My son was sick a while back and our doctor wanted us to get a stool sample. He's 13 so dealing with his poop is miles from what it was like when he was a baby. It made me wish I could go back to the days of dealing with those mustard yellow, seedy looking breast milk poops that hardly smelled a bit.

For newborns, the first few days are the scariest and after that things settle to normal depending on what feeding method you're using. Learn what you can expect in your newborn's diaper.

A new nursery doesn't have to break the bank. Your child will be growing in leaps and bounds and even though many parents enjoy putting together a new baby's room, babies are pretty easy to please in the decorating department. You can put together stimulating artwork yourself with inexpensive materials rather than buying lots of color-coordinated prints that you'll probably be taking down as your child grows and takes more of an interest in her own space. Remember, too, that safety is one of the most important factors in a baby's room. Keep it simple and take advantage of some of these nursery decorating ideas.

I am lucky to live in an area with some of the finest thrift store shopping around. Even as I blog, I've got pizza crust dough going in the bread machine I bought at one, barely used, for just $10. Now, I wouldn't ever buy a car seat or a crib at one, but over the years I've purchased a ton of my son's clothing at thrift stores or consignment stores. I've never figured it up, but I have probably saved in the thousands of dollars buying for my family. So imagine my surprise when I started hearing parents talk about how the new law (starting Feb. 10) was going to put a big ole' honkin' red light on buying children's goods at my favorite spots.

Luckily, it looks like these stores are in the clear for now. The CPSC issued a statement that clears the issue up and brings my blood pressure level back down to normal:

"Sellers of used children’s products, such as thrift stores and consignment stores, are not required to certify that those products meet the new lead limits, phthalates standard or new toy standards.

The new safety law does not require resellers to test children’s products in inventory for compliance with the lead limit before they are sold. However, resellers cannot sell children’s products that exceed the lead limit and therefore should avoid products that are likely to have lead content, unless they have testing or other information to indicate the products being sold have less than the new limit. Those resellers that do sell products in violation of the new limits could face civil and/or criminal penalties."

It does leave me wondering about eBay (are sellers there considered resellers?) and about grass roots marketplaces like Etsy. If I interpret correctly, it sounds like sellers on eBay would be fine without testing as long as they were selling old items, but the folks on Etsy might be considered manufacturers and would have to test and certify goods, perhaps? If so, what a ginormous bummer for the folks involved in making all those items and those of us who love to find something a little less mainstream and homogenized. Still, selling homemade wares for children should come with some responsibility. Just one example involves the tricked out, crystal covered binkies that were recalled in 2007. Can we say that exemptions should be made just because it's one person toiling away at home over a sewing machine?

More coverage of the issue:

• CPSIA Sacrifices Budget for Baby Products Safety
• Rethinking Secondhand
• Small Toy Makers Panic due to Toy Testing Law Soon to be in Effect
• After Feb. 10, Forget About Buying Used Kids' Gear
• Lead May Close Thrift Stores
• CPSC Sheds Light on Thrift Shop Guidelines
• The Fed Spares Thrift Stores
• Are Hand-Me-Downs, Resale Items On Endangered List?

This month's All About Parenting Blog Carnival is up for your reading pleasure. The focus is oh-so-timely: New Year's resolutions. Not just any old resolutions, though. Because you know when you're a parent, it stops being all about you and those last 10 pounds or stopping all that nasty nail biting. After you have kids, you begin to make changes to your life that include them as well. If this is your first year as a parent, it might be the first time that you make a resolution to do something that isn't just about bettering yourself just for you.

My son was a November baby, so when January rolled around he was still just a wee little guy. I thought about getting back to my pre-pregnancy weight and finishing nursery decorating. And then it hit me. I needed to start putting away money for my son's future. I needed to make sure the house was childproofed from top to bottom. I needed to start reading to him more. My mind just overflowed with all the things that I needed to do for him. It was both frightening and exciting. And I realized for the umpteenth time since he'd been born how having him in my life was making me want to be the best person I could be. How has your child impacted your New Year's resolutions this year?