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You can find my scrapbooks here: My Scrapbooks
Now, I have to force myself to walk away from the computer and get some housework done, this scrapbooking has defiantly sidetracked me today.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Another Addiction
Remember when I wrote about my addictions? Well, I think I have a new one. Digital scrapbooking. I've made two pages already and I'm HOOKED. Anyone else digital scrapbook and would be willing to share their work/exchange advice and ideas? Let me know ;o)
You can find my scrapbooks here: My Scrapbooks
Now, I have to force myself to walk away from the computer and get some housework done, this scrapbooking has defiantly sidetracked me today.
You can find my scrapbooks here: My Scrapbooks
Now, I have to force myself to walk away from the computer and get some housework done, this scrapbooking has defiantly sidetracked me today.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Caution! Long Winded Rant Ahead!
Let me begin this rant by stating that I feel that whether or not to vaccinate your child is a very difficult and personal decision. I do not "look down" on anyone who vaccinates their child, as long as they make that decision after doing their own research.
Don't get me wrong, I was once part of the "my doctor knows everything/is always right" crowd when it came to vaccinations. The Mermaid received all her shots, right on schedule.
The Guppy hasn't had any shots. If she does have shots, she won't until she is at least one year old, possibly two. When I was pregnant with the Guppy I met some mothers who did not vaccinate their child. Wanting to know why, I did my own research. What I found was shocking and a little scary. I'm still doing research, b/c there is a LOT of info out there. But until the information I receive makes me sure that vaccinations are right for the Guppy and now the Mermaid, neither of them will be vaccinated. More on that later.
The vaccination debate can be very heated and emotional. There are two sides to the argument. For us, not vaccinating made sense. Our children stay home with me, they are not in daycare. The Knight is not exposed to sickly people in his job. We have no contact with relatives who are in ill health. We don't smoke, drink, we live a healthy lifestyle. We do not travel abroad to areas with infectious diseases. So for us, there was no need to vaccinate. Perhaps it is different in your family. Perhaps one parent works in a field where they come into contact with sick people regularly. Perhaps you have sick relatives. Either way, even if you do decide to vaccinate, Please, research each vaccine. A great resource is the book What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations. The author explores the risks and benefits of each vaccination, and explains steps you can take to minimize risks of reactions if you do decide it would be in your child's benefit to receive vaccinations.
I think the one of the most hotly debated vaccination on the market is the MMR. The MMR has been linked to autism and other autoimmune diseases. The drug companies deny that there is a link, and say that the vaccine is safe for children. However, one of the leading manufacturers of the MMR vaccine, GlaxoSmithKline, in now under investigation after it was discovered that the drug Seroxat was the cause of a number of adolescent suicides. From the article:
So, let's think about this. This company claimed that the drug Seroxat was safe for teens and that it would even lower the suicide rate, despite knowing that it was actually not safe. This is the same company that claims that the MMR vaccine is safe for children, despite that large number of studies done and parents who have spoken out, stating that the vaccine has caused harm to their children.
Who are you going to believe? The company that lies, or the bereaved parents and studies?
If you and your child were walking down the street and someone came up and injected your child with something, how would you react? Would you want to know what was in the shot? Would you want to know how safe it is? Of course you would, you would freak out, right? So why is it OK for a doctor to inject your child with something that you know nothing about, except that the doctor and drug companies says it's OK? Because they went to medical school? Could your doctor, without looking at the label, even name all the ingredients that are in that shot? Could you?
Do the research. Find out what is in the vaccine before you put it in your child's body. Find out if your child even needs the shot. And remember, all states have a least a medical exemption when putting your child in school, so no, you do not have to have your child vaccinated in order to attend school. Some states even offer a religious and/or philosophical exemption as well. You do have choices. Say no if you feel your child doesn't need it. Or you can even delay vaccines, or selectively vaccinate. It's your decision, but please, make an informed and educated choice. Your child's health is at stake.
BTW, did you know that the development of vaccines has been linked to the origin of AIDS? Just a theory, but it hasn't been disproven yet. Look for my second post on vaccinating for more info.
Don't get me wrong, I was once part of the "my doctor knows everything/is always right" crowd when it came to vaccinations. The Mermaid received all her shots, right on schedule.
The Guppy hasn't had any shots. If she does have shots, she won't until she is at least one year old, possibly two. When I was pregnant with the Guppy I met some mothers who did not vaccinate their child. Wanting to know why, I did my own research. What I found was shocking and a little scary. I'm still doing research, b/c there is a LOT of info out there. But until the information I receive makes me sure that vaccinations are right for the Guppy and now the Mermaid, neither of them will be vaccinated. More on that later.
