And, here is where I beg.

Just one last post - just in case anyone is still reading over here (and, by the way...what are you doing? We moved!! Come find us at www.firstimpressionsbaby.com/blog!!)

Anyhow, I thought I'd divulge a little secret - that, may or may not in fact be much of a secret anymore. You see, I have a personal blog as well (want to go visit me there?).

Okay, are you back yet?

The fun news is that I was just nominated to be among 800 others in the Hot Blogger Calendar! It's a real deal where the winners will get to fly to NYC and get all prettified and get their pictures taken and appear in a real life calendar!

So, will you please vote for me? Well, if you think I'm worthy. I wouldn't want you to lie or anything in the polls. Here's the link to vote. You will have to scroll down to "Boss Sanders" and it's not in A-Z order. I'd very much appreciate it, and once again...my personal blog is up top and there's a picture of me in the main header (in case you need to see before you vote. I understand).

UPDATE: (Or, you can vote here. Look for Boss Sanders)

$100 Winner from Sleepy Wrap!

Come check out who won $100 in our latest giveaway! Be sure to change your bookmarks to : www.firstimpressionsbaby.com/blog so you don't miss out!

Looking For More Kid-Friendly Recipes?

If you've reached the end of your cookbook and are in need of more kid-friendly recipes, take a look at these (they are adult-friendly, too!):

Whole Foods has a huge range of kid recipes - from breakfast to lunch to snacks to meals - and, it's all healthy!

If you are looking for recipes that kids can cook with a little help, check out this site by Kid's Health. They even have some recipes for kids with cystic fibrosis, diabetes, vegetarians, lactose intolerance, and celiac disease!

Tiny Tummies, another website with some great healthy recipes, is also geared to get little ones in the kitchen to help. The idea is that by getting them into the kitchen, they'll be more likely to eat the fixings. Check out their great list of what's in season and the recipes to go with!

We also found Mollie Katzen's website - she's an author of some great children's recipe books and has listed some of her fabulous (and healthy) recipes online, too!

Wondertime has some more kid-friendly recipes...

LookyBook

We're loving this new (to us) website called LookyBook.com. On it, you will find picture books galore that you can preview (in their entirety!) before you buy! You never have to buy a crappy picture book again!

Speech Delays - What To Do

...Continued

If you discover that your child may have a speech or language delay, one of your first steps would be to see a speech pathologist. There can be a number of reasons for these delays, so one of the first things the speech pathologist will do is test your child in the following areas: receptive language (what your child understands), expressive language (what your child can say), body language and gestures, and oral motor status (how the anatomy of the mouth works for speech as well as for eating and drinking). After the testing, the speech pathologist will better know what may be hindering your child and will be able to come up with an individual plan for your child to overcome his delays.

In the meantime, there are some things parents can do to help their children develop in the areas of speech and language:

1. Talk with your children. It doesn't matter if your 8 month old really understands what you are saying, but it's in this time that they are soaking up the sounds of your particular language, which will be part of the framework for later use. If you feel odd carrying on a one-sided conversation, simply explain your routines as you do them.
2. Sing silly songs, especially ones with repetitive sounds and noises. Encourage them to try and imitate you.
3. Start reading to your child by the time he is 6 months old. Start out with books with textures and vivid pictures with simple wording. Read and try to engage them - "Do you see the brown cow?" As your child gets older, start reading more predictable books that your child can memorize. Eventually your child will try and pretend to read the book back to you. It's okay that your child is memorizing and not really reading. Memorizing is one of the first steps to reading.
4. Play the name game as soon as your child begins saying their first word(s). Point at items and name them, encouraging your child to do the same.

Lastly, if your child does have a speech delay, don't panic. In most situations, with the right treatment from a speech pathologist, children are back on track within 1-2 years.

Lollipop Cookies

*Photo and recipe by Terri

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• assorted colors of paste food coloring
• 24 lollipop sticks

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth.
2. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir till soft dough forms. Divide dough into fourths. Tint each with a different food color. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Working with half of each color, shape dough into 3/4 inch balls and for each cookie place 1 pink, 1 green, 1 blue and 1 orange ball together to make 1 large ball. Shape into a 12 inch long roll (like a snake), starting at one end, coil roll to make a 2 3/4 inch round cookie. Place cookies 3 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Carefully insert lollipop sticks into bottoms of cookies.
4. Bake cookies for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and store in an airtight container.

PS - Don't forget to join our giveaway for your chance to win $100!

Speech Delays - Ages 2 1/2 - 4

....Continued

30-36 Months

• at 30 months, can't be understood by anyone in her family
• at 36 months, uses no simple sentences, doesn't ask questions, and can't be understood by strangers

3-4 Years

• at 3, can't speak in short phrases
• at 3, is unable to understand short instructions
• at 3, has no interest in interacting with other children
• at 3, has extreme difficulty separating from a parent
• at 3½, consistently fails to add final consonant to words (for example, saying "ca" instead of "cat")
• at 4 years, still stutters frequently
• at 4, isn't almost fully understandable

PS - Don't forget the $100 Giveaway!