Posts
RSS Feed (xml)
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Birth as We Know It
I just found out about this wonderful, wonderful video about birth. It's called "Birth as We Know It" and just watching the trailer makes me cry and smile and laugh...check it out! Definitely on my wish list!
Friday, December 29, 2006
Because What You Don't Know Can Hurt You...
Five Things You May Not Know About Me
1. I have double vision. That's right, I see two of everything. This makes it really difficult to play pool and mini golf, but I love going to fireworks!
.
2. I rode horses since I was four years old and participated in Equestrian competitions. I had to sell my horse when I got pregnant with the Mermaid and haven't been on a horse since....I really miss it.
.
3. I have a phobia of dolls. But just the real fancy porcelain ones that you keep on a stand to look at. I can't walk by the doll kiosk in the mall without digging my nails into the Knight's arm.
.
4. I think whoever invented Bratz has a special place in Hell reserved for them for teaching little girls it's OK to be materialistic, wear too much make up, and dress like a slut.
.
5. When I took my driver's license test I ran a stop sign and hit a snow bank. When the test ended the instructor flipped a coin to decide if he would pass me or not...I picked heads, and heads it was. He passed me.
.
Thanks to Stephanie over at Adventures in Babywearing for this fun meme. Now, post this meme in your blog and leave the link in a comment so I can learn more about you! :o)
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
3 Month Old Letter
My Dearest Guppy,As I sit here writing this your sister is out with her Grampy and Grandma and you are sleeping soundly in your pack and play. I still cannot believe that you are three months old. How time does fly!
This morning I was walking about in the living room getting some cleaning done before the Mermaid came home. You were sleeping in your Pack and Play and yet, I noticed that every time I walked by you would open your eyes slightly, watch me pass, and go back to sleep. Poor baby, I thought, I think I will put her in the bedroom so that I won't disturb her and she will sleep more soundly.
Sleep soundly, you did not.
Every five minutes you would fuss until I came to lay down next to you on the bed. Only then would you go back to sleep. This went on for an hour. Why, I thought, is this baby having trouble sleeping when the room is so quiet? Then it hit me. Not quiet. Silent. You were having trouble sleeping because there was only silence surrounding you. You could not hear my reassuring footsteps nearby, could not feel my presence in the room. When your eyes would open to watch me pass, it wasn't because I was disturbing your sleep; it was because you wanted to make sure I was there, right near you. You wanted to make sure you weren't alone.
You reassure yourself of my presence in many ways. Like the way you gaze in my eyes and pat my breast when you nurse. Or the way you somehow wiggle yourself against me every night, so in the morning you are curled up along side my body. I truly believe that we are not only connected through heart and soul, but perhaps on a telepathic level.
This need of my presence reminds me that yes, you are growing up so fast, and yes, you are getting so big....but you are still so small and new to this world. You are connected to each of us, but with you and I, we are more of a unit, more of one person. Just as your sister before you, you will grow and gain your independence and become your own unit, but for now, you should feel safe and protected in my arms.
Dear Guppy, please know that I will always be here for you, just as your father and your sister will always be here for you. You never have to fear being alone in the dark. And if you do find yourself afraid, or lonesome, just call for me, and I will come ...running.
Christmas Memories
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas/holiday. Our Christmas went really well, in my opinion. Christmas Eve we went over to my Aunts house and celebrated with the family. We did stocking stuffers and a Yankee Swap, and also a Secret Santa. From my Secret Santa I got a shirt that has a pink Superman symbol on the front and it says, "I make milk. What's your superpower?" Unfortunately I don't have it yet, because it didn't come in on time. But I will post pics of it when I do get it. My family also got the girls a lot of toys. The gifts from that night alone are enough to cover Brooke's entire toddler bed.
Christmas the IL's and DH's grandmother came to our house. It was my first time cooking a big meal like that and everyone seemed to enjoy the food. We all got great gifts and I'm pretty sure that everyone enjoyed themselves. My only disappointment was that with all the running around I was doing, I didn't get to take very many pictures at all :o(. So I only have a few to share, but here they are:
Wearing a new outfit she got for x-mas
The Guppy relaxing in Nana's arms
In her new sled from Grampa and Grama
Waiting for Santa on x-mas eve
Playing with her new keyboard from Nana
Can you tell they got spoiled? And these aren't including the gifts from Xmas eve.
I also got a very nice gift from MIL and SIL, a quilt that has family pictures on it. I have to find a place to hang it and when I do I will take a picture to post.
How about you? How was your holiday?
Monday, December 25, 2006
Happy Holidays
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Nestle Warned....Again
My family and I boycott Nestle. There are many reasons we boycott them, but the main reason is because their business ethics are.....well, let's just say they don't have ethics. And yet again, Nestle is in the news for their poor conducting of business. According to Reuters News,
You can find a copy of the warning letter at the US Food and Drug Administration site.
