Review Week Children's Zyrtec

I've fallen behind in some of my product reviews, and it's time to catch up. This week you can read some product reviews, and I even have some coupons to give away!

In October I received a box of Children's Zyrtec Perfect Measure for Kaia to use. I received this as part of my work as a BzzAgent. The medicine arrived with perfect timing, I was just getting home from the hospital with the boys and Kaia was in the beginning of a cold with allergies helping it along.

I loved that the Zyrtec worked. It really helped with her allergy symptoms, and didn't make her drowsy. Also, with my hands full, it was great that she could be responsible for her own medication. With the pre-filled spoons, she could grab one when it was time and take her medicine without any assistance. Another bonus is that the medicine is dye free. Kaia doesn't seem to be sensitive to food dyes, but with her reaction to other dyes I prefer to keep things dye free whenever possible.

There are a few drawbacks to this product. One is the price. Suggested retail has it at $11.99 for 10 pre-filled spoons. So it's over $1 a dose. Second is the waste. I felt really bad about all the packaging we were tossing with each use.

At only 6 years old, Kaia can swallow pills. Allergy pills tend to be less expensive and have less packaging. Children's Zyrtec isn't available in pill form, but does come as a chewable and a liquid with measuring cup. I can really see this product working best for travel. It would be much easier to take along on the next vacation or camping trip than a bottle and measuring cup.

If you would like to try Zyrtec Perfect Measure for your child age 6 and up, I have coupons for $3 off. They expire the end of December, so if you are interested, send me an email at DTKMKihn at yahoo.com. I'll send out coupons until they are gone.

Thanksgiving

I am in shock that Thanksgiving is already here! It is my favorite holiday of the year, and yet I haven't done a thing to give the house a nice autumn feel. I have in the last few days managed to spend time remembering what I'm thankful for in 2009.

There is so much for me to be thankful for this year. If you had told me last November that we would have a surprise twin pregnancy, Dana's eye surgeries, and my surgery on the boys I would have thought you were as crazy as the Chinese Sperm Lady.

And yet, here we are, a family of 6. I'm so thankful for all 4 of our kids. Although our plan had been for 2, God's plan is definitely better as Brendon and Bryce are just so sweet.

I'm thankful that Dana and I have grown in our marriage, and the troubles of last year seem so far behind us. The surprises of the year could have torn us apart or made us stronger, and we grew closer because of them. I know that in the moments after my c-section, with the boys safely delivered, and Dana standing by my side in scrubs, I decided that there was no one more handsome to me than my hubby.

I'm thankful that Dana's eye surgery went well. While the surgery entailed far more than we had hoped, I'm thankful that his eyes are doing good, and even the small worry we had recently quickly resolved itself.

I'm thankful for family, friends, and all of my blog friends. The prayers, gifts, food and financial support we have received have been a huge blessing. I have been shown love in the most unexpected places, and I'm truly grateful.

I wish you all a wonderful time with family this Thanksgiving!

Mo-isms

I have a hypothesis! (complete with hand gesture courtesy of Dinosaur Train)

That coat is making me boring.

Mommy you're being a brat.

It's a green light, Go!

It's a yellow light, Go!

Look mommy, he's kissing your boobie. (I was nursing one of the boys)

SOS isn't dinner. SOS is letters, you can't eat letters.

Frugal Gifts for Mom's with Newborns

4 Generation Photo

I wanted to say new moms, but new I am not! We have been blessed to receive so many wonderful gifts these past few months. Some gifts have been amazingly generous in their cost, but not everyone has the financial resources to give that way. Money should never stop you from attending a baby shower or assisting the new mom. Here are some fabulous gifts that will cost you very little to nothing:

• Knitted or Crocheted baby caps, blankets, or booties. These can all be made for the price of yarn. Even then, if you let people know you knit or crochet, you will receive plenty of FREE yarn. Everyone seems to have yarn, and not need it. Maybe you are laughing because you don't know how to knit or crochet. Learn! I purchased several baby caps from my friend Ann and discovered that I wanted to learn to knit. She directed me to KnittingHelp.com. This site not only has written directions, but video directions. So no matter what your learning style, you can learn from this site!

• Meals. These have been such a great help to us! We have received frozen meals that I could defrost and cook at any time. We have received meals that were made and delivered hot. We also received cans of soup, crackers and corn bread mix which are perfect for lunches or last minute meals (and can be made easily by husbands or older children).
  

• Night Sitting. I never knew how much a good night's sleep meant to me, until I went over 2 weeks without. That's when a friend responded to my Facebook post about sleep and my desire for a night nurse. She volunteered to spend the night caring for the boys so I could sleep. It was AMAZING. I felt so good the next day. After thanking her on Facebook another friend volunteered to do the same. So I have had 2 full nights of sleep now, and they have been fantastic. The cost is absolutely nothing but time.

• Housework, Gardening, Errands. Maybe you cannot do the overnight shift (don't use kids as an excuse though, both of these ladies have children of their own), but like the idea of helping. With a newborn (or 2) at home there is plenty to do. My house is a disaster, my garden is filled with weeds, and for the first few weeks, there were always errands that needed done. Helping clean, garden, watching the baby while mom runs an errand, or completing the errand for her are all wonderful gifts.

I hope these ideas help you out with your next baby shower. I have one next weekend, and I plan to make a baby cap as she lives out of town.

Our 4 cuties

Thanks to Grandpa Gordie for capturing this photo for us.

A few photos

The boys are growing! Brendon is finally out of preemie clothes, and Bryce is almost too big for some of the newborn clothes. 2 oz bottles are slowly becoming 3 or 4 oz bottles and both boys are better at nursing, when they want to nurse.

The boys are happiest when they are together. When they were born, Bryce was the first out. He came out crying and we knew he was a big and healthy boy. What we couldn't see behind the curtain, was Brendon reaching his hand out of the incision and waving it around. Some of the nurses and doctors were joking that he didn't want to be left behind, others said he was learning early to reach for a credit card, but I think he just wanted to know where his brother went. They both pay attention to where brother is and are not happy when separated.

I have started going into work for a few hours a day. It's nice to be out of the house and away from the endless cycle of diapers, feeding and naps. The boys seemed to enjoy their time at Grammy and Papa's yesterday, and I had my first opportunity to try and tell them apart. The good news: I passed. I walked in to see that both boys were in different jammies, I quickly picked out which one was Bryce and which was Brendon.

Sleepy Brendon

Bryce checking things out

Mommy Cinnamon keeping an eye on the boys.

Too Tired to Think?

Or maybe it's just too tired to post. Of course there is plenty going on here. I've tried to compose posts in my head, but they don't get very far. Life revolves around feedings, diaper changes, and sleep... or lack of sleep.

We are falling into a routine though. The boys are eating on their own command, and I no longer need to set an alarm to wake them. They each get the chance to nurse at least once a day, and the rest of the time they get bottles of expressed milk or formula. I have mastered tandem bottle feeding and alternate who sits in the Boppy to eat and who is held.

Kaia and Mo love their brothers. Kaia is over-zealous in her desire to hold them and feed them. They would never sleep if she had her way because she wants to hold and play with them all the time. Mo enjoys showing them his toys and how they work. He gives them "big hugs" and kisses often.

Dana is great helping with the boys. And we both seem to be figuring out our role as the parents of 4 kids.

I miss reading all your blogs, and hopefully will get all caught up soon!

Halloween Night, I wasn't getting much cooperation and photo time.