Baseball today

Talk about one proud, super excited boy today! He waited all week for this day to arrive....his first Little league baseball game! He was very nervous about where he would be placed on the field but the coach moved them all around for each inning so he was in several different positions. He only got to bat twice and the first time he struck out :( The second time around though he hit it straight up the middle and made in to first! He ended up on 3rd base when the inning was over so he was disappointed he couldn't run home.

He even got to be the catcher for one inning....he thought that was pretty cool. It was beautiful outside today too. A couple of times this week we got weather in the 60's with no humidity so the week was very pleasant to be outside. Today was a bit warmer but still nice and sunshiny :)

add on

I just wanted to add....I do not in anyway think that those who choose to formula feed are uneducated or ignorant....I think that dr.s and money and formula companies do not have the best interest of babies in mind period. I know there are a TON of reason that moms choose not to breastfeed and to each their own...this post is more about the deception involved in this scenario.

China and breastfeeding

Formula in China....my rant for the week

Now I don't live in China and know nothing about their advertising/marketing, etc. BUT I do know that the formula companies and the way they are touting formula as being superior to breastmilk is killing babies at an alarming rate. FOUR infants have died recently, 13,000 have been hospitalized, and tens of thousands are seeking medical care. Why? Because as one new mother was quoted, "I fed my baby powdered milk because ads said it was more nutritious then breastmilk. We trusted that the government would provide adequate tests to ensure food quality." Ha! Most of the dairy companies making the formula KNEW that the formula was making babies sick and what was done? Nothing.

Poor, poor, Chinese parents. BUT not just in China, it happens everyday in the good ole United States. If you happen to watch any kind of TV during the day, it is guaranteed you will see a commercial for formula....if you read any kind of family/parenting/kid magazine, you will see several ads for formula (and the best yet....they have hired hunky Ty Pennington to be a spokesperson! HELLO??? He is NOT even a parent!!! How stupid do they think women/moms are? Buying a product based on the hunky qualities of the person in the ad? Seems stupid to me but then again I'm blond, what do I know (tic))

Anyways, back to the ads...every single one of them states at the bottom or in a soft voice during the commercial, "Breastmilk is best, ask your doctor" Soooooooo, you ask your Dr. usually when you are sleep deprived, scared shitless of the little screaming ball of redness you have been handed as your own, and asking for any help your nice-know-everything doctor can give you. He of course oh how so convenient hands you a sample of formula! Here, this will help you! AHhhhhh, it's like receiving a miracle in a can! But really?? Is it?? He gave you that can of formula not to be nice and to be a hero and save the day, but to get kickbacks from the formula companies....nice lunches, nice gifts, travel opps, you name it, they buy it for the nice Dr. who hands out their formula all day long. He doesn't want to help you and your gift from God, he wants to destroy any chance you might have of keeping a breastfeeding relationship going. He wants to make sure that you go out and buy that formula and keep padding the pockets of the company so they can pad the pocket of the dr.

I get so tired and aggrevated with doctors and formula companies and their holier than thou additudes that they know best and they can supply the best. No, you can not. No one can even come close to the purity and quality and health benefit properties that breastmilk can...not even close. They say DHA and brain this and eye that and they have all these great ingrediants that will make your baby better, but no my friend, I am sorry, you can not touch breastmilk with a ten foot pole. Even just "one bottle" can do irreversible damage.

Add this to the babies now dying in China and of course Africa but I can't even go there today.

China used to have a breastfeeding rate of 76%...now it's 47%.....I can only hope and pray that this whole fiasco will scare them enough and push that rate back up to where it belongs.....Babies were born to be breastfed, it is their right, please don't deny them that.

#100

This is post #100 for me!!! Too bad it's gonna be such a sucky post :P

I have been in a funk this week. I have a sinus infection and have had the same general feeling of being overwhelmed beyond comprehension for the past few days. I feel very hormonal and extremely tired and just can't get satisfaction out of my days right now. So I am going to post some good things going on for me and our family to hopefully see the light shining through my murkiness of blahs.

Ian had his 6 month WBV on Tuesday and is 20 lbs 14 oz and 26.5 inches long....with a huge head! He is perfect and growing so well all on mama's milk. We did start vaccinations for him, he got hep b and dtap and we will only being doing 2 at a time at each visit. So far so good on no reactions. I love my ped. also, no pressure, no lectures, he just knows I am well educated on the subject and have done the same schedule before with my other whittles so all is well. See you back in 3 months :) He must be going through a growth spurt right now because he is waking again like a newborn. Most night before I go to bed, he wakes up at least 3 times screaming. Then he is up again throughout the night. That is a reason I am so tired now everyday! His nice long 2-3 hour nap stretch during the day is also gone. I knew it was too good to last.

