Thursday, April 30, 2009

Happy Half Birthday!








Bishop is 6 months old today! Time is flying by and each stage that he enters into is more and more fun for me. He has had a busy month and has alot of new milestones to share about. He is rolling over, around and everywhere and I swear that he is trying to crawl. He can scoot himself around on his belly and is trying to push off with his strong little legs. He is sitting up by himself which is funny to see because he looks so much older when he does that. The milestone that got to me most was him cutting his first tooth. Something about feeling that little tooth in his mouth made me so emotional.


Friday, April 24, 2009

Before April comes to an end I wanted to mention that it is Autism Awareness month and also Cesaeran Awareness along with Earth Day this month. It's a busy month! Sadly I was unable to join my fellow tree huggers at Centennial Park for a celebration because I was working but I try to make everyday earth day by recycling, using cloth diapers, energy efficient bulbs, buying locally when I can and bathing every other day to limit water use. Okay so I'm not doing that just to limit water use but mainly because Bishop won't always allow me to have time to shower. When you get a chance take some time to educate yourself on Autism which is a rapidly growing epidemic and watch The Business of Being Born to see why so many women are getting c-sections now. Don't watch it a week before you go in labor like I did. It made me even more nervous about my decision to get induced. Had the doctor not thought that I was carrying a ten pound baby and had I not been a week late I would have let him come naturally which I wish I had. My delivery was a wonderful experience thankfully but knowing what I know now the next one might just be born at home in my bathtub!

Sunday, April 19, 2009

New Camera!!!







*This last one has way too much flash but is still cute!



So I finally bit the bullet and bought a new camera! My i phone hadn't been doing too shabby of a job and they were honestly better then my other little camera but I'm capturing images that I want to last a lifetime so I thought that it was time to step it up a notch. Now I'm in the Canon Rebel club and I couldn't be happier about my newest purchase. Here are some test shots that I've taken. Keep in mind that I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. I have a lot to learn about ISO, white balance and all that other jazz but I am a very eager student and I have an excellent subject to practice on!



Friday, April 17, 2009

Got Breastmilk?


Below is a great article that my sister forwarded to me from http://www.mothering.com/ . We are both big breastfeeding promoters and know what an important decision it is to make for your child. The benefits from breastfeeding will last a lifetime for your baby and for you too. Not only is it something that you can do to ensure the health of your baby but it is a beautiful way to bond with them. I personally was breastfed until I was three and plan to continue breastfeeding Bishop until he is two or three. Don't get me wrong it was not always been such a great experience. For the first two weeks it was the worst pain I've ever experienced, yes even worse then childbirth. Everytime he would latch on I would have to hold back tears but after two weeks the pain left and I was able to enjoy bonding with my new baby. There is nothing more amazing then watching your baby thrive and grow and knowing that it is because of your milk. I hope that every new mother will educate herself on all of the benefits and make a decision to atleast give it a try for the first six weeks. This is when the baby receives colostrom which has antibodies to protect them from diseases and viruses. God thought of everything when he prepared our bodies to carry a new life. If you want more information or need help with breastfeeding contact your local La Leche League. They have experienced people who can come help you or you can attend a meeting to learn more and if you decide to not breastfeed atleast know what your giving your baby. Formula can have some nasty chemicals in it like perchlorate which is the main chemical in rocket fuel. Yummy, huh?