U.S. health regulators have warned Swiss food group Nestle over its GoodStart Infant Formula with Iron after a sample failed to meet proper nutrient levels, according to a letter released on Tuesday. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration letter said its analysis of the formula collected in May did not meet minimum requirements for calcium and phosphorus, the agency said in aNestle, of course, is claiming that it is a matter of improper testing procedures, or something else, because of course they are innocent @@.
November 27 letter to the company.
You can find a copy of the warning letter at the US Food and Drug Administration site.
Breastmilk Fighting Cancer?
Most of us breastfeeding moms know that breastfeeding has lot of of benefits not only to the baby, but to the mom also. The act of breastfeeding reduces the risk of both breast cancer and ovarian cancer for the mother. But does the actual breastmilk have cancer fighting powers too?
According to Science News, it does. According to the article:
Cancer runs rampant through both mine and the Knights family. My grandmother passed away two years ago after a long battle with cancer. The Knight has lost three aunts to cancer, and his grandmother just recently went into remission after treatment for a cancerous tumor in her throat. My mother is also in remission after treatment for ovarian and stomach cancer. So for us, cancer is a big concern. We do our best to stay as healthy as possible, we don't smoke, etc. But my greatest fear is that myself or my daughters will get cancer. I'm glad to know that by breastfeeding, not only am I reducing my chances of getting cancer, but also my daughters' chances. Hopefully these new findings will bring us closer to a cure.
Thanks to Angela over at Breastfeeding 1-2-3 for the heads up on this article.
According to Science News, it does. According to the article:
Once Svanborg and her team had established that something in breast milk was killing human cancer cells in the lab, they isolated the assassin. It turned out to be the protein alpha-lactalbumin. But the compound becomes lethal only when.
exposed to acid, as it is in a stomach and was in the lab. The acid unfolds the alpha lactalbumin protein into a havoc-wreaking form.
Svanborg dubbed the acidified form of the protein HAMLET, for human alpha-lactalbumin made lethal to tumors.
Cancer cells take up far more HAMLET than healthy cells do. The huge quantities of unfolded proteins destroy the cancer cells. Svanborg found that HAMLET killed 40 kinds of tumor cells in lab dishes. She has also studied the reactive compound in rats with human-cancer cells implanted in their brains.
She used an invasive cancer called glioblastoma that usually kills people in less than a year. She injected HAMLET directly into the tumors of some of the rats, while others received injections of alpha-lactalbumin that hadn't been activated by acid.
After 7 weeks, the rats getting inactive protein bore tumors seven times, on average, as large as the tumors in the HAMLET-treated rats, the researchers reported in 2004
Cancer runs rampant through both mine and the Knights family. My grandmother passed away two years ago after a long battle with cancer. The Knight has lost three aunts to cancer, and his grandmother just recently went into remission after treatment for a cancerous tumor in her throat. My mother is also in remission after treatment for ovarian and stomach cancer. So for us, cancer is a big concern. We do our best to stay as healthy as possible, we don't smoke, etc. But my greatest fear is that myself or my daughters will get cancer. I'm glad to know that by breastfeeding, not only am I reducing my chances of getting cancer, but also my daughters' chances. Hopefully these new findings will bring us closer to a cure.
Thanks to Angela over at Breastfeeding 1-2-3 for the heads up on this article.
In the News...
A couple articles that I've been looking at the past week and I've finally decided I have time to blog about them.
I know that there is a lot of controversy surrounding the whole immigration issue. I'm not going to argue that issue. In fact, I won't even state which side of the argument I agree with. But no matter what side, there is no reason at all that the government should seperate a nursing mom from her baby. You are not only punishing the mom, but the baby too, because the baby will suffer emotionally from not having her mother near her and physically from not having the nutricious breastmilk that she needs. DesMoines news reports that:
The Nashville Scene did a report that looks at Attachment Parenting from the perspective of a more mainstream mom. The same mom also wrote this article, which answers some questions moms might have about the whole AP philosophy.
And now, for some celebrity news. Gwen Stefani has been reported stating that she is still nursing her son, and that breastfeeding gives her super powers. And a celebrity homebirth! Morgan Spurlock, the guy who did Supersize Me, and his wife had their baby son on December 9th.....at home :o) Murlock writes:
And that's it for in the news.
I know that there is a lot of controversy surrounding the whole immigration issue. I'm not going to argue that issue. In fact, I won't even state which side of the argument I agree with. But no matter what side, there is no reason at all that the government should seperate a nursing mom from her baby. You are not only punishing the mom, but the baby too, because the baby will suffer emotionally from not having her mother near her and physically from not having the nutricious breastmilk that she needs. DesMoines news reports that:
Sister Christine Feagan, from the St. Mary’s Hispanic Ministry, and The Rev. Jim Miller, who is a priest from the St. Mary’s Parish, both said they drove to Camp Dodge this afternoon to find out the status of a nursing mother who was deported and nursing a baby. They were also seeking a father with an ashmatic child.
The baby left behind has her own problems.She has been difficult to feed since her mother was arrested, Feagan said.“The mother was breastfeeding the baby,” Feagan said. “The baby doesn’t want to eat. Another tried to breastfeed, but she knew it wasn’t her.”
