The Government Can

Comedian Tim Hawkins - the same mastermind that wrote the songs, "Chick-fil-A" & "The Wife Song" song now has a brilliant - but sadly, very true - song called "The Government Can"...

...veerrrryy clever....

Breastfeeding...

An excellent excerpt on breastfeeding/extended breastfeefing from my friend Jessica's blog...

I just don't know why people get so uptight about nursing a toddler. I don't know why they think it is excessive or unnatural or obscene. And I don't know why they think it's their business to disapprove in the first place! Why don't people research things out a little bit when they have a problem with something? Taken directly from the World Health Organization's website, this the summary of their stance on length of time to breastfeed:

"exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life is the recommended way of feeding infants, followed by continued breastfeeding with appropriate complementary foods for up to two years or beyond."

So then why do people have such a problem? For starters, it is recommended that an infant be EXCLUSIVELY breastfed for the first six months. No water, no juice, no watered-down cereal, no baby food, no Cheerios, JUST BREASTMILK. Most mothers are told (by their OB, pediatrician, mother, sister, who knows?) that they should try to nurse for six months, a year at most, then wean. Pediatricians sometimes recommend supplementation with sugar water, etc. Why? And then, the mother who nurses her toddler gets looks and words of disapproval for trying to give their child the best start, the start that has benefits that have been shown to be evident even through adulthood! And why do women not get told about the WHO recommendation to nurse for up to two years or beyond? Because the pediatricians get visitors from formula vendors? Because they get all kinds of benefits and goodies if they recommend them to their patients? In a healthcare provider's vow to "do no harm", I, as a nurse, take that a step further...to strive to not only do no harm, but to also try to achieve the best possible result for my patient. I won't go so far as to say that formula harms...after all, it is the only choice for some! But if a doc were trying to achieve the best possible result for their patient, why would they advise a new mother to only nurse for six months or a year, then abruptly wean? Support that nursing momma! Cheer her on! Tell her to nurse for as long as she's able! Try to give that baby the best possible start in life in order to see the best possible result in adulthood! Now, all of this being said, I know that some mothers cannot nurse, cannot exclusively nurse, or cannot nurse for that long. Sometimes their milk dries up in spite of every effort to keep their supply. Sometimes their baby just isn't gaining weight properly and they have to supplement. Sometimes they just make a choice not to...and that's their business and not mine. My biggest issue is being an informed consumer. I have mentioned before how I encourage this to my patients and to family members who ask me medical questions. Their job is to learn and know, and make educated decisions. If they are educated and still make a different decision than I would, so be it. But to be misinformed and make a decision based on misinformation, or to just "go with" something because that's what other people around them have done, well, I feel that's just not right. It's not right in the hospital setting, in the physician-patient relationship, or in a mother's choice of what to put into their child. In Christian circles, we talk about how, yes, it's great to have a pastor to listen to and to hear preach, but you simply can't take his word for everything! You need to read, to study, to search "to see whether these things were so", right? So why should it be any different in life? Even people with the best intentions can be wrong. We're all human. We make mistakes. We misconstrue things. So when it comes to important decisions, be it nursing or surgery or what kind of food you put on your plate, be an educated consumer.

More 411 on Amber...

:: a continuum/update from my previous post ::

KB still wears her Amber necklace 24-7... and we get comments on it everywhere we go. Most people think it's just a cute/pretty/funky piece of jewelry... but little do they know, it also serves a purpose other than being pretty! Baltic amber is proven to have analgesic properties in the oils it contains, therefore offering a natural, drug-free alternative to the relief of pain in children & adults alike!

In reality Amber is not a “stone” but a natural, fossilized tree-resin. As it warms with the body’s natural temperature, amber releases its healing oils (containing succinic acid ) which are easily absorbed into the skin and then into the bloodstream. Baltic Amber has some of the highest concentrations of Succinic Acid found in nature - which is what makes it so special. Succinic Acid is a natural component of plant and animal tissues, and it's presence in the human body is beneficial in many ways. From pain relief & anti-inflammatory to immune boosting & energy resoration (the salt of succinic acid (succinate) is one of the most active substances in the processes of cellular respiration and intercellular energy creation. Succinic acid restores oxygen and energy supply to depleted cells and helps the body return to a normal, functioning state.). Historically, Baltic Amber has been used in Europe as a natural and traditional remedy and curative for many ailments for centuries. Long ago it was considered one of the leading ‘medicines’ of its time. Baltic Amber is the most esteemed amber in the world, and the healing qualities of Baltic Amber make it unlike any other type of amber found in the world. It is a completely non-invasive remedy for side effects associated with teething, such as lack of appetite, upset tummies, ear ache, fevers and colds. Baltic amber is also a natural analgesic that will calm your child. Many adults also report improvement of discomfort due to menstruation, joint pain/aches, etc.

Our choice for Amber purchasing: InspiredbyFinn

  

Side note/testimony: As of my last posting, my new nephew (5mos) wears an amber necklace too! He has had a early start - and quite the difficult time - with teething.... and my sister has noticed a *drastic* difference in just the short time he's been wearing it! :)

KB is TWO!!

"On the night you were born, the moon shone with such wonder that the stars peeked in to see you and the night wind whispered, 'Life will never be the same.' For there had never been anyone like you.... ever in the world."

HAPPY 2nd BIRTH-DAY my sweet & Precious , KB!! ~
I love you so very much!! ♥

(BTW, KB's amazing birth story can be found here!)

Old-Fashioned play

(courtesy of)

Especially in light of KB's birthday coming up... and the eyebrows being raised, as to the simple items we requested... I wanted to share this excellent article on npr about all the benefits of "Old-Fashioned play'. Before all the commercialism, the focus of play was on an activity rather than an object... and used imagination & make-believe - which in turn developed critical cognitive skills & emotional development, among other things.

Chudacoff's recently published history of child's play argues that for most of human history what children did when they played was roam in packs large or small, more or less unsupervised, and engage in freewheeling imaginative play. They were pirates and princesses, aristocrats and action heroes. Basically, says Chudacoff, they spent most of their time doing what looked like nothing much at all.

"They improvised play, whether it was in the outdoors… or whether it was on a street corner or somebody's back yard," Chudacoff says. "They improvised their own play; they regulated their play; they made up their own rules."

Even I remember - though I am not that old - being sent out into the backyard for hours. to play. - Just us six or seven kids, a tire swing, a simple swing set (consisting of one swing & a slide), various discarded household items (several pots & pans, an old cinnamon broom, some wood, etc), a few balls & Frisbee's, good ol' Mother nature.... and our [extremely] creative imaginations. And while it may not seem like much, now... we honestly thought we had the world. We ended up having so many awesome adventures out in that seemingly giant back yard! It became a home to be kept.... a jungle to be explored... a castle to storm.... mystery to be solved... or one of many other exciting places to be discovered. A stick became a sword, bow & arrow or some other prop... wood became floors, planks, and who knows what else... berries & other foliage became food , medicine, decorations, clues, etc... vines got twisted as jewelry & crowns... and in and among the trees were our forts, castles, "clubhouses"... :-) But most importantly, as our minds grew... so did our sibling relationships. ~ We grew together as friends... a unit... a team! Sure there were instance where we didn't get along... or that we pined to get inside out of Florida heat! But as any person wanting to keep their sanity whilst residing in a tiny 600sq feet and managing 7 little ones (age 10 to baby) running around.... there were many times the moms laid down the law... and for the most part, we didn't seem mind at all. ~ I still think fondly of this one tree that I would climb - nestling myself comfortably in the branches, just to get away for a few minutes & think. Yes indeed, those were the simpler times....