I would be happy for $75,000.

You may have heard about the recent study published stating that a $75K annual salary is the threshold at which money can buy you happiness; any money on top of that doesn't contribute to your day-to-day mood.

And, of course, all I can think of reading that study is, "I'd be freaking ecstatic for $75,000!"

I could go into all the bills I could pay, the car I could buy, etc., but I figured it'd be easier if I put it into mommy units of money. Here's what $75,000 could buy a mom.

353,120 size 5 Luvs diapers

4,033 pounds of Enfamil AR formula

63,613 Circo colored bibs

3,302,358 Luvs Ultra-Clean baby wipes

17,061 pounds of Gerber baby food

5,361 Fisher Price Light-and-Glow Seahorses

8 years + 4 months of childcare (at my son's preschool)

I'd love to hear some other moms chime in here. What could you buy with $75,000?

The mythical "perfect" age gap

When I daydream about my son having a younger sibling, I tend to jump a few years in the future. When the baby crazies kick in, I get that pretty picture of my little boy at around six-years-old, sweetly and protectively playing with a younger brother or sister around three-years-old.

Or I think of having a big round preggo-belly and explaining to my son that his little brother or sister is in there, and him giggling when mommy's tummy jumps and bounces around.

Or, having a newborn baby, whom my son will stare at adoringly and beg to be allowed to hold, and we will if he sits on the couch right next to us and is very careful.

Fortunately, the real me is cynical enough to shake off these hormonal delusions and foresee the realistic scenario a 2nd baby would mean right now. And because I'm one cold, analytical chick at heart, I like to carefully weigh out the pros and cons.

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Decoding your baby's poop

Let's talk about poop. Ever since my son transitioned to solid foods, my mind has been besieged by this mystery. Why is it that my son's solid, easy-to-clean bowel movements smell like chemical warfare, while his disgusting, diaper-blowing-out bouts of diarrhea are relatively odorless?

All of my research on the subject (scanning the first few links that pop up on Google) has yielded no results. So are there any pediatricians/nurses/nannies/moms-who-know-more-than-me/etc. out there who can answer this one? Why are the solid ones so much smellier?