The Nashville Scene did a report that looks at Attachment Parenting from the perspective of a more mainstream mom. The same mom also wrote this article, which answers some questions moms might have about the whole AP philosophy.
And now, for some celebrity news. Gwen Stefani has been reported stating that she is still nursing her son, and that breastfeeding gives her super powers. And a celebrity homebirth! Morgan Spurlock, the guy who did Supersize Me, and his wife had their baby son on December 9th.....at home :o) Murlock writes:
He's beautiful and we haven't been able to stop staring at him. We had the baby at home and Alex had no drugs, no sedatives, nada - yes, she is amazing. I don't know how she did it ... and she was in labor for 36 hours! Unbelievable.
And that's it for in the news.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Rolling Things Along...
Monday, December 18, 2006
The Guppy's 2 month WBV
This past Friday the Guppy had her two month check up. I really hate these appointments because I see no need to bring a perfectly healthy child to the doctor, but I was really interested to see how much weight she had gained, so we went. And the Guppy is now up to 15 lbs! The Mermaid didn't weigh 15lbs until she was 7 months old. And all on Mommy's Milk! We declined all vaxs and she checked out as perfectly healthy. So, I paid $15 dollars to get my baby weighed and for someone to tell me that she was perfectly healthy....which I already knew. Ah well.
Losing the Weight
Before I got pregnant with the Mermaid, my weight usually ranged from 118 to 122 (I always weighed more in the winter). Then pregnancy hit.
My pregnancy with the Mermaid was uneventful. I pretty much had an easy going pregnancy, except for one thing: weight gain. I gained, and gained, and gained. In total, I ended up gained a whopping 78lbs. And it was all because I didn't take care of myself. I would sit on the couch and eat.
Then came the Mermaid's birth. It was a pretty easy birth, as hospital births go. The hardest part occurred when I got home. I quickly sunk into postpartum depression and didn't even realize it. At the time, I was having trouble breastfeeding the Mermaid, I was new at motherhood, I lived out of state from the rest of my family. I also had issues with other people not approving of my parenting style, which made me feel really insecure. The Knight had a different, less paying job, and we were broke. And finally, my grandmother was really sick and ended up dying right before Christmas. Yesterday was the anniversary of her death. So, let's just say, I spent most of my days either eating or crying. Not good.
Fast forward about four months. The Knight has a new job, I'm sticking up for my parenting style more, and we decided to move into my mom's house so we could pay off our debt and get our credit back into good standing. I finally started feeling more like myself, and joined Weight Watchers so I could lose weight in time for my wedding. I went from 176lbs to 145lbs. Not bad.
Then I got pregnant with the Guppy. This time around, I was prepared. My midwife went over nutrition with me and we would discuss everything I ate. I ate healthy food and I exercised. I gained 42lbs...still more than I would have liked, but a lot better than last time. Fast forward to the homebirth....the most wonderful experience of my life. And I am still high from it. Not once since the Guppy's birth have I felt depressed or weepy. I've never felt so good in my life. And since I hit six weeks postpartum, I've started to carefully diet and exercises in order to become more healthy. I am on Weight Watchers again (using the nursing moms system) and every morning I get up at 6am to exercise. I do Billy's Boot Camp three days a week and the rest of the week I do other exercises, like the core ball or walking. When I gave birth to the Guppy, I weighed 210 lbs. By the time I was six weeks postpartum, I was down to 183lbs (yay breastfeeding!). Right now I am down to 173 lbs. So, since I started WW and exercising five weeks ago, I have lost 10 lbs., bringing the total since the Guppy's birth up to 37 lbs lost. I feel great. I feel healthier. I have so much energy and I am happy. My goal is to eventually get down to 130 lbs (definitely a long term goal).
So to any moms out there who have lost weight, I want to hear success stories and any tips!
My pregnancy with the Mermaid was uneventful. I pretty much had an easy going pregnancy, except for one thing: weight gain. I gained, and gained, and gained. In total, I ended up gained a whopping 78lbs. And it was all because I didn't take care of myself. I would sit on the couch and eat.
Then came the Mermaid's birth. It was a pretty easy birth, as hospital births go. The hardest part occurred when I got home. I quickly sunk into postpartum depression and didn't even realize it. At the time, I was having trouble breastfeeding the Mermaid, I was new at motherhood, I lived out of state from the rest of my family. I also had issues with other people not approving of my parenting style, which made me feel really insecure. The Knight had a different, less paying job, and we were broke. And finally, my grandmother was really sick and ended up dying right before Christmas. Yesterday was the anniversary of her death. So, let's just say, I spent most of my days either eating or crying. Not good.
Fast forward about four months. The Knight has a new job, I'm sticking up for my parenting style more, and we decided to move into my mom's house so we could pay off our debt and get our credit back into good standing. I finally started feeling more like myself, and joined Weight Watchers so I could lose weight in time for my wedding. I went from 176lbs to 145lbs. Not bad.
