That famous Marcroft smile…

I remember a while ago (think 1999ish?) when one of my sisters said, “It’s a good thing that you didn’t marry Thad, can you imagine how big your kids’ mouths would be?” (Or something to that extent?) I guess when your mom and dad both have big mouths you’re kind of destined, or doomed, to have the same feature…I figure that they’ll be okay as long as they use those big mouths for SMILING!

So, as not to be outdone by his brothers, Benjamin has been smiling for a few weeks but I hadn’t caught him on camera until now. Now I can share. He’s even got a cute little dimple! And his bright blue eyes are pretty fun too.

And this one is cute too…

But he’s so soft and snuggly too…

Christmas: Robot Pillowcases with pockets

So recently I gave in and tried Pinterest…it’s pretty cool I admit! And then I had this robot fabric that I bought last year at JoAnn’s and didn’t use last Christmas for PJ bottoms (ran out of time). There isn’t enough of it now for my giant monsters so I was trying to figure out what to do with it. I thought that pillowcases might be fun since they get used a lot more than PJs (since their favorite PJs are usually the footed PJs—year round!)

So I Googled pillowcase patterns and found this tutorial for a cute pillow, loved it and guess what… I made them! Hooray for me. And, I even finished them this past week (way before Christmas). I think that the boys are going to love them!

Here are their pillows. No telling them…shhhh! It’s a secret! I had to share with someone…someone will read this, right? Maybe Grace, or Cathy or Jen? :) Then you can cheer with me!

They each have a pocket on the front and then a letter with their name! The pocket could be for PJs..or a special toy…or whatever!

And I couldn’t forget to make one for our newest little guy…right?

And just in case you haven’t seen ol’ blue eyes lately…here you go! Can you believe he’s already four weeks old? :)

Health Update: New Dosages for Children’s Tylenol (Moms/Dads should read!)

Moms/Dads -- Just read this and if you ever use Children's Tylenol/Acetaminophen read this to see the new dosages!  Important information for parents (taken from Kaiser's website kp.org):

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) dosage change:

The recommended dosages of over-the-counter acetaminophen* (Tylenol) for infants are changing. Please review the safety tips below before giving this medication to your children.

Manufacturers of the pain and fever reducing medication are phasing out infant drops and replacing them with a lower concentration formula. The new formula is 3 times less concentrated than the old formula, so dosing directions are different.

While the older formula is being phased out, existing supplies will still be sold in drugstores. As a result, both the old and new concentrations of acetaminophen may be available for a period of time. Families may also have the older product in their medicine cabinets and can continue to use it. To avoid over- or under-dosing, it is extremely important to read labels, know which concentration you are using, and make sure you give your child the correct dosage.

Safety tips

    Know how much your child weighs. The correct dose is based on your child's weight, not age.
    Double check which concentration of medication you have: the older infant drops (80 mg/0.8mL) or the new infant liquid formula (160 mg/5mL).
    The older infant drops are still safe to use as long as you use the correct dose for your child's weight.
    Use only the measuring device (dropper, syringe, or cup) that came with the medication. Do not use a kitchen spoon.
    Always measure medication in a well lit area.

    Do not give your child more than 5 doses in 24 hours.

Recommended dosages for infants' acetaminophen

Concentrated drops (old concentration)
weight (lbs)    age (months)    dose (mL)
6-11     0-3     0.4 mL
12-17     4-11     0.8 mL
18-23     12-23     1.2 mL
24-35     24-36     1.6 mL

Oral suspension (new concentration)
weight (lbs)    age (months)    dose (mL)
6-11    0-3    1.25 mL
12-17    4-11    2.5 mL
18-23    12-23    3.75 mL
24-35    24-36    5.0 mL

How to use an infant dropper 
    Open the medication bottle and remove the enclosed infant dropper.
    Squeeze the bulb and place the infant dropper into the medication. Release the bulb, drawing the medication into the dropper.
    Remove the dropper and check how much medication is in the dropper. Squeeze the bulb to release any excess until the proper dosage is showing on the dropper.
    Administer the dose. Place the infant dropper into the inside of the baby's cheek and squeeze the bulb slowly so the infant will swallow the medicine.
    Rinse the dropper under hot water, squeezing the bulb to bring water into and out of the dropper to clean the inside.
    Dry the infant dropper before replacing into the bottle. This prevents the medication from becoming diluted with water.

*Acetaminophen is sold under several brand names including Tylenol, Triaminic, Good Sense, Panadol, PediaCare, Little Remedies, and Tempera.  © Kaiser Permanente, 2011