Ergo Carriers on Sale - $85

I really love my Ergo carrier - it's really comfy for me, my husband (when it's not too warm for him to use it, since he's a human furnace), and Baby. They're incredibly convenient, especially in crowded areas, such as malls or cities, where strollers may be a bit difficult to navigate. They usually retail for over $100, however there are some on sale for $85 (+$8.50 s/h) here: http://www.yellbaby.com/ergo-baby-carriers.html. Sale is limited to supply on hand, and they're not going to get any more carriers in stock.

Flu Shots

I just took my son in to get his flu shot today at Kaiser. I wanted to get him his flu shot weeks in advance of our upcoming Hong Kong trip, in case he suffers any reactions. The flu shot clinic was surprisingly efficient! There were no tears during the injection; in fact, Son just gave out one loud squawk, and that's it. After the flu shot was administered, we were asked to stay for 15 minutes so the nurses could monitor any reactions to the injection. It was a good thing that we stayed, since Son experienced some slight swelling at the injection site - nothing too serious. The Kaiser nurses promptly noted the reaction in his medical record, gave us an ice pack, and sent us on our merry way.

Since Son is under 9 years of age, it's recommended that he receive 2 flu shots, 1 month apart. Given his reaction to the initial shot, it'll be up to the discretion of his pediatrician as to whether or not he should receive the second shot. He has a doctor's appointment in a couple of weeks, so we'll see what she says.

I'm hoping that the H1N1 vaccine comes out soon so he can get the shot before we leave for Hong Kong.

Relevant links:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Information about H1N1 Vaccination

BebePods

Since my son is on the small side, he doesn't really fit in restaurant high chairs - this really is a drag if my husband and I actually want to eat our meals at the same time, without having to hold a baby. We've figured out a temporary solution, however. We just lug our BebePod around with us. Actually, we've just been leaving ours in the car, and bring it with us to restaurants. We have the fancy version with the seatbelt, so Baby stays pretty secure in the seat so far. We've learned that placing the BebePod on bench seats, in booths, or on banquettes work the best, since it's less likely for the BebePod to fall of the chair. When we have to put the BebePod on a chair, though, I usually keep my left arm on the chair (because of new-mother paranoia) and am still able to eat with my right hand. After all, new parents learn pretty quickly how to do all sorts of things with only one arm.

There are plenty of travel-friendly high chairs on the market. The ones that I've seen clip on to the table (for example, the Chicco Caddy Hook-On Chair for approx. $40 or the Phil and Ted's Me too! Travel High Chair for approx. $50). I've refrained from shopping for one of these chairs because we tend to frequent hole-in-the wall Chinese restaurants with unstable tables, so hooking on a high chair to the table isn't safe at all. (Another plus of the BebePod option at these venues is that the high chairs at a lot of these restaurants look absolutely filthy. At least if my BebePod is filthy, it's my baby's filth, and that's always okay.) And further, I already had a BebePod, so spending money on an additional baby item just doesn't appeal to me.