Then I got pregnant with the Guppy. This time around, I was prepared. My midwife went over nutrition with me and we would discuss everything I ate. I ate healthy food and I exercised. I gained 42lbs...still more than I would have liked, but a lot better than last time. Fast forward to the homebirth....the most wonderful experience of my life. And I am still high from it. Not once since the Guppy's birth have I felt depressed or weepy. I've never felt so good in my life. And since I hit six weeks postpartum, I've started to carefully diet and exercises in order to become more healthy. I am on Weight Watchers again (using the nursing moms system) and every morning I get up at 6am to exercise. I do Billy's Boot Camp three days a week and the rest of the week I do other exercises, like the core ball or walking. When I gave birth to the Guppy, I weighed 210 lbs. By the time I was six weeks postpartum, I was down to 183lbs (yay breastfeeding!). Right now I am down to 173 lbs. So, since I started WW and exercising five weeks ago, I have lost 10 lbs., bringing the total since the Guppy's birth up to 37 lbs lost. I feel great. I feel healthier. I have so much energy and I am happy. My goal is to eventually get down to 130 lbs (definitely a long term goal).
So to any moms out there who have lost weight, I want to hear success stories and any tips!
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Oink, Oink, Oink
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Goodbye Fast Life, Hello Motherhood....
Although I don't consider myself a young mom, a lot of people would. I'm usually one of the youngest moms in my playgroups. And I've had strangers think that I was the babysitter numerous times. I am the only one my age whom I know with children. Most of my before-children friends have drifted away, which is fine with me, since we really don't have much in common anymore. Except my best friend, who I think still enjoys hanging around with me because she adores kids and she has two nieces that are the Mermaid's age, so we have "playdates" and take the kids to the mall, etc. She is now engaged and wants to start trying to have kids as soon as the wedding is over. But sometimes, I wonder how my life would've been different if I didn't have children, if I had waited a little longer. This thought kept popping up repeatedly last night due to a conversation I had with my best friend. It went something like this:
BF: Oh, great news! Fiance and I are going on a cruise! We just kind of decided last minute to book one, I can't wait!
Me: That's great! Hang on, I have to change a diaper.....OK back.
BF: Oh, and did I tell you? We're looking at a house in town and we plan on moving into our own house by February!
Me: That's great! Hang on, the Guppy just spit up all over me....OK back
BF: We had so much fun last night! We took his bike out all over town and hit up a few bars! What a night!
Me: That's great! Hang on, the Mermaid just flushed my makeup down the toilet....I'd better call you back....
Did I mention that it takes me an hour of planning in order to get the kids to the grocery store, so I could never dream of spontaneously booking a cruise? And did I mention that we moved out of our own apartment and into my mom's house two years ago because we had so much debt we couldn't afford to save for a house while paying rent? And did I mention the last time I went out on the town hitting up bars, I was barely legal? And did I mention I am usually in bed by 9pm?
Yup, so I was definitely sitting sorry for myself while I sat down to play with the girls and watch tv, knowing that meanwhile my friend is out having the time of her life in her no-children-yet body.
And then the Mermaid comes up and hugs me, kisses me on the cheek.
"Lub you" she says
And the Guppy looks up at me, smiles, and coos in that special way that she will only do for me. I pick her up, kiss her on the head, and breathe in that new baby smell, which she miraculously still has.
No, come to think of it....I wouldn't trade this life in for anything.
BF: Oh, great news! Fiance and I are going on a cruise! We just kind of decided last minute to book one, I can't wait!
Me: That's great! Hang on, I have to change a diaper.....OK back.
BF: Oh, and did I tell you? We're looking at a house in town and we plan on moving into our own house by February!
Me: That's great! Hang on, the Guppy just spit up all over me....OK back
BF: We had so much fun last night! We took his bike out all over town and hit up a few bars! What a night!
Me: That's great! Hang on, the Mermaid just flushed my makeup down the toilet....I'd better call you back....
Did I mention that it takes me an hour of planning in order to get the kids to the grocery store, so I could never dream of spontaneously booking a cruise? And did I mention that we moved out of our own apartment and into my mom's house two years ago because we had so much debt we couldn't afford to save for a house while paying rent? And did I mention the last time I went out on the town hitting up bars, I was barely legal? And did I mention I am usually in bed by 9pm?
Yup, so I was definitely sitting sorry for myself while I sat down to play with the girls and watch tv, knowing that meanwhile my friend is out having the time of her life in her no-children-yet body.
And then the Mermaid comes up and hugs me, kisses me on the cheek.
"Lub you" she says
And the Guppy looks up at me, smiles, and coos in that special way that she will only do for me. I pick her up, kiss her on the head, and breathe in that new baby smell, which she miraculously still has.
