Both boys are sleeping right now and I realized that I haven't read, let
alone posted to, the NG for ages. Still haven't caught up with all the
other posts, but...

Macula has become quite the helper with spit-ups :-) She is now attuned to
the sounds indicating there is a mess for her to clean up, and will even
wash the bibs and baby faces if allowed. Kinda freaks some of the
homemakers I have in to help--I think a lot of them figure I should be
keeping Macula completely away from the boys.

So here's some conflicting advice for you to help me sort out: I'm
basically running into two theories about babies and pets--Theory 1: pets
should be kept away from young babies because close proximity could
sensitize the boys to pet allergens making it more likely that they will
become allergic to the animals as they grow up. This theory seems to be
based on the same premises that say you should avoid introducing egg whites
and peanut butter until the kids are older to avoid sensitivities. Theory
2: pets and babies should be introduced early and often because the boys
will develop immunities to any allergens. This seems to be the same premise
that suggests that the best way to combat allergic sensitivites may not be
complete avoidance.

Since I *never* want to be in the position of having to choose between my
furkids and my babies, I want to do everything I can to prevent allergies
from developing. Any experience or opinions that can guide me?

Macula continues to be wonderfully patient about the lack of time we have to
spend with her, although maybe once a day she'll try being obnoxious to get
our attention--usually just standing in front of us and barking. The boys
don't even seem to notice--which in my more paranoid moments has me
wondering if Macula's deafened them already :-} I need to find more time to
spend with the Pupster: she does really well with basic commands during a
training session but is becoming more and more likely blow me off if I'm
holding a baby--it's like she *knows* that I can't put down the
squalling-thing to deal with her so she figures the rules don't apply. She
also is becoming more exhuberent in her greetings at the door--I think she
keeps hoping, hoping, hoping that the next person to walk through the door
will be there to visit *her* and not the babies. But she calms down most
times after just a few minutes now.

Whoops--someone's waking up. Talk to you all later:-)

Marie
Meet Macula at http://members.rogers.com/mmcw/

"Marie" wrote in news:%pOZa.118935$4UE.66017
@news01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com:

Since I *never* want to be in the position of having to choose between my
furkids and my babies, I want to do everything I can to prevent allergies
from developing. Any experience or opinions that can guide me?

I remember reading something about this a couple of months/years back:
http://www.msnbc.com/news/799567.asp?cp1=1
A quick summary says that "Babies who grow up with
multiple cats or dogs less likely to develop allergies"

--
*******************************************
Marcel Beaudoin & Moogli

*******************************************
'Dogs must attack their human's
shoelaces when he is tying them.'
*******************************************

Marcel Beaudoin wrote:
Yup. When Gen and I have kids, if they don't get dirty, I am going to find
a mud puddle and drop them in it. Although, if they take after me, the
challenge will be to keep them clean. if they take after Gen, it will be
the opposite.

And, make sure you throw away all those anti-bacterial house
cleaners/wipes that are just *everywhere*. Hugely detrimental to the
human immune system, if you ask me.

Suja

Marcel Beaudoin wrote:

and the loose
toys confined (more or less) to one room at a time.

Hah! Haven't been around kids much, have you? Even my SIL, who keeps a
super duper ultra sparkling CLEAN house hasn't managed to find a way
to do that. She, however, manages to not have a conniption when they
come over to our not very super duper ultra sparkling CLEAN house.

Suja

Suja wrote in newsSOZa.8171$qf.7076@lakeread06:

Hah! Haven't been around kids much, have you? Even my SIL, who keeps a
super duper ultra sparkling CLEAN house hasn't managed to find a way
to do that. She, however, manages to not have a conniption when they
come over to our not very super duper ultra sparkling CLEAN house.

Well, I guess since I have trouble keeping Moogli's toys in one room, I
guess a kid (or two, twins run in Gen's family) would be even less
successful.

--
*******************************************
Today is: 5 days to my wedding!!! Yeee-Haaaa!!!
Marcel Beaudoin & Moogli

*******************************************
'The gene pool has no lifeguard'
*******************************************

On Mon, 11 Aug 2003, Suja wrote:

And, make sure you throw away all those anti-bacterial house
cleaners/wipes that are just *everywhere*. Hugely detrimental to the
human immune system, if you ask me.

yep. it never fails that the people who are chronically sick
at work are the ones who are obsessive about disinfecting
everything around themselves.

--
shelly (foul wench) and elliott and harriet
http://home.bluemarble.net/~scouvrette

In article ,
Marcel Beaudoin wrote:

Suja wrote in newsSOZa.8171$qf.7076@lakeread06:

Hah! Haven't been around kids much, have you? Even my SIL, who keeps a
super duper ultra sparkling CLEAN house hasn't managed to find a way
to do that. She, however, manages to not have a conniption when they
come over to our not very super duper ultra sparkling CLEAN house.

