debbie downer strikes again -- toxins in plastic toys!

So it turns out that most of the fun bath toys and teething toys they make for babies are made of PVC, which contains, among other things, phthalates. Phthalates are "plasticizers" that are added to soft plastic toys (as well as tires, shoe soles, etc) to keep them soft. These chemicals can leach out and enter the body, and have been linked to cancer and kidney damage.

In addition to phthalates, heavy metals like lead and cadmium are added to make the more rigid type of PVC used in older kids' toys. Like phthalates, these chemicals can also leach out and cause damage.

There are lots of alternatives to PVCs, including polypropylene, polyethylene, EPM, EPDM, EVA, bio-based plastics, and of course wood and textiles. So babies and kids can still have lots of toys without the toxins. Unfortunately, it seems to be rare that toy packaging indicates exactly what the product is made of ... so it might be handy to have a list of manufacturers of PVC-free toys ... like this one from the Oregon Toxics Alliance:

• Small World Toys (makes PVC-free teething toys and “Gertie” balls)
• Early Start
• BRIO Corporation
• APRICA Kassai Incorporated
• Lamaze Infant Development
• Little Tikes (Rubbermaid)
• Ravensburger
• Turner Toys
• Lego Toys

In addition, soft PVC toys made in Austria, France, Greece, Norway, Mexico, and Sweden should be at least free of phthalates, since those countries have banned phthalates for that purpose.

A little more info here. YouTube video of protest against Target with giant inflatable PVC-free rubber ducky here.

Fetal Activism!

The Washington State Legislature is considering whether to ban PBDEs -- toxic chemicals used as flame retardants in everything from televisions to car seats.

Washington Toxics Coalition is collecting pictures to persuade state senators to vote for the ban, which the state house approved 71-24. This was our submission.

27 Weeks

We got the camera working in time for our weekly visit to the beautiful Kubota Gardens, a block from our house.

long time, no post

so i've been meaning to post a picture of me looking pregnant, but it turns out that most of those photos have been terribly unflattering, and then our camera died. so this is just a post to say i haven't totally given up on posting ... stay tuned.

for now, please enjoy this photo of mortimer looking sheepish without any baby clothes on.

snow days are for dressing cats in baby clothes

though i really do have enough to do, i did dress mortimer up in a baby hoodie.

i guess this doesn't really have much to do with us having a baby.

well, you can keep your pink & frillies ...

you can't tell from the photo, but we're having a boy!

this photo is from the 19 week ultrasound, which looks at all the anatomy to find any anomalies. no anomalies!

we've been feeling him move around quite a bit. it started with a little flutter, but now you can feel him stretching out from the outside. it's weird because there's a separate being in there, but it's nice because it keeps me company. i could spend a lot of time waiting for him to move, but he moves a lot, so i don't have to.

now it looks more human

here's the ultrasound photo from the 12 week visit. the little creature has done a good job of growing some human features.

we told our families the news shortly after this photo was taken. lots of perry's family was around for his grandma's 85th birthday, so we were able to tell most of them in person. we were also able to see my mom, step-dad, sister, brother-in-law and niece and nephew that weekend, so we were happy to tell them too.

the best part was when my adorable niece lulu informed our waitress that "someone has a baby in her tummy" and then pointed to me.