No, come to think of it....I wouldn't trade this life in for anything.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Disgusting Baby Products
There are some baby products out on the market that I find disgusting. Now, I find a lot of baby products are OK as long as they are not abused. For instance, the car seat bucket for infants, the binky, etc. But there are a few that I find disgusting just for their purposes. There is the classical hands free feeding system, because God forbid someone actually have to hold their baby while feeding him or her. And now, there is this:
The Flying Falcon Infant Car Seat Carrier
Oh come on, you can't be serious. Ever hear of a sling? ::insert eye roll here::
The Flying Falcon Infant Car Seat Carrier
Oh come on, you can't be serious. Ever hear of a sling? ::insert eye roll here::
Epidurals and Breastfeeding
I saw this article in the news lately that I thought was very interesting. According to the study:
epidural anesthesia was significantly associated with difficulty breastfeeding in the few days after birth and with partial breastfeeding in the first week after delivery. In addition, the 416 women who had epidurals were twice as likely to completely stop breastfeeding before six months compared with women who used no analgesia, after controlling for maternal age and education. Seventy-two percent of women who had no analgesia were breastfeeding at 24 weeks compared with 53% whoreceived pethidine or epidurals containing bupivacaine and fentanyl (an opioid).I personally feel that they are onto something here. I chose to have a homebirth with the Guppy because I didn't like the way the epidural and other pain meds I received during the Mermaid's birth effected both her and I. The Mermaid would not wake up for the first 48 hours to eat, which the nurses told me was normal with babies whose mothers had received epidurals. When she finally would wake up to nurse, we did have some nursing problems that resulted in trouble with weight gain. Thankfully, with some perseverance and the help of LLL, we were able to overcome these issues and continue to have a successful nursing relationship. So, to those women who received an epidural during labor, do you think it affected your nursing relationship at all?
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Children and Toys
This past Friday while I was at my midwife's house, the Mermaid really enjoyed herself playing with the other children and with the toys that my midwife had around the house. My midwife is a really cool person, and very into natural and healthy things. I noticed that all the toys she had in her home were wooden toys or knitted toys....no plastic, no loud songs or voices, no constantly flashing bright lights. I noticed that this kept the mommy discussion going quite nicely, as we didn't have to yell to be heard over the toys. I also noticed that the Mermaid seemed to enjoy these types of toys more than her own! Rather than listen to what a hard plastic doll was shouting at her, she got to play with a soft, knit doll, and decide for herself what the doll would say. I couldn't believe I never realized how imaginative she really is, and I guess it was because the lights and sounds of her plastic toys really limited her. Then when I was looking for news to post about, I found this interesting article about how some toys can actually inhibit the child's learning process. Thus, I decided to start slowly switching over to wooden and other "natural" toys. For the Guppy's Christmas present we bought a couple wooden toys, and I also knit this:
I plan on making three more balls, a little bigger than this one, with all different colors. And I am also in the process of knitting the Guppy a stuffed pig. So, what do you think about toys these days? Do you prefer the more high tech toys, or the more basic and natural toys?
Monday, December 11, 2006
Cloth Diapering
This past Friday I went to a Mother's Tea hosted by my midwife. The topic of the meeting was babywearing and cloth diapering. There were three pregnant women there and also other children. The Mermaid really enjoyed herself, although she did fall down some steps and got a bloody nose. My midwife couldn't get over how big the Guppy had gotten and loved holding her.
It was really fun to sit down with other like-minded women and discuss cloth diapering. In our experience, we first started using cloth diapers to save money. When we discovered all the other benefits, we decided not to switch back to disposables, even when though we could now afford it. It really amazed me that I prefer cloth over disposable, and it really makes me think of finding alternatives to other disposable products, and how those alternatives can help to lessen the impact on the environment that our disposable society causes.
Here are some links about the cloth vs. disposable debate in general:
The Top Ten Myths About Cloth Diapering
The Disposable Diaper Myth
The Cloth vs. Disposable Debate
So to those mommas out there who use cloth, why did you start and would you ever go back to disposable?
It was really fun to sit down with other like-minded women and discuss cloth diapering. In our experience, we first started using cloth diapers to save money. When we discovered all the other benefits, we decided not to switch back to disposables, even when though we could now afford it. It really amazed me that I prefer cloth over disposable, and it really makes me think of finding alternatives to other disposable products, and how those alternatives can help to lessen the impact on the environment that our disposable society causes.
Here are some links about the cloth vs. disposable debate in general:
The Top Ten Myths About Cloth Diapering
The Disposable Diaper Myth
The Cloth vs. Disposable Debate
So to those mommas out there who use cloth, why did you start and would you ever go back to disposable?
Sunday, December 10, 2006
James Kim, a Hero.
The Heroism of James Kim, by Scott Simon
Even in a week that's filled with bombings and poisoning investigations, for many people the saddest moment in the news was when Brian Anderson, an Oregon sheriff, had to turn away in tears as he announced that James Kim's body had been found.
"I'm crushed," he said. "He was a real superhero."
Mr. Kim and his wife Kati, their daughters -- 4-year-old Penelope and their 7-month-old baby Sabine -- were stranded in their car in a heavy snow after making a wrong turn onto a logging road west of Grant's Pass, Ore.
