Rock and Roll, baby

This is the first entry of my new segment, "Cool baby product of the week."

I sing an alphabet song to CeCe where I use different topics to run through the ABC's. Foods (Apple, apple, ah-ah-ah ...), celebrities (Lindsay Lohan, leh-leh-leh ...) and of course, musicians (Devo, Devo, duh-duh-duh.)

So I was pumped to find this book:

It's by Melissa Duke Mooney and it's perfect for all us hip parents. It focuses on classics from Fleetwood Mac to Nirvana so no Lady Gage references here. Rock out Mom and Dad.

On an unrelated note, we now have a Facebook fan page up and running. If you are so inclined, search "Mynewheartbeat" and "like" us. Thanks!

Let Us Pump!

I'm sure some of you are sick of my multiple posts pertaining to boobs and their feeding-function, but apparently this topic cannot be discussed and debated enough, at least among fellow Lexingtonians.

The Lexington Herald Leader ran a story about the new federal law pertaining to breast-feeding mamas in the workplace and as one of these women, I was incredibly surprised to see the amount of ignorant, sexist and just plain mean comments that became attached to the story online.

Let's just jump right in and address some of my faves.

“Breastfeeding is God's way of saying women should stay at home and raise their kids.”

That's right. How could I forget? When God made Eve he specifically included those two mounds of clay to be breasts thinking, “Now if she ever gets the notion to put on a pantsuit and join Adam in the office she will be leaving her children to starve.”

Now I haven't memorized the whole Bible, but I'm pretty sure that isn't the way it went down. Let's just keep your theological opinions out of my bra-zone and say your 1950s-get-back-in-the-kitchen attitude is a tad ridiculous. But I'm betting you often phrase your sentences to say you “let” your wife do something so you're probably a lost cause.

“If you don't have man to support you then you shouldn't be breeding.”

While I just adore when someone refers to the birth of my child using terminology most-associated with dogs and horses, I have to disagree. It assumes that women only work out of sheer necessity. I know this is the case for so many households, but does the sense of personal fulfillment come into play here? I enjoy my job not just for the paycheck, but I like going to work for the adult interaction and the feeling of achieving something each day.

Why can't you just pump in the morning?”

Seriously, dude? You couldn't have googled “how breastfeeding works” before blurting nonsense out of your cyber mouth?

I sincerely wish I could just wake up in the morning and shoot out five bottles worth of milk for the day. Unfortunately, mothers do not have a secret gallon-sized milk reservoir hidden in their bodies. This keg can only be tapped every so often, and then we need time to replenish.

It was never a question to me about whether I would breastfeed. But I'm lucky and my daughter made it easy to get started. And three months later I'm still chugging along.

I work in an office where I do not have access to a room with a lock or without giant windows facing an open space. Twice a day I grab my back pack, run an extension cord from the only outlet in the public restroom to the nearest stall, balance my pump's motor on my lap while I hook up the tubes and bottles and then teeter on the toilet seat ledge for 10 to 15 minutes.

The rhythmic whirring of the pump causes people at the sink to ask “What is that noise?” and I awkwardly just wait for them to leave. Once I even watched the extension cord pull taut while some inquisitive woman felt the need to pick it up and follow it to the source like a yellow brick road. When she landed at my stall she knocked rather aggresively and asked if I was alright. Thank you for your concern, oddly curious bathroom lady.

This new law could make it so much easier for women to continue breastfeeding long into their child's first year of life. We would miss less work if our children are healthier and be happier knowing we are able to provide the best nutrition for our babies. 

Without the opportunity and means to pump at work, our milk supply depletes and we lose the ability to cuddle up with our babies when we get home and feed them in a way that provides comfort and leads to emotional well-being. All those haters in the comment section must not have had that chance.


All about you

Whether you are already a mom, currently pregnant or plan on conceiving eventually, you know there is information galore about pregnancy and babies. Countless books have been written on the topics and a few swift keystrokes will reveal to you a world of websites dedicated to preparing you for mommy-hood.

