Charlotte Hudson
Recently, at Carter's nine month appointment, we got the "okay" to introduce him to fish -- not shellfish, which can be highly allergenic, but fish with fins. I am very excited about this because I have a background in marine biology and have worked on protecting the oceans for the better part of my career. But now that the door has been opened to eating seafood, I need to find out what fish is safe for my son to eat.

I grew up eating tuna fish sandwiches, but today, tuna is known to be high in mercury and the FDA has warnings indicating that pregnant women and small children should not eat too much of it. You can find out more information at this website, which is hosted by the FDA and EPA. I also found a more user-friendly site for information: KidSafeSeafood.org.

While I know I cannot protect Carter from everything, I feel that if I can reduce the things I know might be harmful during the years when he is rapidly growing and developing, at least he will be starting from a cleaner slate when he does choose to eat the things that are less good for him!

Charlotte Hudson
When I found out that I was pregnant, I knew that I was going to have to make a large investment in all the gear you need for bringing a small bundle home from the hospital. What I didn't expect, however, was how much of it was made of plastic.

I don't have anything against plastic, but the sheer volume of it was overwhelming -- from the pack n' play to the stroller, from the high chair to the baby plates and spoons... not to mention the toys. While I didn't find alternatives for some of the bigger items, I did try to change some small things. (And if any of you out there found other alternatives, I would love to hear about them!)

At least until my son is old enough to start feeding himself, I have avoided using plastic bowls and plates to warm his food and starting using glass instead. Especially if you are using the microwave (yes, I admit it!), I found great little glass dishes with lids at Kmart. Although there is still some debate about what concentrations of chemicals leach into food from plastics at high temperatures, for me, it was worth $20 in glass bowls to not have to think about it.

The other small change has been introducing toys that aren't plastic. There is something about the old wooden toys that I used to play with that I miss. My son loves the remote control and our cell phones, so yes, he does have his share of shiny plastic with songs and lights, but I recently found a good source of wooden toys at FatBrainToys.com. They carry brands like Melissa & Doug and Haba that are all wood.

I don't think plastic toys are unsafe or that there is really anything wrong with them, but I chalk up this need for more natural toys as a way to introduce my son to different textures and let his brain do a little more creative thinking.

Although, plastic or not, I do admit that the best toy out there is an empty water bottle filled with some dried beans or rice -- and, at least the beans are natural!

Charlotte Hudson
When I think about being a "green" mom, I first think that "green" applies to me because I am a new mom. Everything with my 9 month old is a new experience and I feel quite green behind the ears.

But I am striving to do everything possible to raise him to be as healthy and happy as I can, which often coincides with trying to live a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle. Every day, I try to make good choices on his behalf -- about what he eats, what he plays with, how much time he spends outside (in the shade!) -- but these choices are not without their dose of reality.

The truth is that I work full-time in Washington, DC. Balancing home and work is challenging -- to say the least -- and that doesn't even count trying to manage caregivers, grandparents, the grocery and the laundry. We are all busy. We all wish we had more time for both ourselves and our families, so when someone challenges us to make our lives and the lives of our children a little greener, my first thought is… of course, but who has the time?

Luckily, I feel like making greener choices is often just as easy and inexpensive as we would make anyway. I feel like this is especially the case with the foods we choose to give our children. When I tell my friends that I have been making my son's organic baby food, their facial expressions reveal both awe and concern. Am I crazy? Who has that much time to spend in the kitchen?

The little secret is that it is really EASY and in many cases, less expensive. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to feed my son organic food -- at least as long as I could -- until he learns the word for "Happy Meal."