The Kims lived in San Francisco, where James Kim worked for a tech news Web site. His family owned two boutiques and a coffee shop where he stopped each day, buying a double latte in the morning and a frappe that he brought home to his wife each night.
They were driving home from Thanksgiving in Seattle, and missed a turn when snow began to fall; and their car got stuck.
The logging road they turned down should be blocked off by a gate in November, because it's considered hazardous in winter. But authorities said yesterday that vandals apparently cut the lock; and the gate was open.
For a week, the Kims huddled and ate berries, baby food and crackers. After a few days, they had to burn their tires to keep warm, and to try to attract attention. When they ran out of food, Kati Kim, who is still nursing their baby, breast-fed 4-year-old Penelope, too.
In these times of mobile phones, instant messages and global positioning satellites, it is hard to imagine that you can be lost and out of reach anywhere in the United States. Many news accounts have tried to imagine the pain, cold, hunger and fright the family must have felt -- the excruciating uncertainty, day after day, as they weren't found and couldn't know that hundreds of people were searching for them.
What might have been hardest for James and Kati Kim was to see and hear their children suffer.
So after a week stuck in the wilderness, and no sign of rescue, James Kim decided that a father has to do whatever he can to save his family -- or die trying. He struck out to try to find help. Hungry, weak, and wearing only street clothes, James Kim, a city boy from San Francisco, walked and crawled for ten miles over sharp ledges, through bristling forests and swam through freezing creek waters.
Two days after he left, Kati Kim and their daughters were found. Their health is good. But two days after that, James Kim was found dead in a ravine, of exposure.
So much of modern popular culture depicts parents who are goofy, foolish, clueless and slightly pathetic. Almost every parent is certain they would risk their life for those they love; James Kim actually made that sacrifice.
As Joe Hyatt, a member of the rescue team searching for James Kim, told reporters this week: "He must have been an extremely amazing individual. I would only hope I could do the same for my family."
:'(
Even in a week that's filled with bombings and poisoning investigations, for many people the saddest moment in the news was when Brian Anderson, an Oregon sheriff, had to turn away in tears as he announced that James Kim's body had been found.
"I'm crushed," he said. "He was a real superhero."
Mr. Kim and his wife Kati, their daughters -- 4-year-old Penelope and their 7-month-old baby Sabine -- were stranded in their car in a heavy snow after making a wrong turn onto a logging road west of Grant's Pass, Ore.
The Kims lived in San Francisco, where James Kim worked for a tech news Web site. His family owned two boutiques and a coffee shop where he stopped each day, buying a double latte in the morning and a frappe that he brought home to his wife each night.
They were driving home from Thanksgiving in Seattle, and missed a turn when snow began to fall; and their car got stuck.
The logging road they turned down should be blocked off by a gate in November, because it's considered hazardous in winter. But authorities said yesterday that vandals apparently cut the lock; and the gate was open.
For a week, the Kims huddled and ate berries, baby food and crackers. After a few days, they had to burn their tires to keep warm, and to try to attract attention. When they ran out of food, Kati Kim, who is still nursing their baby, breast-fed 4-year-old Penelope, too.
In these times of mobile phones, instant messages and global positioning satellites, it is hard to imagine that you can be lost and out of reach anywhere in the United States. Many news accounts have tried to imagine the pain, cold, hunger and fright the family must have felt -- the excruciating uncertainty, day after day, as they weren't found and couldn't know that hundreds of people were searching for them.
What might have been hardest for James and Kati Kim was to see and hear their children suffer.
So after a week stuck in the wilderness, and no sign of rescue, James Kim decided that a father has to do whatever he can to save his family -- or die trying. He struck out to try to find help. Hungry, weak, and wearing only street clothes, James Kim, a city boy from San Francisco, walked and crawled for ten miles over sharp ledges, through bristling forests and swam through freezing creek waters.
Two days after he left, Kati Kim and their daughters were found. Their health is good. But two days after that, James Kim was found dead in a ravine, of exposure.
So much of modern popular culture depicts parents who are goofy, foolish, clueless and slightly pathetic. Almost every parent is certain they would risk their life for those they love; James Kim actually made that sacrifice.
As Joe Hyatt, a member of the rescue team searching for James Kim, told reporters this week: "He must have been an extremely amazing individual. I would only hope I could do the same for my family."
:'(
Saturday, December 09, 2006
My body is a beach...
One of the sites that I visit regularly is The Shape of a Mother. It's a fantastic site to which real woman with real bodies submit pictures of said bodies. The pictures are beautiful, the mothers are beautiful. This site has really made me appreciate my body since I have started to read it. Anyways, this particular entry is so beautifully written it brought tears to my eyes, so I thought I would share it. Enjoy!
Holiday Shopping, HO HO HO
Tonight the Knight and I took the girls out to go Christmas shopping. We're lucky because the Mermaid is still young enough where she doesn't fully understand the concept of Santa, so we can take her shopping with us without ruining any surprises. We didn't get all our shopping done, but we did make a big dent. For the Mermaid, we got ponies for her to play with, fabric for a Dora pillow that I am going to make, a Dora toothbrush as a stocking stuffer, a pink Patriots football fleece, and other small toys. For the Guppy we got some wooden toys, some rattles, and clothes. I am also going to knit her some balls to play with and I started to knit her a pig, but I'm not sure if I will finish it in time. I also hope to start sewing her pocket diaper soon.
