Formaldehyde finally listed on FDA list of carcinogens

We've suspected for a long time and it's the primary reason why I wanted to go with organic bedding for Noa's crib set (see my older post here) and now the FDA finally makes it official that all those sheets labeled "wrinkle-free" really are bad for your health--and more so the plywood used to build that new house you may be living in like we are and some hair styling products. Since I can change my sheets and hairspray but I cannot remodel my house from the ground up, I choose to focus on those products. Formaldehyde is what they treat fabric with so it doesn't wrinkle easily. It's why organic cotton sheets look so unkempt when they come out of the dryer no matter how fast you remove them and put them on your bed. But, that's a small price to pay for a better night's sleep, in my opinion, and I'm both happy that the FDA has finally admitted so much and sad that the chemical industry in this country has managed to delay the report for 4 years.

Click here for the article from the New York Times if you wish to read it.

She made a liar out of me...

One day after posting about Noa's apparent lack of motivation to crawl, what did she go and do? Yup. She crawled. Well, it's an army-style crawl where she pushes off on her feet and slithers her belly forward by pulling herself along with her arms. She's getting better and better each day too. Today, she also managed to sit herself up from a laying down position. Craziness how it just happens suddenly like that. *sniff sniff, my baby is getting so big!

She speaks!

But she can't crawl yet. At 8 months old, Noa is getting really fun and lively. She weighs about 18lbs and is about 28 inches long, still a bean pole and in the 90%ile for height.

Her new favorite accomplishments are saying, "Mama" and "Hi". I think she's also practicing Papa and Miko but those are a little ways off still. She does every maneuver in the gymnastic floor exercise book but has yet to put her arms and legs together in a concerted effort for forward locomotion. She has come very close to bouncing her legs over her head and tumbling into a summersault and consequently I have suffered extreme emotional distress worrying about her accidentally breaking her neck just trying to learn how to crawl. While her gross motor skills are taking their sweet time, her fine motor skills are ahead of the curve. She already has a great pincer grasp and now looks for the tiniest specks of debris on the carpet and beelines it to her mouth. This is decidedly NOT my favorite of her new found skills! She also loves to clap, bang two objects together--while we "make music" in the tupperware drawer--and passes toys from one hand to the other marveling the whole time at her cute little hands and can now drink from a cup (with much drooling, chugging and sputtering of course).

She continues to be a magnificent eater, never once turning down a food offered to her though she definitely makes known her preferences namely, mangoes, bananas, peas, strawberries, blueberries and yogurt. It's difficult not to make comparisons with Gi at the same age but suffice to say she was not eating much more than a couple spoonfuls of any of those foods. Noa makes dinner time so much fun by trying everything we give her. Last night, she even happily munched on artichoke leaves while I prepared her rice cereal, milk, fruit combo.

In other news, we are finally getting a break from all the dreary rain and freezing temps that have lasted for the past 8 months. Summer may indeed be on its way and boy am I ready with cute sundresses for the girls and outings planned to the river! Sadly, our two cherry trees don't seem to have enjoyed the longest winter on record and we may have to dig them up and replant them this year. I'm also excited to report that we have a few vines blooming--even if they are in an absolutely wild and unkempt state. We just haven't had the time or good weather to get out there and tend them. That's next on our "to do" list for sure!

Here's the latest video I've uploaded of her rolling around and looking cute.

Oo La La! Vive la France!

I'm pressed for time but wanted to get this update in before I have to post another baby update. Here's a little photo essay from our trip to France last month. It started out with a little jet lag and some local day trips to a kite festival at the beach town of Berck, a trip to the kiddie amusement park Bellewaerde (yeah try spelling that twice) in Belgium, and a family reunion for Easter. Then, we hit the road to visit Mont St. Michel and the Brittany region where we slurped up the fresh oysters and sea air as well as marveled at the medieval towns and fortifications. We finished the trip in Paris for three days in a lovely apartment in the St. Germain des Pres, 6th arrondissement where we had my mother-in-law staying with us to help with the kids. That is where we were finally able to get some couple time and date nights! Ah, the city of lights. Not a bad way to end to the trip.