Well, I guess since I have trouble keeping Moogli's toys in one room, I
guess a kid (or two, twins run in Gen's family) would be even less
successful.

Nice baskets make everything better (except for the one Bella chewed as
a pup... but she only chewed the handle, so now it's a nice basket with
no handle...).

In article e.net,
shelly wrote:

On Mon, 11 Aug 2003, Suja wrote:

And, make sure you throw away all those anti-bacterial house
cleaners/wipes that are just *everywhere*. Hugely detrimental to the
human immune system, if you ask me.

yep. it never fails that the people who are chronically sick
at work are the ones who are obsessive about disinfecting
everything around themselves.

My sainted mother always told me that humans ate about a peck (8 quarts)
of dirt in a lifetime. Don't know where she got that number, but she
assured me it wouldn't kill me. So far, she was right.

We do use alcohol hand cleaners, but that's about it. I like using
anti-bacterial stuff before I eat my yogurt...

Good news!

I remember about five years ago, some research came out stating that dirt is
good for kids. Seriously - kids exposed to potential allergens like dogs,
cats, and household dirt are far less likely to grow up allergic or with
asthma. The exceptions were cigarette smoke and mold. Food allergies are
rather different than

So, let your dog hang out with your kids. They'll all love each other just
as much as my DS loves his doggie - his first word was "Da-Da!" said
pointing directly to the Guinster.

-Shannon

"Marie" wrote in message
ble.rogers.com...
Both boys are sleeping right now and I realized that I haven't read, let
alone posted to, the NG for ages. Still haven't caught up with all the
other posts, but...

Macula has become quite the helper with spit-ups :-) She is now attuned
to
the sounds indicating there is a mess for her to clean up, and will even
wash the bibs and baby faces if allowed. Kinda freaks some of the
homemakers I have in to help--I think a lot of them figure I should be
keeping Macula completely away from the boys.

So here's some conflicting advice for you to help me sort out: I'm
basically running into two theories about babies and pets--Theory 1: pets
should be kept away from young babies because close proximity could
sensitize the boys to pet allergens making it more likely that they will
become allergic to the animals as they grow up. This theory seems to be
based on the same premises that say you should avoid introducing egg
whites
and peanut butter until the kids are older to avoid sensitivities. Theory
2: pets and babies should be introduced early and often because the boys
will develop immunities to any allergens. This seems to be the same
premise
that suggests that the best way to combat allergic sensitivites may not be
complete avoidance.

Since I *never* want to be in the position of having to choose between my
furkids and my babies, I want to do everything I can to prevent allergies
from developing. Any experience or opinions that can guide me?

Macula continues to be wonderfully patient about the lack of time we have
to
spend with her, although maybe once a day she'll try being obnoxious to
get
our attention--usually just standing in front of us and barking. The boys
don't even seem to notice--which in my more paranoid moments has me
wondering if Macula's deafened them already :-} I need to find more time
to
spend with the Pupster: she does really well with basic commands during a
training session but is becoming more and more likely blow me off if I'm
holding a baby--it's like she *knows* that I can't put down the
squalling-thing to deal with her so she figures the rules don't apply.
She
also is becoming more exhuberent in her greetings at the door--I think she
keeps hoping, hoping, hoping that the next person to walk through the door
will be there to visit *her* and not the babies. But she calms down most
times after just a few minutes now.

Whoops--someone's waking up. Talk to you all later:-)

Marie
Meet Macula at http://members.rogers.com/mmcw/

Marie,

Are you or hubby allergy sufferers yourselves? Do you get more than an
occasional sneezy itchiness when pollens are rampant in spring and fall? Are
you guys constantly breaking out in hives without being sure what caused it? If
the parents are not, in general, terribly allergic, there's no reason to be
super cautious that the children will be. That's not to say that parents pass
down their exact allergies to their children, but allergies do tend to run in
families. (Example: My mother, brother and I all have sneezing allergies from
pollens, but not Dad. My father gets hives from irritating plants while my
brother and I don't. Mom is allergic to bee stings while I'm not. Dad is
allergic to many anti-biotics while I'm not. I'm allergic to many prescription
and non-prescription pain killers while my parents aren't. And so on.) If
you're worried about the boys and allergies because you and hubby have them,
don't talk to us, talk to your pediatrician.

(And I love dogs as baby face washers. I used that trick all the time when
baby-sitting.)

--Lia


Marie wrote:

So here's some conflicting advice for you to help me sort out: I'm
basically running into two theories about babies and pets--Theory 1: pets
should be kept away from young babies because close proximity could
sensitize the boys to pet allergens making it more likely that they will
become allergic to the animals as they grow up. This theory seems to be
based on the same premises that say you should avoid introducing egg whites
and peanut butter until the kids are older to avoid sensitivities. Theory
2: pets and babies should be introduced early and often because the boys
will develop immunities to any allergens. This seems to be the same premise
that suggests that the best way to combat allergic sensitivites may not be
complete avoidance.