On the way home we put in some Christmas music, and I got to listen to my favorite Christmas song, Old City Bar. Tomorrow we will be busy putting up our Christmas decorations and wrapping presents!
On the way home we put in some Christmas music, and I got to listen to my favorite Christmas song, Old City Bar. Tomorrow we will be busy putting up our Christmas decorations and wrapping presents!
Friday, December 08, 2006
Holiday Gatherings
It's been a while since I posted what the fam has been up to.
This past weekend we went to the IL's Christmas party, for my MIL's side. It was a lot of fun. Tons of kids running around, raffles, a Santa, gifts being given out, good food. The Mermaid had a blast, running around and playing with the other kids and with Grandpa. She wanted nothing to do with Santa, however. 
She looked at him, terrified, the whole time!
The Guppy was more relaxed when it came for her turn.
Notice how her hot pink Fuzzi Bunz clashes with....well, everything else? ROFL!
Nothing else has been going on, really. We've just been trying to get our Christmas shopping done. We hope to finish it up this weekend and we are also going to put up our tree and decorations.
That's all I can think of right now. In the meantime, I leave you with the newest family pics. Click on the pic below to see the whole set.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Trajedy :o(
A sad update to the story of the Kim family. Today searches located the body of the father. CNN has the full story with video.
This is so incredibly sad. I was really hoping they would find him a live. The Kim family will be in my thoughts and prayers.
This is so incredibly sad. I was really hoping they would find him a live. The Kim family will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Amazing Story
In the past few days there has been an amazing story in the news about the Kim family. As you may recall, they were stranded during a snow storm in their car on a rural road for nine days. When they ran out of food, the mother kept her two children, seven months and four years old, alive by breastfeeding. The mother and two children were eventually found, but they are still searching for the father, who had left the car to go look for help.
For me, this story is both amazing and heartbreaking. Heartbreaking, of course, because they have yet to find the father. Amazing, because she managed to keep her children alive through breastmilk. It makes me wonder about all the "What If's?" Although I normally don't like to dwell upon the What If's, this story does make me think of them. What if the baby had been formula fed? What if they ran out of formula? What if? I can't even imagine being trapped in a car, freezing, with two young children. It must have been terrifying. I have great respect for this mother, who managed to stay calm and hold things together for her children. This story makes me very thankful that I breastfeed. If my family, God forbid, ever had an emergency like the one the Kim family experienced, it is good to know that I won't have to worry about formula, that I will have all my baby's needs with me.
Please send prayers/vibes/good thoughts to this family, that the father is found and that they full recover from their terrifying experience.
For me, this story is both amazing and heartbreaking. Heartbreaking, of course, because they have yet to find the father. Amazing, because she managed to keep her children alive through breastmilk. It makes me wonder about all the "What If's?" Although I normally don't like to dwell upon the What If's, this story does make me think of them. What if the baby had been formula fed? What if they ran out of formula? What if? I can't even imagine being trapped in a car, freezing, with two young children. It must have been terrifying. I have great respect for this mother, who managed to stay calm and hold things together for her children. This story makes me very thankful that I breastfeed. If my family, God forbid, ever had an emergency like the one the Kim family experienced, it is good to know that I won't have to worry about formula, that I will have all my baby's needs with me.
Please send prayers/vibes/good thoughts to this family, that the father is found and that they full recover from their terrifying experience.
Monday, December 04, 2006
In the News
Well lately there have been some interesting stories in the news. I found this article written for a conservative newsletter that is very much in favor of nursing in public. From the article:
I also found this hilarious opinion piece in which the author responds to several comments against the Gillette family (who, you may recall, were kicked off an airplane for breastfeeding) and nursing in public in general.
And for good measure, here are one or two more articles on the nurse in at Delta ticket counters.
And here is a hilarious video about the flu shot, its ingredients, and people's reactions.
In other Lactivist news, Senator Krueger has introduced the Breastfeeding Mother's Bill of Rights. The Bill was introduced into the New York Senate and outlines rights of Breastfeeding Mothers, and also those women who are pregnant and planning on breastfeeding.
And, just because it's Monday and we can all use a good laugh, a funny breastfeeding video.
Think about it. We’ve got people out there in the world who are offended by Christmas decorations, religious symbols, music, literature, movies, free speech (if they don’t agree with the speaker) and even the act of eating meat. What are
we supposed to do? Should we just stay at home, keep our mouths (and shirts)closed and read books about how to be more sensitive to others?
And now an arrogant flight attendant has chosen to be offended by the simple act of a mother feeding her child in the most natural and healthy way. What’s next? Seriously folks – we’re reaching a point in which just about anything we do or say runs the risk of offending someone else.
