Showing posts with label link. Show all posts
Showing posts with label link. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

BabyWise Warnings

Wow. BabyWise has been shown to be bad before, and I can't stress this enough: YOU CANNOT SCHEDULE A BREASTFED BABY. WELL...you can, but it will lead to problems and probably early weaning, before a year. Check out this INSANE article about parents actually buying this crap: http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19990301&slug=2946922 I just can't believe anybody would actually follow ANY ADVICE that recommends scheduled feedings or expects a baby to sleep thought the night before 3 months. DO THEY WANT THEIR BABIES TO BECOME DETACHED?

WHAT THE HECK? Or a better question is...why are these parents so intent on buying into this crap that they need to "teach their baby highchair manners." INSANE! Babies drop stuff off of highchairs because they are learning about gravity, not because they are sinners. Wow. That's all I can say after reading that article and the crazy stuff it suggests. WOW WOW WOW! Some people are just that stupid to buy into sleep-training and scheduled feedings...who would let their baby cry for 3 hours!!! That is just child abuse. How can one detach themselves so much from loving their baby?

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

We Know Better, So Do Better

I just can't believe doctors still do circumcisions. I can't believe parents think that their baby slept through it or it didn't hurt or they won't remember it. Good blog post with included videos about circumcision here.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Breastfeeding (and extended Breastfeeding!) is Nature's Health Plan

A couple of great blog posts appeared today. This one shows some video clips about how nursing is normal. It shows pictures of moms nursing in public as well as some great breastfeeding quotes.

And this post shows possibly the most famous breastfed baby in the world. Initially I was shy about nursing in public too, particularly church...but then I read on some forum that "Jesus was breastfed" which helped me get over that fear...and there is no better way to keep a baby or toddler quiet during the sermon than nursing!!! ;)

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Babies don't need Baby Food

That's right. Babies don't need that squashed up mashed up jarred crap and you don't have to waste your time making "homemade" crap for them: http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/03/13/baby-essentials-that-arent-part-7-baby-food/
If they do need it, they are probably getting solids too early. Basically babies started needing solids super early back when formula was deplete of the things baby needed. But times haven't changed much in that the baby food marketing is still very aggressive.

I bought a couple jars of baby food twice with Claire because that's what I was "supposed to do, right?" and then I threw it away because she wouldn't eat it. The only thing I did buy was teething biscuits and rice crackers but again...not really till about 18 months and only for a few months. Amazingly, she clicked literally overnight at not quite 18 months and just started eating whatever was on my plate for the most part. She is still really picky and is hesitant to try new things. I wonder what baby boy will be like. I can tell you one thing...he's getting nothing until AT LEAST 6 months and probably nothing really until he is crawling and has a couple teeth because those are the better indicators...not just a magical 6 month date.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Toddler Nursing

I just ran across a great article about toddler nursing. Here is my favorite line from the article: "Humans are the only mammals that don't let their offspring feed to term. I can't deny that I like to normalise breastfeeding in a world that sees it as increasingly alien..." I really enjoyed this article and it makes me want to let Claire nurse on demand when out and about instead of offering her a sippy, snacks, or snuggles. Nursing is just so much simpler! Who needs to haul along sippy cups when you've got 2 perfectly good sippy boobs!?! It mentioned something about the age of weaning should being closer to 6! "I've learnt that the natural age of weaning is closer to six years – when the first permanent molars appear – than six months."

I also really liked this comment, "No matter how hard I found breastfeeding, however, I couldn't stop, for two reasons. The more knowledgeable I became, the more vital I knew sustained breastfeeding to be. And, second, because it is obvious how much breastfeeding means to my daughter."

Friday, December 11, 2009

Blocks!

I ordered Claire some wooden blocks for Christmas before I saw this post. Now I'm doubly excited about her gift!

Duggars had premature baby!

The Duggars had their 19th baby, 3 months early...she was only 25 weeks prego. Holy Carp...that would be like me having this boy next week. Read more here.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Science Proves It

I found a great Power Point Presentation about brain development and why it is so harmful to babies. Here it explains why leaving an infant to cry it out or "gradually" cry it out is abuse. Bascially it talks about infants 12 months and under. However, I don't see it much different for something like a 14 month old, other than the fact that their brain may be more developed. But I wouldn't risk it!

Placenta Eating

Wow. Here is an interesting blog post on eating placentas. All I can say is...wow. I don't know if I could bring myself to eat my own placenta. It seems sort of cannibalistic in a way. But I'm not a huge meat person, and I like red meats even less. What do you think?

Friday, December 4, 2009

Breastfeeding Protecting Moms Health

Interesting article here about breastfeeding protecting moms health.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Breastfeeding by African American Moms

There was an interesting bit on NPR about African-American moms and breastfeeding rates. The rates are lower among them vs. Latina and White women. YOu can listen to it or read the script here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120748048

I got the link from one of the breastfeeding blogs I enjoy following, called Blacktating: http://blacktating.blogspot.com/2009/11/breastfeeding-often-avoided-by-black.html

Monday, November 23, 2009

Free Diaper Sample

Huggies has a new line of diapers out. Sign up for a sample here: http://www.huggiespureandnatural.com/Default.aspx And then gift it to me for my new little one. :) Hehe. Kthnxbai.