Nursing by Numbers: How Breastfeeding Boosts the National Economy By Olivia CampbellWeb Exclusive, April 2009
Forget about retail therapy, breastfeeding is an economic stimulator that's completely free. According to USDA research, infant formula-feeding exacts a toll on national pocketbooks.
"Breastfeeding and the provision of breastmilk exclusively for the first 6 months? promises the United States improved health of both its citizens and its economy," the US Breastfeeding Committee said in response to the USDA report.
Most people understand how nursing benefits baby's health and parent's finances, yet few people realize the extent to which breastfeeding benefits the mother's health and how this all spells savings for the entire nation.
Research shows breastfeeding decreases the incidence and/or severity of the following illnesses in childhood (and in many cases also into adulthood):- Ear infections- Bacterial meningitis- Respiratory infections and viruses- Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) - Asthma - Allergies (nasal and skin)- Urinary tract infections- Gastrointestinal infections- Diarrhea- Lymphomas, leukemia and Hodgkin's disease - Autoimmune thyroid disease - Type 1 and type 2 diabetes - Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease - Necrotizing enterocolitis- Multiple sclerosis - Obesity- Bacteremia- Celiac disease- Botulism- Pneumonia- Lung disease- High blood pressure- Anxiety/stress- Bed-wetting- Nearsightedness- Increased intellectual, developmental, and cognitive aptitudeFor the nursing mother, breastfeeding can help protect against the following diseases:- Breast cancer - Ovarian cancer- Uterine cancer - Thyroid cancer- Type 2 diabetes - Osteoporosis - Lupus- Rheumatoid arthritis- Obesity
In 2001, the USDA concluded that if breastfeeding rates were increased to 75 percent at birth and 50 percent at six months, it would lead to a national government savings of a minimum of $3.6 billion. This amount was easily an underestimation since it represents savings in the treatment of only three of the dozens of illnesses proven to be decreased by breastfeeding: ear infections, gastroenteritis, and necrotizing enterocolitis.
"Choosing to give your baby formula results in an increased risk for ear infections, for diabetes, for leukemia and so on. We as a nation need to understand that it is not that breastfeeding lowers the rate of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), but that choosing to feed an infant formula increases his risk of sudden infant death syndrome," said Stacy Kucharczk, a certified lactation consultant and pediatric nurse.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2008 breastfeeding report card found that since 2000, breastfeeding of newborns has increased from 64 to 74 percent, and from 29 to 43 percent at six months. However, at one year, only 21 percent of babies continue to be breastfed. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends breastfeeding for at least one year. The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for two years.
The AAP says each formula-fed infant costs the healthcare system between $331 and $475 more than a breastfed baby in its first year of life. The cost of treating respiratory viruses resulting from not breastfeeding is $225 million a year.
"Insurance companies should realize that covering a home visit by a board certified lactation consultant would result in significant healthcare savings down the road," said Kucharczk. "Savings in the short-term for decreased pediatric health care visits for common acute illnesses, such as ear infections, gastrointestinal illnesses, and upper respiratory infections to name a few. Savings in the long-term from lower rates of chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, asthma, certain types of childhood cancers, and obesity—as well as lower rates of premenopausal breast cancer and ovarian cancers in the mother."
Health benefits for the nursing mother include a reduction in risk of many cancers and other serious diseases, during and after lactation. The key to achieving the maximum benefit to the baby, mother, and the economy appears to be extended breastfeeding, which is nursing for more than just six months or one year.
"We need to help mothers understand that extended breastfeeding does matter," Kucharczk said. "I often point out to mothers that the studies demonstrating the benefits of breastfeeding often show a dose-related effect, as in some breastmilk is good, but more is better."
Lactation duration and breast cancer risk are inversely related. The longer a woman breastfeeds the less likely she is to get pre- or postmenopausal breast cancer, even with a family history of the disease.
Re-examination of data from 47 international studies found that for every year a woman breastfeeds, she reduces her risk of breast cancer by an average of 4.3 percent. The risk is reduced a further 7 percent by simply having a baby.
For example, if you had three children and nursed them each for two years, your risk for breast cancer would be reduced by 46.8 percent. In fact, one study found that women who've nursed for six years or more reduced their risk of breast cancer by as much as a 63 percent.
The multi-study report estimated that breast cancer rates could be cut by more than half if women increased their lifetime breastfeeding duration. The National Cancer Institute reported the national expenditure on breast cancer treatment in 2004 was $8.1 billion, meaning extended nursing could save upwards of $4 billion a year.
For each year of breastfeeding, a woman decreases her chances of getting type 2 diabetes by 15 percent, reported a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2005. So if we consider the woman from the aforementioned example, in her six years of breastfeeding she's earned a 90 percent reduction in her risk of developing diabetes.
The National Institute of Health estimates that between 10 and 11 million American women have type 2 diabetes. The estimated cost of their treatment and lost wages is roughly $78 billion a year. This expenditure could be cut drastically by increased extended nursing rates.
For the national Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), supporting a breastfeeding mother costs about 45 percent less than a formula-feeding mother. Every year, $578 million in federal funds buys formula for babies who could be breastfeeding.
A year of purchasing formula can cost a family between $700 and more than $3,000. Many women who go back to work soon after giving birth might think the expense of formula is worth the convenience. The extra medical issues of formula, for mother and child, make the cost more than monetary.
For employers, formula-feeding results in more health claims, more days off for sick children, and decreased productivity. It benefits employers in the long run to provide a time and place for mothers to pump breastmilk. A few minutes off the clock is more than made up for by the lifetime of health enjoyed by nursing babies and mommies.



