Both yogurt and fish are wholesome good foods, but for a small number of kids they cause allergies. Ask your pediatrician for guidelines. If food allergies run in your family, you may be advised to hold off on dairy products (including yogurt) until 12 months, and fish until age three.

Here's the deal: You had a baby with a teenager, and though you've been forced to grow up and take responsibility for another human being's life, your baby's father doesn't necessarily feel the gravitational pull of having to act like an adult in a grown-up relationship. This is because he's still a teenager. 

As the mom of three rather balky waker-uppers, I feel for you. I bought an alarm clock for one of my kids. And he took to it with great enthusiasm, cheerfully setting the alarm for the next morning. Yes, it did manage to wake him. But then my son climbed back into bed and pulled the covers over his head. So, in all, a mixed verdict.

Even though it's cold outside kids can still get out and play. As temperatures drop and darkness starts earlier, it becomes more difficult to get kids outside to play. However, just about any game that can be played in the warm weather can be played in the cold weather.

Years ago, I knew a mom who sent her kids to school with waffle sandwiches. Her kids liked waffles better than bread, and they were easy for her to prepare. She toasted the waffles, put on a few slices of banana and a little peanut butter, drizzled a little honey, made a sandwich and cut it into small squares. Her kids loved it. You could use cream cheese instead of peanut butter.

Your newborn still needs to feed when he wakes up every 3 to 4 hours at night. That said, good sleep habits are best formed at a young age, and there are some things you can do now to make it easier for your little one to begin sleeping through the night in a few months:

Yes, having a child is something that should be joyful and celebrated, but the expense of it all--paying for the formula, the diapers, the clothes, the medical bills, the daycare, etc.--can be a bit overwhelming, especially in these hard economic times. Your fiancé is smart to be concerned about how to finance it all, especially if he doesn't feel like he makes enough to do what he probably feels he's charged to do as a father-to-be: Take care of his family. My guess is that he's not so much unhappy about his impending fatherhood as he is worried about how he's going to adequately provide for you and the baby.

I stand in solidarity with you on the whole playful thing. What mom has energy enough to be a midnight seductress to her husband after spending the entire day entertaining, feeding, chauffeuring, and chasing and cleaning up after the kids all day? Honestly, by the time I fall into bed some nights, the tap on the shoulder is about as welcome as a bucket full of ice water being thrown in my face. Still, I'm well aware that my husband, Nick, needs attention, and affection from the woman he loves, just as much as my children need it from their mom.  

Sorry to hear about your situation and your dad's failing health. Being the primary caregiver for your father, in addition to your own family, has stressed you physically, emotionally and even socially. As a caregiver, you have the obligation to take care of yourself, not just for your own sake but also because you can't be a good caregiver unless you are healthy in body, mind and spirit.

You have my sympathy--and my empathy. As a toddler, my son furiously protested being in his car seat, so I had to entertain him, unseen, from a distance and drive carefully at the same time. Talk about stress! The best options for amusing a car-bound toddler meet the criteria ofrequire novelty, independence, and safety, since --you can't constantly keep handing him things, or play patty cake, nor constantly can you watch him constantly as you're driving. Some ideas:

Although young children don't improve their fitness levels in the same way adults do when they "work out" or exercise, it's not harmful to do some physical activity that mimics the type of movements that are involved in skiing.

Don't jump to conclusions--there could be a million reasons why your neighbor turned your son away from an impromptu play date. Maybe she really was hosting a child who has some kind of condition that prevents her from playing well with others. Maybe the mom only had energy enough to watch two kids instead of three. (Come on, you know what it takes to entertain more kids than you bargained for.) It's possible, too, that your 6-year-old didn't relay the message correctly--6-year-olds aren't the most dependable messengers on the planet--trust me, mine isn't! Or maybe your instincts are right: Perhaps the neighbor didn't want your son over because she doesn't want her child playing with the new black kid.

As long as she is not trying to climb out, you can leave her where she is. Most children remain in their crib until 2 or 2-and-a-half years old.

Sorry to hear about your situation and your dad's failing health. Being the primary caregiver for your father, in addition to your own family, has stressed you physically, emotionally and even socially. As a caregiver, you have the obligation to take care of yourself, not just for your own sake, but also because you can't be a good caregiver unless you are healthy in body, mind and spirit.