snacks! And I-Screamer! Is that mine?" He was completely unfazed by the sirens and being pulled out of bed in the middle of the night, standing barefoot on a freezing, cement floor, but what was jarring to him was the reality that he's been living right above so many yummy treats and fun toys.

"Ummm, yeah, I-Screamer is a present from the baby to say thank you for being such a good big brother. I was going to give it to you tomorrow." In reality, it was intended as a birthday gift for August. But, the argument and badgering from him wasn't worth it, so I handed it over.

As Matt ran upstairs to get blankets for us to sit on, I wrestled with the packaging, while gripping the baby. Matt came back down and I sent him back up for my phone, thinking we could monitor the storm on Twitter. Then I sent him up for my Boppy, knowing the baby would be hungry soon. He came back down and I asked for my computer to see if we could check some local news sites. And then it was for a radio, in case the power went out. It went on like this for some time. Like I said, this was our first tornado drill.

The power flashed about five times, the sirens quieted after twenty minutes, and we headed upstairs when POP - Power was out completely. Candles, flashlights, W back to bed, we went to sleep figuring the power would be back on by the morning. It wasn't.

Matt thought quickly and ran out for coffee for us and milk for W before he had to go to work. W and I spent the morning coloring, playing games, and answering a lot of questions about power. We changed the location of a play date from my house to a house with power and spent the day playing and charging my phone on someone else's power. I was actually a little thankful that the drive home took an hour and a half, rather than 45 minutes (thanks to most lights being down), so W could get in a nap. We had dinner at my parents' house that night, but decided to sleep at home. We went home to darkness. Around 5 am on Thursday morning the power came back, just in time for us to realize the baby had a fever and we had to head to the emergency room.

My conversation with the pediatrician may go down in crazy mom history. And, yes, I'll leave it there. How's that for a cliffhanger?

Check back tomorrow... Dare I say: TO BE CONTINUED?

Making Healthy Food Choices with Kellogg's FiberPlus Cereal

I love cereal. I really do. All my life cereal has been one of my go-to foods. I have great memories of sitting at the kitchen table eating many bowls of cereal. As I’ve gotten older, so has my taste, and the cereal I eat has changed considerably. I still adore cereal, but the sugary options that I used to reach for are now far too sweet for me. More important, reading the side of most cereal boxes is reason enough to change your tastes. While delicious, cereal is often not a nutritional win.

With so many options for my favorite food, I really try to make the best choices possible. My biggest priorities with cereal is that they’re high fiber, whole grain, and satisfy my taste for a little sweetness and a good crunch. With the insane schedule we keep, I often have cereal for a meal. I focus on high fiber options for breakfast, knowing it helps me to start my day with a filling meal and a healthy choice (which I hope I’ll continue to do all day). It’s often my lunch when I’m working at home and becomes dinner when I have a meeting after work. The busier we are, the more cereal I tend to eat.

Lately I’ve found new cereals to work into my rotation. Kellogg’s FiberPlus Berry Yogurt Crunch and Cinnamon Oat Crunch fit my specific tastes perfectly and are great when I need something quick, easy, and satisfying. Often high fiber cereals tend to either get too soggy or don’t deliver with flavor, but these make me happy and I feel confident sharing them with my kids.

Teaching my kids healthy eating habits is one of my main priorities as a mom. Our eating habits are above average: we eat organic whenever possible, a lot of whole grains, few white breads or rice, and stick to lean meats. I’m not perfect and wouldn’t consider myself to be a nutrition freak, rather I’d call myself a conscientious eater. Having options that allow me to continue to satisfy my own tastes and cravings while teaching my kids how to make good choices makes life a little easier.

And anything that makes my life easier and is healthy is something I can get really excited about. Don't you agree?

DISCLOSURE: I received compensation and a box of each of the Kellogg's FiberPlus cereals to review for this post. The opinions shared in this post are all my own.