The vaccination debate can be very heated and emotional. There are two sides to the argument. For us, not vaccinating made sense. Our children stay home with me, they are not in daycare. The Knight is not exposed to sickly people in his job. We have no contact with relatives who are in ill health. We don't smoke, drink, we live a healthy lifestyle. We do not travel abroad to areas with infectious diseases. So for us, there was no need to vaccinate. Perhaps it is different in your family. Perhaps one parent works in a field where they come into contact with sick people regularly. Perhaps you have sick relatives. Either way, even if you do decide to vaccinate, Please, research each vaccine. A great resource is the book What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations. The author explores the risks and benefits of each vaccination, and explains steps you can take to minimize risks of reactions if you do decide it would be in your child's benefit to receive vaccinations.
I think the one of the most hotly debated vaccination on the market is the MMR. The MMR has been linked to autism and other autoimmune diseases. The drug companies deny that there is a link, and say that the vaccine is safe for children. However, one of the leading manufacturers of the MMR vaccine, GlaxoSmithKline, in now under investigation after it was discovered that the drug Seroxat was the cause of a number of adolescent suicides. From the article:
GSK faces action in the US where bereaved families have joined together to sue the company. As a result, GSK has been forced to open its confidential internal archive. Karen Barth Menzies is a partner in one of the firms representing many of the families. She has examined thousands of the documents which are stored, box upon box, in an apartment in Malibu, California. She said: "Even when they have negative studies that show that this drug
Seroxat is going to harm some kids they still spin that study as remarkably effective and safe for children."
So, let's think about this. This company claimed that the drug Seroxat was safe for teens and that it would even lower the suicide rate, despite knowing that it was actually not safe. This is the same company that claims that the MMR vaccine is safe for children, despite that large number of studies done and parents who have spoken out, stating that the vaccine has caused harm to their children.
Who are you going to believe? The company that lies, or the bereaved parents and studies?
If you and your child were walking down the street and someone came up and injected your child with something, how would you react? Would you want to know what was in the shot? Would you want to know how safe it is? Of course you would, you would freak out, right? So why is it OK for a doctor to inject your child with something that you know nothing about, except that the doctor and drug companies says it's OK? Because they went to medical school? Could your doctor, without looking at the label, even name all the ingredients that are in that shot? Could you?
Do the research. Find out what is in the vaccine before you put it in your child's body. Find out if your child even needs the shot. And remember, all states have a least a medical exemption when putting your child in school, so no, you do not have to have your child vaccinated in order to attend school. Some states even offer a religious and/or philosophical exemption as well. You do have choices. Say no if you feel your child doesn't need it. Or you can even delay vaccines, or selectively vaccinate. It's your decision, but please, make an informed and educated choice. Your child's health is at stake.
BTW, did you know that the development of vaccines has been linked to the origin of AIDS? Just a theory, but it hasn't been disproven yet. Look for my second post on vaccinating for more info.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
If You Need A Laugh...
Mama KNJ gave her readers a heads up on these hilarious videos. Really, they made me laugh. And since I think everyone should laugh at least once a day, I'm going to share them with you.
WalMart's All Things Baby
If you haven't heard by now, on February 3rd WalMart is holding an "All Things Baby" event in participating stores. The event includes:
Hmmm....really I'm at a loss for words. I wonder if breastfeeding will even be mentioned. There are no stores participating in my area, but if there were you would bet I'd be at the event, breastfeeding the whole time and asking the "local experts" about the benefits of breastfeeding.
This is so sad and pathetic it would be laughable if not for the fact that the health of babies is at stake.
...an exclusive Nutrition & Feeding Educational Seminar sponsored by Similac. Local experts will offer quick overviews of basics for raising strong and healthy families. Enjoy a complimentary gift bag with samples (while supplies last). Kids are welcome — activity sheets will be provided so they can have fun while you learn.
Hmmm....really I'm at a loss for words. I wonder if breastfeeding will even be mentioned. There are no stores participating in my area, but if there were you would bet I'd be at the event, breastfeeding the whole time and asking the "local experts" about the benefits of breastfeeding.
This is so sad and pathetic it would be laughable if not for the fact that the health of babies is at stake.
Cool Dudes
Friday, January 26, 2007
Four Months Old Letter
My Dearest Guppy,Today you are four months old. You are so big, 17lbs already! Your little rolls and chubby cheeks are so cute and adorable. You are so strong, you continually try to sit up and roll over, and you almost can! You're neck control is also very good, and you love to sit up straight so you can look around at observe your environment.
This month you have shown your sense of humor, always smiling and starting to laugh. You're smile beams when we go to pick you up, you're so happy just being held. You hate to be left alone in a room and you are happiest when in the middle of a group, such a social butterfly!
You love to reach for things. If I place a toy next to you, you will roll on your side to grasp it, to feel the textures, to take it all in. You spend a lot of time during the day staring at your hands, flexing your fingers and discovering how they work. You love to grasp my fingers in your hands and pull them apart, experiment with how they move, or just to be in physical contact with someone whom you know adores you.