Stem Cells in Mommy's Milk

Amazing stuff: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/stem-cells-could-be-the-secret-reason-why-breast-is-best-1825558.html Just when they think they know everything, they find out something else. I'll be eager to find out what's new when Claire starts having kids in the future. For example, there was nothing in print about nursing strikes when I was a baby. (I checked my mom's old books.) And now EVERYONE knows about them. Stem cells are amazing little things!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Pay it Forward

WANT TO WIN SOME FREE STUFF? Keep reading? I recently entered a "pay it forward" contest on my LLL friend, Kelly's blog site. And I was one of the winners! So the idea is to "pay it forward." Claire got a fun little package in the mail today with a few pieces of candy, a little dollar store Pooh Tea Set and Princess Wallet...she's in love! Along with several other little toys for her. And a book for the new baby. Thanks, Kelly! YAY! And what a great day for it to arrive! Claire went to the mail box with me and was all excited to carry in her package. Then she had some new stuff to play with while I made some phone calls to tell people we are having a boy in April! YAY!

OK, SO WANT TO WIN? Just enter by leaving a comment. If I know you, I will pick out some things age and gender appropriate for you kids. If I don't know you, make sure you leave the ages/genders of your kids. If you don't have kids...um...I'll get something for your pets...lol! I'll leave the contest open until midnight Sunday night the 30th. I know there's a lot going on with Thanksgiving, so if you only check in once a week or so, you can still enter. There will be 3 randomly selected winners. I put the numbers in a hat for Claire to pick or something. I will either mail you the package or give it to you depending on where you live. I will post a posting with the winners after the 30th. BY ENTERING, YOU AGREE TO PAY IT FORWARD AND HOST A GIVEAWAY ON YOUR BLOG SITE! (Or maybe Facebook/Myspace if you don't have a blog.)

This is the third time I've had a give-away. It's fun. I should do it more often.

Good luck!!!

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Our Vacation Rental

Well, I finally posted all of my San Francisco pictures on Facebook in 2 albums. Check them out and leave lots and lots of comments if you haven't already. It's easier for me to upload massive amounts of pictures at once on there. Blogger only lets you do 5 at a time... has anyone found an easier way? Anyways, we had a super time visiting Aaron. We were gone for 5 days, so it was almost a week, but it was long enough to feel like we got to get away, but not so super long that it wasn't fun anymore.

We once stayed in Vegas for 10 days. That is way to frigging long for Vegas. First time stays, I would advise a max of 5 days in that city. WAY TOO LOUD, NOISY, AND SMOKEY! Really, a 3 or 4 day weekend is plenty to just do Vegas. Really all the Casinos and Buffets are the same, with slightly different themes. All the shops are overpriced and who wants to sit through more than one or two shows in one weekend...

Anyways, we had a car take us to and from the airport with our luggage since Aaron has a compact. He also has a compact apartment, so we stayed at a vacation rental vs. a hotel. It was a really good place to stay. Check out photos of our place here http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p191003 I wrote the 2nd review...read it for more details. On second thought, maybe I shouldn't advertise that place in case we want to go back. I don't want the dates to be all booked up!

We ate at some really good restaurants. We ate breakfast at our condo, and ate out the rest of the time. We had Thai, Asian Fusion, some Shrimp Place, Indian, some local pizza place, and an "Organic Kitchen" where I had the best Split Pea Soup ever...even better than I make it! We also went to a frozen yogurt place called Yogurt Park, which Claire loved. We probably won't be flying anywhere for awhile with the new baby on the way...and I plan on laying low for a least 3 months after he/she is born!

Dealing with Unwanted Advice

Well unwanted advice in print is easy to deal with. You can just stop reading. Close the browser. Delete the email. Delete the comment off of your Facebook page. It's a little harder to deal with unwanted advice in person. Ahhh joy. Here is a good article that you might find interesting: http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-life/family-parenting/articletkt.aspx?cp-documentid=21032199&GT1=32001 It's actually applicable to anyone...which is to just ignore a lot and let the small stuff go. I think the most annoying thing with strangers is their observations if Claire is dressed to warm or cold. I love it when they say she should have a hat on and they don't and I don't. I think it's because her hair is so light...but really...she loves hats and I would put one on her if it's cold enough. 50 and above does not need a hat people.

Friday, November 13, 2009

New ISU Rec Center

I am super impressed with ISU's rec center that has newly opened. Check out the photos: http://isuphoto.smugmug.com/Other/marketing/Rec-Center-Pool/9171395_7snK5#612552820_qnsud It wasn't there when I went there. BUMMER!!!

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Not enough H1N1 to go around

Interesting article here about those needing the shot the most, declining it due to "side effects." Bascially to get the H1N1 shot at this point in time you need to be under 24, pregnant, or have a compromised immunse system.

