BabyPalooza draws more than 700 on rainy Saturday

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DIXON - The competitors edged up to the starting line with the cheering crowd behind them. And then they were off.

Alex Espinoza and Tae Shaun Goodman took the early lead, but Landyn Scoles surprised everyone by scrambling to the finish line to win and into his aunt's arms.

Not bad for a 14-month old.

The race was a highlight of BabyPalooza, a bi-annual baby fair sponsored by KSB Hospital at Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon.

Landyn's mother, Dawn Scoles, said they'd practiced before the race.

"I think it helped," said Scoles, 21, from Sterling. "Hhe also had his aunt Kate at the end. He just loves her.

"The fair was really exciting, very informative. I know Landyn had a lot of fun playing with the other babies."

The fair showcased the services KSB Hospital offers, and more than 30 baby product vendors and local service agency representatives where on hand.

With a 2 year old and a 7 month old, Tracy Meiners said she liked the variety of information. However, her son, Wyatt, really liked the chocolate at the Dixon Police Department display.

"From the products to the services there is a lot of good information here," Meiners, 40, said as Wyatt pulled her towards the police display.

Officer Jessica Garza, 25, a car seat technician with the Dixon Police Department helped answer questions.

"According to Illinois law, children have to be in a booster or car seat until age 8," Garza told parents. "The majority of parents come in and their car seats are not installed correctly."

Dixon Police will be checking car seats from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Illinois Children Passenger Protection Act.

Dr. Debra Drengenberg, who practices obstetrics and family medicine at KSB, spoke about sun and water safety.

"I think it's very important for kids to be outside and playing," Drengenberg said.

Just use common sense, like applying sunscreen often whether your family is snow boarding or swimming at the lake, she said. Drengenberg also suggested parents get outside with their children and exercise - use the time to teach them about colors and shapes, she added.

More than 700 people attended the event, said Mary Mahan-Deatherage, director of marketing and public relations at KSB.

"This is my favorite event, it's so much fun with all the babies," Deatherage said.

For Tae Shaun's mother, Marisa Rabe, the fair was the perfect place to get information.

"Everything, all the information that they've given us has been helpful," said Rabe, 28, who recently moved to Dixon from Morris. "This is a wonderful event for people who have just moved here."

Kindermusik vendor Laura Newcomer Sutton was at the fair to promote music and dance classes at The Next Picture Show in Dixon.

"Music is fundamental to learning and music makes children smarter," Sutton said. "They do better on standardized tests and reasoning skills."

The Kindermusic booth was Scoles' favorite. She said she was going to sign Landyn up for dance classes.

"He likes to dance. He likes Leona Lewis, he'll walk over to the television and pat the screen and rock along," Scoles said.