Bishop the Bull


Here is a picture of Bishop the Bull! Look close he's dark and a little hard to see but was so cute. I tried to crop his mama out...she was taking care of some personal business that was a little too national geographic for this blog. Oh and one of Mammy and Pa's cow had a calf yesterday that they named Melissa. How sweet, now I'm really in the family!


Monday, April 13, 2009

I've been having so much fun making blogheaders on scrapblog! The one that is on here now is special because we affectionately refer to Bishop as an owl. Right before he was born we had a screech owl that would sit on our neighbor's roof every night and make the loudest craziest noise you've ever heard. The first time I heard it I thought that a cat was dying. Then when Bishop was born he screamed so loud that he sounded just like that screech owl to us.

Louisiana




*This is the finished post. My niece and nephew came over and one of them must have published it early. Little stinkers!

Last week we went to Louisiana to see Jeremy's family. We had a great time seeing everyone. Alot of them had not even seen Bishop before. They all agreed that he looks just Jeremy's dad and that he is fat, not Jeremy's dad but Bishop. We spent alot of time at Mammy and Pa's house. Bishop even had a calf named after him. The last day we were there one of their cows gave birth to a beautiful black calf and they named him Bishop. I loved being out in the country. It was so peaceful there. It makes me want to find some land, live in an old farmhouse, get some animals and plant a garden. Ahh I can picture it now.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

40 days with our Savior

I have reflected more on the resurrection this Easter than any other one before. In the past I've learned more about His death (I'm good on the history channel's crucifixion special for awhile) and not as much about what happened after He was risen and His resurrection is what truly is significant to me. This is what sets Him apart from anyone else. Everyone dies but only Jesus was Risen from the grave!
This year I feel like my eyes have been opened to the scripture and I drink it in like I've never read it before. Passages are revealed to me that I've never noticed. Like John 20:21-23, it says that after being resurrected Jesus appeared to the disciples and breathed on them and said "Receive the Holy Spirit" it gives me chills to think about how utterly amazing it must have been to have been breathed on by Jesus.
He continues to reveal Himself to the disciples for forty days and they watch as he ascends up to heaven in a cloud....I'm sure another amazing moment. The bible only gives us a glimpse at what happened in those forty days. I wish I could know all the details of what they experienced. John 21:25 says "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." Maybe when I get to heaven I could interview the disciples. Probably not though. I'm sure they have some kind of V.I.D room that I won't be allowed into.
(For those of you who didn't get my sad attempt at a joke V.I.D. stands for "very important disciples." I know I'm a dork.)

Wednesday, April 8, 2009


Free dog to a loving home. Favorite things to do are to eat pacifiers, diapers(especially dirty ones) and toys then refresh himself with a nice cool drink from the toilet bowl. Also loves to lay on clean sheets and clothes and drool a strange black saliva on them. He has a slight gas problem and bad breath but is very lovable. Please contact me with any interest.