While this blog began as a form of personal expression, it's grown into so much more than that. With the amazing support of Lexington Family Magazine, my readership has grown and I want to expand my field of thought.

I can guarantee there will still be plenty of ranting and gratuitous pictures of my baby, but let me know what you might want to read. More top five lists? Personal reflections? Updates on baby products? Are there topics you wish people talked more about?

If you find some time in your busy mommy-schedules, you can find me on Facebook as Katie Saltz, on Twitter @KatieSaltz or email me at

Any and all feedback is appreciate. Oh, and here is your baby fix for the day. Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

A five, six, seven, eight ...

As I've mentioned before, baby farts are an adorable and inevitable part of any parent's life. But while we giggle with glee when our little ones let one rip, you probably notice that the discomfort before the release can cause extreme fussiness. 

When CeCe passes gas it sounds like trumpets blaring in our living room. Her ferocious farts are the cause of some hard-core, red in the face, fists clenched screaming sessions. In our attempts to ease out the gas bubbles, Matt would lay her on her back and move her legs in a bicycle motion. Success!

And in my usual fashion, I had to turn this practical exercise into something fun. Provoking my daughter's flatulence wasn't enough, darn it. I needed her to smile while I was doing it. 

So as I churned the baby's legs back and forth, I decided to incorporate some alternating kicks, a little side to side hip action and heel tapping. I created a full-blown baby dance routine to ease gas pains. And she loves it.

Naturally, dancing requires music so I'm sharing my playlist below in case you were at a loss for what tunes are suitable for gas-relieving dance parties. Not all of mine are exactly appropriate lyrically for children, but I don't think Ce is capable of comprehending the innuendo of Salt N Pepa yet.

The bottom line is, you can use whatever songs you want while working your little ones legs in an attempt to squeeze out some baby farts. The part that makes it fun for them is watching Mommy sing along with all her might. And you know I belt out some Beyonce like it's my job. Enjoy.

CeCe's Gas Party Mix
  1. Push It- Salt n Pepa
  2. Bust a Move- Young MC
  3. Kiss- Prince
  4. Single Ladies- Beyonce
  5. Physical- Olivia Newton John
  6. Rockafeller Skank- Fatboy Slim
  7. Just Dance- Lady Gaga
  8. Good Vibrations- Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch 
  9. Dancing with Myself- Billy Idol
  10. Bicycle- Queen

My favorite things

After complaining about the exorbitant amount of stuff in our home, I realized that there are several key baby items I could not live without.  A pregnant couple we know visited CeCe shortly after she was born, and admitted they were actually on a recon mission to see what baby things we had and how useful they were.

So in good old Oprah fashion, here is a list of my favorite things. Unfortunately I cannot give away these items to my readers or fly you to Australia in a jet piloted by John Travolta (I asked, he told me he was busy), but if you imagine me calling out the name of each one in my best talk show host voice it might be just as fun. And you get to see pictures of the baby. Win. Win.

1. The play gym- a recent purchase that allows the babe to kick her legs and wave her arms with all her might. I got mine on sale at Once Upon a Child for $4. Soooooo worth it.

2. The magic swing- the lights and music are fun, but it's the motion of this ocean toy that can put CeCe in a light coma within seconds. 

3. Tummy time mat- this toy lets Ce work those neck and back muscles by encouraging her to lift her head up, which she is already quite good at. And it looks like a car. Vroom.

4. The Boppy- it's my breast friend when it's time for nursing and CeCe's throne the rest of the time. This one even has a handy lap belt and buckle to keep her in for when she starts getting squirmy.

5. Vibrating chair- this one is super light and easy to move to any room of the house when I need to. I'd even turn on the music and sit CeCe in this chair in the corner of the bathroom so I could take a shower, because I'm a paranoid crazy person who couldn't lose sight of her for the first few weeks of her life.

6. An Exersaucer- now if you didn't immediately pick up on it, that is not CeCe. She is still a bit too small for an exersaucer, but my nephew James loved his as you can clearly see. I haven't purchased one yet but I'm excited to see how the Ceec reacts to all the bells and whistles these things have.