New items for babies are interesting

This 'n That
Debbie Jenkins Cook
Herald Columnist

Since Valentine's Day this year, I have been a grandma for the first time, and I'm loving every minute of it – although the minutes seem to be flying by every time I am with little Joseph Allen Blakemore.

He has changed so much from week to week in the 5 1/2 months he's been here. His formula (that nasty looking powdered stuff you mix with water) has sure agreed with him. No matter what I think about it, he loves his bottle and wolfs it down in no time flat. In fact, about the only time he cries is when he's getting impatient for that bottle.

And the bottles these days – that's another story. Now they make them with a straw-like tube so the baby can hold on to just the nipple and suck the milk through the tube which goes into the bottle, making it easier for baby to feed himself. Now this might sound like something made for a lazy parent (my first reaction when I saw it), but my daughter assures me that is not so. Joseph loves to hold his bottle even when my daughter is holding him to feed him. He's probably going to be an independent little rascal.

The bottle is a bit heavy for him sometimes, so the new one with the tube in it has delighted him – he just has to hold the nipple in his little hands. There is no mistaking he likes this new invention. If you doubt that, just try and take it away from him and see what happens. We call the result his "mad face."

Another new invention since my children were small disposable diapers that have a color strip that changes colors when the baby is wet. That is a rather clever little invention, getting rid of the necessity of having to feel to see if baby is wet and needs a diaper change.

And, have you seen the new disposable diapers that look like blue jeans? It didn't take long for my daughter to buy a package and try them out on Joseph. He looked spiffy in that diaper, but I have to admit, I like the traditional white ones best. I think 5 1/2 months is a bit early to be wearing designer clothes, even if it is just a diaper.

Joseph has just begun eating baby foods and so far, I haven't seen anything that is shockingly new in that category.

I try to avoid giving grandma advice on basic care of a baby, because everything has changed since my daughter and son were infants.

We were told to never lay a baby on his/her back. Now they (whoever "they" are) say not to leave them on their stomachs.

I tried to keep the noise level down when my babies slept. My daughter said it's best to have the normal level of noise, such as the TV on, so the baby learns to sleep with some noise in the background and won't wake up every time a sound is made. That makes perfectly good sense, and it does work. Joseph goes to sleep when he's tired no matter how much noise is around him (come to think of it, so does his granny!)

You don't have to be a kid to enjoy yourself at the fair

On My Mind
Rachel Dean
Herald Columnist

Remember how exciting the fair was when you were a kid?

Everything was so big, colorful, loud and fun – especially at night.

When the newsroom was going over what we'll each be covering during fair week, the idea of taking midway photographs struck a sense of childlike wonder in me.

When you're an adult, it's easy to notice all of the odd things about carnivals, whereas when you're a kid, all you can think about is cotton candy and rides.

For me, this year, I'm most excited about capturing the faces of children screaming with delight. I want to convey the feeling they have when they go to the fair. I want my photographs to reflect the fair in a childlike sense. I want to capture the motion, the colors, the excitement. So, the very act of holding a camera up and snapping photos at the fair really does get me as excited as a 3-year-old on a carousel.

During fair week, my camera lens will become my eye. Through it, I will see selectively, and whatever I've been taught to judge about who and what I see won't be a factor. While I'm there, I'll be like the little girl who watches the horse shows like they are the biggest and best thing in the world – in total awe. Just because I'm a grown-up doesn't mean I can't have fun. I can be just as excited and amazed as everyone else. Though I won't be seeing any of these things for the first time, I will be intentionally looking for new, fresh photographs. That entirely changes the way I will experience the fair.

Even if you don't have a camera in hand, you too can choose to see with virgin eyes. Chances are that things have changed somewhat in your life since the last time you were at the fair. Maybe it will be easier to appreciate some things this year that you may have overlooked in the past.

This year, I became more aware of the effort that goes into making the week successful. A lot of people work really hard with no pay, and I still can't figure out exactly why they do it. Ask them, and their answer may be, "I don't know, I'm just crazy I guess."

I don't think they're crazy. I just think they have a crazy amount of community pride. I really believe they love the people of Mercer County, and they want to do their part to extend the good feelings to others that they have had by attending the fair in the past.

Another thing to think about is that when the fair began 183 years ago, the world was an entirely different place. The fair was the thing to do – and in most cases, the only thing to do. It was, and still is, a time for community members, particularly the agricultural-minded, to come together and show off the fruits of their labor – from the finest tobacco leaves, heirloom tomatoes and canned pickles to dainty needlework, handmade clothing and home-grown flower arrangements. It's also a time to see who has the best cow, pig, chicken, goat, sheep or rabbit. All-in-all, it's just a time to reconnect with neighbors and have fun. So, go be a kid and have fun!