I also found this hilarious opinion piece in which the author responds to several comments against the Gillette family (who, you may recall, were kicked off an airplane for breastfeeding) and nursing in public in general.
And for good measure, here are one or two more articles on the nurse in at Delta ticket counters.
And here is a hilarious video about the flu shot, its ingredients, and people's reactions.
In other Lactivist news, Senator Krueger has introduced the Breastfeeding Mother's Bill of Rights. The Bill was introduced into the New York Senate and outlines rights of Breastfeeding Mothers, and also those women who are pregnant and planning on breastfeeding.
And, just because it's Monday and we can all use a good laugh, a funny breastfeeding video.
Friday, December 01, 2006
Patience is a Virtue...
...and it's one virtue that I simply lack. I really do not have any patience. I'm one of those people who have a million unfinished jobs sitting around the house, because of the fact that I don't have enough patience to finish a job. When I want something made, I want it made now. This is why I am so horrible at sewing. Pinning fabric together? Nah, takes too long. Pressing fabric? Nah, takes too long. And then I wonder why everything I sew comes out horrible. But I digress...the real reason I am writing about my problem with patience has to do, suprisingly, with potty training.
Lately I've been finding myself becoming more and more impatient with the fact that the Mermaid is not yet potty trained. This leaves me to do something that I swore I would never do - compare my child to other children. My impatience leads me to think to myself, as I am changing the Mermaid's diaper, "So and so's child is potty trained. Why isn't the Mermaid?"
Now, I also swore to myself that I would never push my child into doing something that she wasn't ready to do. Thus, my belief in child-led weaning and the fact that the Mermaid will remain in our bed until she decides to move into her own room. I have no problem giving little nudges to help my child along, but I refuse to push them before they are ready. So, while I haven't done anything to push the Mermaid into potty training, I have tried to nudge her into it. I bought a sticker chart for when she does use the potty, I've read books to her about it, I've bought her Dora underpants, etc. But so far, she is content to remain in diapers, much to my ever-increasing dismay. She has shown signs of being ready to use the potty....for instance, she does like to sit on the potty, but doesn't actually use it...she will run and tell us when she has a dirty diaper so that we can change it, etc. But if I ask her if she wants to use the potty she wants nothing to do with it.
We are also getting a lot of comments from family members, which certainly doesn't help. You know, the usual, "She's over two years old, she has to be potty trained" (Although I would love to be shown the law that states once a child is two years old they must be potty trained @@). People I've spoken to say, don't push it, one day she will just decide that she wants to use the potty. They tell tales of how their child just one day up and decided that diapers weren't for them and never looked back. This would be my ideal situation with the Mermaid, but agian, my impatience is driving me to wonder if she will EVER just decide that diapers aren't for her anymore.
I guess I just have to sit back and remind myself that the time will come. She won't be in diapers for the rest of her life. In the meantime, does anyone out there have any tips? Am I going about this all wrong? Is there a better way? Or am I just a lazy parent who isn't putting enough effort into the process? For those parents who were in my situation, please give me assurance that my daughter will not be in diapers when she is five or even four...a little assurance will do me a lot of good right now...
Lately I've been finding myself becoming more and more impatient with the fact that the Mermaid is not yet potty trained. This leaves me to do something that I swore I would never do - compare my child to other children. My impatience leads me to think to myself, as I am changing the Mermaid's diaper, "So and so's child is potty trained. Why isn't the Mermaid?"
Now, I also swore to myself that I would never push my child into doing something that she wasn't ready to do. Thus, my belief in child-led weaning and the fact that the Mermaid will remain in our bed until she decides to move into her own room. I have no problem giving little nudges to help my child along, but I refuse to push them before they are ready. So, while I haven't done anything to push the Mermaid into potty training, I have tried to nudge her into it. I bought a sticker chart for when she does use the potty, I've read books to her about it, I've bought her Dora underpants, etc. But so far, she is content to remain in diapers, much to my ever-increasing dismay. She has shown signs of being ready to use the potty....for instance, she does like to sit on the potty, but doesn't actually use it...she will run and tell us when she has a dirty diaper so that we can change it, etc. But if I ask her if she wants to use the potty she wants nothing to do with it.
We are also getting a lot of comments from family members, which certainly doesn't help. You know, the usual, "She's over two years old, she has to be potty trained" (Although I would love to be shown the law that states once a child is two years old they must be potty trained @@). People I've spoken to say, don't push it, one day she will just decide that she wants to use the potty. They tell tales of how their child just one day up and decided that diapers weren't for them and never looked back. This would be my ideal situation with the Mermaid, but agian, my impatience is driving me to wonder if she will EVER just decide that diapers aren't for her anymore.
I guess I just have to sit back and remind myself that the time will come. She won't be in diapers for the rest of her life. In the meantime, does anyone out there have any tips? Am I going about this all wrong? Is there a better way? Or am I just a lazy parent who isn't putting enough effort into the process? For those parents who were in my situation, please give me assurance that my daughter will not be in diapers when she is five or even four...a little assurance will do me a lot of good right now...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
