High Maintenance Mom

I'm working a night shift on the big island of Hawaii watching the Halema`uma`u vent and data feeds. My 16 days of working 8pm to 4am are almost over and while I love being here, I miss my family. I have to admit that not being able to talk to the kids because of my hours has been really hard. I've been sending pictures by email and writing postcards but it's not the same. If ever do it again, I will spend more time setting up video calls with our computers for the weekends.

Knowing the night shift was going to be hard, I brought several comfort items from home.

The Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder is the easiest camcorder I've ever used and perfect for catching those adorable kid moments. It comes with two AA batteries so all you have to do is plug them in and you're ready to start recording. There are easy to recognize buttons for turning it on, recording, zooming, and deleting. There is also a USB plug that flips out to connect to your laptop. Once connected, the software loads (on a Mac you have to click on the Flip drive) and you are ready to download movies, edit them, burn them to DVD, or send them to friends and family - and uTube. It's the size of a phone and doesn't weigh very much so it fits into a purse with everything else. Like digital cameras, you can record your kids and then show them the movie - it's really that easy. For $130 from Amazon, the Flip 60 minute digital camcorder is a great Mother's Day gift. I also recommend rechargeable batteries.

If you or your children need surgery or you are going to be giving birth, it's helpful to think about and find the comfort items that will make you feel better. My list includes "chick-flick" movies/tv shows, comfy clothes, food, and ice packs. My favorite items that I brought to my recent gum surgery were bought for a long flight, the Bucky Fuzzy Wuzzy neck pillow and the Bucky Eye Shades with Earplugs. I was allowed to use the neck pillow, eye pillow, and ear plugs during my surgery. They really made me feel comfortable. I also had my iPod with music but due to the sedation, I really didn't care for it...

Do you ever wish someone would hand you the perfect shampoo and conditioner? Are you looking for a more natural solution? High Maintenance Mom and ARCONA want to pamper one lucky High Maintenance Mom member with a set of clarifying and conditioning natural hair products (Green Tea Cleansing Base Shampoo, Essential Nutrients Karite Conditioner, and Essential Nutrients Silk Leave-in Conditioner) for our Mother's Day giveaway.

Check out the fun and helpful organizers from Knock Knock. Keeping useful information in one place, such as takeout menus and greeting cards, is a great way to reduce stress over the holidays. Plus, they make you look organized. The Takeout Menu Organizer is the perfect adult Trapper-keeper. It provides a neat home for all those takeout menus along with a frequently called numbers list, tipping guide, notepad, pen, and helpful ordering advice...

I was recently introduced to a wonderful new online stationary store just in time for my 2nd baby's birth announcements to be created. Link to the site via the Scoop & Skinny logo we posted on the left side of our home page for a special offer for highmaintenancemom.com readers. Scoop & Skinny is a greeting card and stationery company specializing in everyday and special occasion greeting cards, premium stationery and exclusive invitations and announcements.

During pregnancy, moms are accustomed to a variety of screening tests for conditions such as Down syndrome and diabetes. The rationale for these tests is not to make moms anxious about their pregnancy but to identify potential pregnancy problems to allow for timely intervention.

What is kick counting?
Kick counting, a daily systematic record of moms’ perception of their baby’s movement during the third trimester, is a reliable, harmless, simple and effective screening for the baby’s well-being. Kick counting can document changes in the fetal movement pattern and can help moms-to-be alert their healthcare provider of potential problems. A timely evaluation can allow intervention and prevention of potential problems, including stillbirth.

It's my favorite time of year again, Back-to-School time, when all stores find ways to tell us their products are necessary for the new school year. Now that B is entering kindergarten, I have a list of supplies to purchase including two types of crayola crayons (yes I am much more excited than B). In addition, I am purchasing iron-on labels for B's clothing. In the past I've written his name on clothing but the letters fade or run together making the name hard to read. Because B's school has a dress code, imagine 30 five year-olds all taking off their blue sweatshirts on the playground, I'd like something others can easily read...

My husband likes to read about and analyze electronics long before purchasing so I generally let him pick his own gifts. His most recent are loved by the whole family. The Samsung YP-K5JAB 4 GB Audio Player with Built-in Speakers (Black) was bought around Mother's Day and the Sony MDR-IF540RK Wireless Headphone System with Rechargeable Battery were bought in time for Father's Day...

Maybe it was because I was a new Mom or maybe I was just trying to do what I felt was the right thing for my baby. But when I saw the the Halo SleepSack Wearable Blanketby Halo Innovations was recommended instead of blankets to aid against SIDS……I bought it on Amazon.com and have been very happy with the product!