Friday, October 30, 2009

The H1N1 Debate

I just read this great post on a Daddy Blogger's site about why you should get your child the H1N1 vaccine. Read it here. I particularly liked these quotes from his post:

  • Basically every medical expert -- from public health officers down to family doctors -- is saying people should get the vaccine. So why isn't that good enough for you? Or is it only when it comes to preventative medicine that you think you're smarter than someone with a medical degree?

I'm a strong believer in shots. Claire got the flu shot when she was 6 months and the booster that same winter. She has all of her shots done now until she goes to Kindergarten. I have also gotten the flu shot every year since I was 18 and never gotten "the flu" -- coincidence or not, I'd like to think it helps. We've already gotten our regular flu shots this year (at the start of Sept!) and I've been calling the OB and Peds office to see if they have them in yet. The Peds office has a message saying they are not in. My family doctor that I go to said they do not have any and will not be getting any. So it might not even be an option for us to get them, but if and when they become available, I will definitely be getting them for Claire and I. Josh isn't eligible.

We travel a lot and actually venture into the world so I think we need vaccines. Going to get groceries even...who knows what you could pick up there. If you actually think about the variety of products and where everything came from as far as types of fruits, veggies, and meats...as well as boxes and cans and all sorts of products that have been touched by several sets of hands to just end up on the shelf...not to mention all the shoppers who touch stuff...you are exposed to lots of germs just walking into any store. I guess the fear factor is in place with me. I'd be scared not to have my child vaccinated. I guess some people have a stronger faith that their kid will not wind up sick. I'm just a big chicken!

I have talked in length with my mom and cousin Kami about the shots. I guess since they are both nurses, they have seen and cared for the sickest of the sick with this. Kami was telling me about a male Josh's age who also works in an office on computers who thought he was getting a cold and ended up on her floor for almost 2 months. It's definitely not an illness I feel comfortable with me or my family getting if I could've prevented it. On the other hand, I also respect those people that don't want to get shots for their family for whatever reason. My logic is, however, at some point, they will have to show shot records for something...school, living in a dorm at college, being a teacher, or working in a medical field...what do you think?

What is the biggest fear out there? From what I've read on other blogs and facebook...the non-professional stuff...it seems like the biggest concern are the additives. Well, we don't eat organic. I tried that for about 3 weeks in Jan. and decided it was not possible living in the Midwest unless we wanted to spend about 5 times as much on food. We don't buy all organic clothes, bedding, and toys. We are probably still breathing in highly "toxic" fumes from the paint, wood, and carpet in our house that was built just over 4 years ago. Ha. You're damned either way on the house thing...if you live in an old house you'll have lead paint and other toxic things! I'm sure we bathe in toxic soap and wash our hair with poisons. I even read something awhile back about how "toxic" different cars were. You know that great "new car" smell. Yeah...TOXIC! CHEMICALS!!!!!! Everything has some sort of side effect. I guess the only truly safe thing would to be to move to the middle of nowhere and live in a tent. You'd have to live in entirely clean air and drink water completely untouched by chemicals. And if you think drinking bottled water is safer than tap...you've got the plastic bottle to worry about. HA. So anyways, my point is just that any preservative or additive in a shot is probably a lot less harmful than some sugar or caffeine which people readily and eagerly dump into their bodies. Seriously...they are not out to get us...they are not trying to kill us all or force injections.

I think it's great that the offer shots in schools again. Why should a parent have to take off work, have the kid miss school and go to a doctor's office...usually full of sick people to get a shot that takes all of one minute/person to administer. It drives me nuts when people say they get sick from getting the flu shot. WRONG. You get sick because you probably sat in a germ-filled doctor's office and picked up some creepy-crawlies there! They have to get permission slips signed, so don't freak out they are going to jab your kid if you don't want them to be jabbed. Heck, at Ben Davis, they not only brought a mobile doctor for schooly physicals, but a mobile dentist to school! I think shots are a little less invasive than those more lengthy procedures. Yes, I understand food enters your body differently than shots do, but really...it's all gonna mix around eventually.

I think another big concern was the way shots were made. Yeah...think about any consumable product. Have you read My Year of Meats or The Jungle which are excellent books on the meat industry. It will keep you away from steak for a few weeks after you finish reading it. They are along the same line as Fast Food Nation ... if you look into anything too much, IT WILL DRIVE YOU NUTS AND SCARE YOU! NOTHING IS 100% SAFE! I mean if you pick apart water or H2O you have HYDROGEN! AHH! IT'S A FLAMMABLE GAS. But whatever, I'm done with this post...so tell me if I shouldn't get the shot...leave a really long detailed comment with lots of links, but make sure to read that first post by the daddy blogger as he does address the comments from Dr. Sears who say "maybe" to the H1N1. I really am interested in reading both sides pros/cons.

But telling me the shot contains monkey brains or something won't scare me. I enjoy eating liver paste and have tried cow tongue and brains. :) I've also eaten raw hamburger and goose lard...delicacies in Germany! And I still eat meat after reading those meat books I mentioned!