You love to chat. You're face scrunches up in concentration as you put tremendous effort into forming your mouth and making sounds. When we applaud you for your efforts, your face beams with pride.You have brought so much joy to our lives these past four months, I can't believe how fast you are growing. When I look at your eyes, I can see you talking through them. Your eyes tell me when you are concentrating, when you are trying to figure something out, when you understand something (oh how they light up!), when you are hungry or when you are just tired. I'm so excited to see what the coming months will bring, what your first word will be, your first time rolling over completely, your first steps. I thank God every day that I am able to stay home with you and witness you as you learn more and more about life each day. I feel proud in seeing that you know that you are loved, that you are surrounded by people you love at all hours, and that you are never alone. Never forget, we will always be here for you. We love you.
Fantastic Friday: Harder Than I Thought
It's Fantastic Friday, week 3, and well...I didn't do so great this week. Let's break it down, shall we?
Weight: For the Future MILF post, I have to post weight lost this week. Well, once again, I didn't lose any weight but I didn't gain any either. Now I am very frustrated at myself. I have enough will power to get my butt out of bed at 5:30am to exercise for one hour, but not enough will power to say No to the bag of Doritos that was sitting on top of our fridge. Was being the correct word, since I ate the whole bag. Of course, I felt really shitty and gross afterwards, and hopefully the memory of that feeling will keep me from doing that again. My problem is not exercise, my problem is sticking to my WW's points. I really need to crack down and make sure I write everything down and don't go over my point budget. I really hope I do better this week.
The House: again, thanks to FlyLady, this one is easy breezy. This week I spent 15 minutes a day decluttering my closet. Donated all my high school clothes, including my size 5 jeans (yeah, like I'll ever fit into those again!) but kept my size 7 jeans (hey, a girl can hope, can't she?). There's actually a lot of room in my closet now. And my house is still guest ready clean.
Finances: Well, the Knight and I kind of changed routes with this one. Last week I posted that we were going to go on a debt management plan. Well, we changed our minds. Seems that if you try to get a mortgage after going on one of these plans, they treat you as if you had filed bankruptcy. So, we borrowed Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover from the library and we are going to follow his simple yet difficult to do program. Simple to understand, difficult to do because it means a lot of sacrifices, like no new van. Hopefully, in March, I'll be posting about how we are making great strides in paying off our debt.
Finally, the environment. Sadly, we are still slacking in this area. We still haven't gotten our recycling act together. However, I've still been following the Compact Life with two exceptions: materials for making things such as yarn and PUL, and a bridesmaid's dress for my best friend's wedding. Because really, I don't think she'd be too happy if I tried to buy a used bridesmaid's dress, and I can't blame her. I'm almost done knitting a cotton dishcloth, so no more icky sponges. And this Sunday I plan on going on a sewing frenzy and sewing up some cloth nursing pads, cloth paper towels, and cloth diapers to cut back on our disposables. I've also been reading this great blog about a family's decision to downsize, called Changing Rhythm.
So, all in all, not a great week. I hope this week to do better. Encouraging comments are welcomed, I sure need them!
Weight: For the Future MILF post, I have to post weight lost this week. Well, once again, I didn't lose any weight but I didn't gain any either. Now I am very frustrated at myself. I have enough will power to get my butt out of bed at 5:30am to exercise for one hour, but not enough will power to say No to the bag of Doritos that was sitting on top of our fridge. Was being the correct word, since I ate the whole bag. Of course, I felt really shitty and gross afterwards, and hopefully the memory of that feeling will keep me from doing that again. My problem is not exercise, my problem is sticking to my WW's points. I really need to crack down and make sure I write everything down and don't go over my point budget. I really hope I do better this week.
The House: again, thanks to FlyLady, this one is easy breezy. This week I spent 15 minutes a day decluttering my closet. Donated all my high school clothes, including my size 5 jeans (yeah, like I'll ever fit into those again!) but kept my size 7 jeans (hey, a girl can hope, can't she?). There's actually a lot of room in my closet now. And my house is still guest ready clean.
Finances: Well, the Knight and I kind of changed routes with this one. Last week I posted that we were going to go on a debt management plan. Well, we changed our minds. Seems that if you try to get a mortgage after going on one of these plans, they treat you as if you had filed bankruptcy. So, we borrowed Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover from the library and we are going to follow his simple yet difficult to do program. Simple to understand, difficult to do because it means a lot of sacrifices, like no new van. Hopefully, in March, I'll be posting about how we are making great strides in paying off our debt.
Finally, the environment. Sadly, we are still slacking in this area. We still haven't gotten our recycling act together. However, I've still been following the Compact Life with two exceptions: materials for making things such as yarn and PUL, and a bridesmaid's dress for my best friend's wedding. Because really, I don't think she'd be too happy if I tried to buy a used bridesmaid's dress, and I can't blame her. I'm almost done knitting a cotton dishcloth, so no more icky sponges. And this Sunday I plan on going on a sewing frenzy and sewing up some cloth nursing pads, cloth paper towels, and cloth diapers to cut back on our disposables. I've also been reading this great blog about a family's decision to downsize, called Changing Rhythm.
So, all in all, not a great week. I hope this week to do better. Encouraging comments are welcomed, I sure need them!
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