If you’re in the baby/toddler stage like me, you probably find yourself on occasion holding a feverish child and asking, “How much tylenol should I give her this time? . . . Is she still at the 0.4 ml level? or is it 0.8? or maybe up to 1.2 ml?”

If it’s a particularly high or persistent fever, I may find myself calling the pediatrician or the pharmacist to determine how much tylenol or ibuprofen to give.

Dr. Sears wrote a very helpful post about the use of acetaminophen, which you can read here. With the simple equation “7 milligrams per pound of bodyweight,” you can determine exactly what dose your child needs. This Works for Me!

He even discussed if (and when) you can double up on the tylenol for a really high fever and alternating between tylenol and ibuprofen in an effort to reduce a stubborn fever.

The most helpful part of his column is a Dosage Chart which lists weight in the left-hand column, and then showing the milligrams needed and the “translation” for infant drops, children’s liquid, and children’s soft chewables.

Yesterday I checked this chart to see how much tylenol Carissa should have after her shots. (I have copied a portion of Dr. Sears’ chart below.)

Carissa is 15 lbs., 4 ozs., so I gave her 1 dropper (.8ml).

With three under four, I know I will be referring back to this chart often!

Last week our family vacationed in central Pennsylvania with my husband’s family. Although I had too many “favorites” to sufficiently cover them all, I hope to hit a few of the highlights here in my blog.

Certainly one of my favorite things was the butterfly garden outside our cabin. Of course, we saw flowers–every color imaginable, as well as bumble bees, hummingbirds, caterpillars, butterflies. And Mara asked me what all the drops of water on the grass were–she learned about the morning dew!

My pictures don’t do it justice, but here are a few snapshots:

Though it is not completely Wordless, I’m linking up to Wordless Wednesday today!

My “little” Carissa Marie is 15 lbs., 4 ozs., now and 25-3/4 inches long. . . still falling in the 75th+ percentile for weight and 85-88% in height.

She did great for her shots. She cried literally 3 seconds after the second needle–only till I lifted her to my shoulder.

This, after all, is the baby who smiles when you aspirate her nose.  You have to wonder about a kid like that!

I’m so very grateful! Especially after Micah–what a screamer! Hours of screaming each night for the first 4 months–with strangers (well-meaning, I suppose) telling me how they would never “let” a child cry that way. . . What a relief to have such a very happy child!

“I find that, typically, the personality that you see at four months is the personality you’re going to see through the teen years,” the pediatrician remarked. “Not always. But typically. If you have a really picky, easily irritated four-month-old, you’ll probably see a particular teenager. If you have a easygoing, happy four month old, you’ll probably have a teenager like that too.”

I’m sure that’s a generalization, but hey, I’d love to have a happy, easygoing teenage girl!

I’m SO. VERY. Grateful for this little girl!

The point of a blog is to write your own content, but I read a lot of blogs too, and sometimes I just have to share:

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  When Jesus Isn’t Enough – We Are THAT Family – “When I sat in his closet-sized home in the middle of Africa, I couldn’t take my eyes off the pathetic interior or ignore the dripping rain on my head.”  Convicting. Compelling. Is Jesus enough for you?

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  AlbertMohler.com – Why Are Parents So Unhappy? And Who Would Settle for Happiness, Anyway?

  “Christians must see children as gifts from God, not as projects, understanding family life as a crucible for holiness, not an experiment in happiness.” Family life is a “crucible for holiness.” Now that’s perspective!
• eJournal : For the Young Mother: Ministry, Guilt, and Seasons of Life | 9Marks

  www.9marks.org

  “Guilt is a young mother’s habitual shadow. It has a nasty way of soaking through many of her efforts at nurturing, serving and loving others. ‘Am I doing enough for my children? For others? What do they think of me? What does God think of me?’ ” – By far the most convicting article I have recently read regarding a biblical perspective on motherhood. If you only read one, read this one!