Yesterday I ran into a friend who lives around the corner who just had her second baby. Although I felt those initials pangs of missing that newborn stage, I was quickly reminded while talking to her about the juggling we do from the time our babies are born. From the minute you learn you are pregnant, your life is forever changed... baby bottles, diapers, midnight feedings, carseats and toys. Girls night out becomes a weekly morning mommy group. Our daily goals take on a new meaning and suddenly an accomplishment is taking a shower, doing a load of laundry or getting 4 hours of sleep. You recover more quickly after your second delivery because there is no time to just rest with the baby when there is a toddler in the next room waiting to be entertained or driven to preschool.

Our newsletter this week focuses on babies and all that surrounds pregnancy, infancy and beyond.  Explore our RESOURCE DIRECTORY and click on the Pregnancy, Newborn and Toddler section. 

• Baby Proofing & Carseat Safety >>
  
• Breast Feeding & Nutrition >>
  
• Childbirth & Parenting Classes >>
  
• Doula, Labor Support & Postpartum Care & Fitness >>
  
• Financial & Medical Assistance >>
  
• Maternity & Newborn Services >>
  
• Pediatric Dentists >>
  
• Pediatricians >>
  
• ObGyns & Midwives >>
  
• Playgroups >>
  
• Pregnancy, Infant Photos/Ultrasound Imaging >>
  
• Shopping for Baby Equipment >>
  
• Special Needs >>
• Support: Housekeepers >>  Meal Delivery & Personal Chefs >>
• Use the PARENT CHAT to connect with other moms & ask questions >>
  

GREAT INFANT PROGRAMS...

• The United Way of SB offers some great early childhood tools through bornlearning program. This resource includes videos, checklists, play ideas, a sleep chart, and much more. They also have highlights for every age and stage so you can monitor your child's development.
• The Welcome Every Baby program provides a series of home visits and calls from a nurse and infant specialist from birth until your child is 10 months old, breastfeeding support, post-partum depression education and support, information on caring for your baby as well as resources.
• Postpartum Education for Parents, more commonly referred to as PEP, offers New Parent Discussion groups, Postpartum Distress support, and Baby Basics classes.
• SBCC Adult education classes start on September 14th and include pregnancy exercise classes, parent-child classes and more.

CONTESTS...  We have two entries to the Sandcastle Festival to give away.  The lucky winners will be able to bring their family & friends together to compete!  To enter, email us with a local mom or dad that is making a positive difference in our community.  Please include their email address. Or post your favorite fall sport on our Family Favorites page.

PARENT TIPS...

• The best thing to come to Santa Barbara (technically Goleta) this year was drive through coffee! Zizzo's opened up on Storke Rd. across from Camino Real Marketplace and I am there several mornings a week after I drop my kids off at school. And yes, you can go in your pajamas if you are going to use the drive through... just put on sunglasses to cover the make-up smudged eyes and throw on a sweatshirt and nobody will know. Every mom with a child in a carseat needs this option so that they can do something nice for themselves without having to unload everyone. You can even get a smoothie or breakfast item for the kids which is a great option for all of you with AYSO games on Saturdays! *Check out their special discount on our Parent Perks >>
  
• The Baby Fair is only 10 days away - mark your calendar so you do not miss a chance to pick up great information on local resources.
• For those of you in North County Santa Barbara, our partner site launched in the spring so check out NorthSBCountyParent.com for more great resources!
  

Have a great week!

Below is only a partial list of upcoming events and activities so be sure to click on our EVENT CALENDAR so you do not miss anything >>

Use the PARENT PLANNER to click on events and resources you are interested in and click PRINT MY PLANNER to print or email your list.

Camp Calendar | School Schedules | Movie Showtimes

By Monica Marshall, Baby Belle Bottoms

For many new parents, the discovery that there is no cloth diaper service for Santa Barbara is the beginning of the end of cloth diapering their baby. This is a shame, because parents can save $1,500 to $2,000 and prevent 4,000-6,000 disposable diapers from entering the landfill by cloth diapering one child from birth to potty training. Parents that give cloth diapering a real chance find that using and washing cloth diapers at home is no more inconvenient than any other chore- one of many "new chores" they must learn to incorporate into their family's daily routine. Even in the absence of a cloth diaper service, parents should consider cloth for the health of their baby and the health of the world he or she will grow up in.   Read full article >>

Do you a want a TARGET store in Santa Barbara? NOW is your time to SPEAK UP and MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD! Target Corporation has made an offer to lease a 15 acre property owned by the City of Santa Barbara near the airport. If you want a Target store in Santa Barbara/Goleta, check out www.BringTarget2SB.com and sign the petition >>

And check the website regularly for updates and ways that you can help bring Target to Santa Barbara!