For my weigh in at weight watchers this Monday I was down 2.6 pounds for a 23 pound total weight loss! I have really revved up my exercise routine adding a lot of incline to the treadmill(which is kicking my ass!). I am scheduling a 6 week session with a personal trainer so that I can get a more solid routine going. I am only spending 45 minutes at the gym and I think I need to increase that a bit but Ian only lasts for so long in the nursery. We go first thing when they open so there won't be a lot of kids but he is still really needing a morning nap right at that time so 45 minutes is the max he gives me now! Ava loves going there, it is her version of school :)

I have a sinus infection...BUT this has allowed me to go to the chiropractor twice this week! When I went on Tuesday I got an hour massage and then my adjustment (but he couldn't really get my hips aligned.) So I started feeling pretty bad today with the pressure feeling like it was gonna blow my nose right off my face! I got in and they did a laser facial therapy which is supposed to help with inflammation and then I got one hell of an adjustment (with a different chiro in the office). My hips and neck popped in so many places and he even got my elbow and wrist which have been acting up. I told him about my ears/eyes/face just under extreme sinus pressure so he did what he could...hopefully it will feel a little bit more cleared up in the morning. I have been drinking a boatload of water today and doing sinus rinsing with the neti pot so something gotta work!

Tomorrow is Friday! YAY for no homework! Seriously, Johnny is in first grade and the homework is hell and so time consuming. I don't remember this when I was 6/7? He is doing very good in his class and even got Terrific Kid for this month for his class. He went on TV in the morning for recognition and his award. He is so proud and that just made Madeline want one too...she will probably get it in the next couple of months, she's a good student and I can tell the teacher already loves her!

Little League fall ball starts on Saturday! Johnny is super excited to start playing baseball, he has become so obsessed with the game in the past couple of months. He has to watch the Rays play every night and he even got the go to a game last night with John, PopPop, and a neighbor friend. Luckily they are #1 this season so far so he has been very proud of them and is knowing all the players by name.

Tonight I was invited to a fashion show/dance recital put on my the girls in their room. John built a window seat for the bay window when we first moved into the house and it has become the perfect stage for all their performances, singing and dancing alike. Rascal Flatts was the music of choice and watching them up there just brought tears to my eyes at how blessed I am to have them, all of them. Of course the song selection made me emotional too, the whittles know it mainly from a wedding we went to in CT 2 years ago next month. They remember that trip so fondly with the cold weather, beautiful fall leaves, hot apple cider, and apple picking in a rain storm. Anyways the song was the father/daughter dance and just thinking about Ava and Madeline dancing one day with their daddy just makes me so emotional!

I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you wanna go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile.
But more than anything, more than anything...

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but you never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
And always give more than you take.
But more than anything, yeah, more than anything...

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

So there you have it, my emotional roller coaster ride of a week. And writing it down did help me feel better! It actually showed me where I've been this week and has given me permission to feel the way I do!

And I have next week to look forward to....Grey's Anatomy, CSI, The Biggest Loser, Private Practice...a reason to watch TV again!!

Friday

The girls were putting on a concert on my bed! Madeline was singing while Ava was dancing/falling all over. They are not allowed to have feet on the bed unless they are sleeping OR there are no sheets on it. I couldn't yell at them though because they were so proud of their concert! There is a mirror above my dresser that they can only see themselves if they stand on the bed....so I let it slide.

Madeline has recently said that she wants to be a singer when she grows up! Good for her, I have zero talent in that department!

AND bugga bugga has been getting up on his knees and rocking! WHAT?!! Note: he does not suck on pacifiers but uses them as a handy chewing device.

I broke his concentration with the flash, oops

And I DO have another child, he is just hard to get pictures of. At this time he was outside in our front yard playing baseball with the neighbors. I will add more pictures of him next time :)

Also note to oneself....I hate cleaning the bathrooms, put it off as long as possible hoping that my imaginary maid will show up for work and do it for me...for free. I HAD to clean the kids' bathroom tonight and scrubbed their tub and sink with some bleach product(I think soft scrub?). I inhaled so many of those nasty fumes that I have been borderline high/nauseated the rest of the night. I use the Greenworks stuff in my kitchen and like it but didn't know if it would be strong enough for a tub/sink/toilet. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a more gentle/non toxic bathroom/tub cleaner that won't leave me feeling like I just snorted a capful of bleach. Thank you for any suggestions!

Thursday Pictures-Ian

Catch up time

It's been a busy week so I am trying to catch up and add some pics. John was off for the last three days which was awesome and we got some great stuff done. Monday (Labor day) having him off for an actual holiday was quite a change and very much appreciated. It never did rain on us like it was supposed to so we went swimming and out to lunch then had a cook out. Tuesday we did a bunch of cleaning around the house and outside so yesterday we took off and took Ava and Ian to the zoo. It was a great time and both kids had a great time. Ava is not quite sure what to make of having us to herself and is still always asking when we can get Johnny and Madeline!

My 2 little men :)

Check out the chunk on those thighs! See the giraffe in the back?

For some reason Ava really wanted to see the zebras so here they are! (and another giraffe!)

Tiny baby monkey eating "mommy boobies"

And I could have sat here the entire day and watched this mama with her newborn! Look closely and you can see her little head coming up for a break from eating. She was only born a month ago http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/aug/07/baby-orangutan-latest-member-lowry-park-nursery/ and they were the sweetest 2 to watch. FWI, a monkey will nurse for up to 5 years :)

Madeline showing off one of her birthday presents, a Belle outfit.

The whole crew after the Build A Bear Party. Madeline said it was the best party yet! Ava of course had an Ariel bear, Johnny had a Rays bear, and Madeline had a ballet panda :)

My Little Pony Cake

And my boy is "SOOOO Big!"

This girl is thinking pretty hard!