Saturday Snuggle: Sickness & a Safari?

What a week it's been at our house!

Last Saturday Killian began running a fever and it eventually progressed to 106*F. We spent much of last Saturday and Sunday --and Monday, too, actually-- snuggling. Snuggling on the couch, in the bathtub as I tried to cool him down, in the pediatric emergency room as I consented to x-rays, blood work, and a cath to obtain a urinalysis.

That last one tore me up inside. The doctor assured me he wouldn't be retracted, and when I said 'ok, because I don't want to chance creating any adhesions" , she replied that "it" was "adheared"... I think we were talking in circles a bit, but the point was understood.

Charlie Banana

I was lucky enough to test out a Charlie Banana 2 in 1 diaper. They sent me a beautiful hot pink diaper, with both disposable and washable inserts. First thing I noticed about this diaper was that the pocket opening is located in the front. I love this! I have diapers similar to this style, but the opening is located in the back. I think this is fairly common. I appreciate the front opening mainly because I have boys. I find I can cater to their wet zone more easily with stuffing from the front.

Put your money where your mouth is

Photo credit: Danielle Moler (Flickr)

My family and I do not buy Nestle products.  This means we no longer lay a finger on Butterfinger and our kids are opting out of membership in the Gerber generation.  It's not always easy with such a huge product list to boycott, but we feel that it is a decision we must make.  Our boycott of Nestle stems primarily from being part of the lactivist community, but this is a cause that should be promoted by breastfeeding and formula feeding families, and well, everyone else with a conscience. 

Connected Christmas Spotlight: Julian & Co. (Giveaway)

Best Keepsake for a Nursing Mom: Julian & Co.


Every mother deserves something to commemorate and celebrate her nursing relationship with her child.  When I began my look for a nursing necklace that was practical, beautiful, and well-made, I was delighted to find Julian & Co, a jewelry store specializing in engraved silver keepsakes for mom and baby.

Julian & Co. started when owner Tania and her husband could not find a keepsake ID bracelet to fit their miracle preemie Julian.  Tania designed her own and people took notice and the rest is history.

Time Management for Professional Moms (Guest Post)

Photo credit: Alan Cleaver (flickr)

If you’re a stay-at-home mom, you know that it’s not just a way to spend your time every day. It’s a full-time job, and that requires a strategy for managing the small number of hours you have to accomplish a large number of tasks. What’s more, you aren’t just obligated to get your work done satisfactorily – you also nurture your family, taking time out of your busy day to talk and listen. Time management doesn’t mean scheduling every minute of your day in painful detail, although some people are more comfortable with that approach. The majority of moms just want to get through the day with the accomplishments of running all the errands, keeping the house clean and organized, and being there for the family. You can do that and, best of all, squirrel away some time for yourself by following these time management tips for busy moms.

'Where has the week gone' Wednesday

This week has been a blast... starting with Halloween on Sunday, no school for Chloe Monday or Tuesday... and suddenly it's Wednesday!

I've been working on cleaning out our playroom (donating, storing, and tossing toys), the girls' room (so many clothes!!!) and the bathroom closet (too much makeup!).

It Doesn't Work That Way

Fear. It is everywhere. It is on TV where you see commercials for safety and how to protect your family from others. From the flu shot being commercialized to car accidents to show how well car insurance works, we see how every day we could die from something.

Then you add in the fear surrounding birth, which is an entirely different animal.

When people hear about my job working with a homebirth midwife, they love to tell me why they couldn't have a homebirth. Most times it deals with "emergencies" which aren't emergencies, or how homebirth is dangerous, but most of them end with "but my baby/I would have died if we hadn't been in the hospital!"

Humanizing Healthcare: Maternal Care and Choice

It is strange to me that when discussing the issue of health care reform, I'm often met with morbid statistics regarding cancer outcomes in European countries and told I have to pay to have the best health care system in the world. I'm not getting into the subject of cost today, because that is an entirely different Pandora's box. Today I want to focus on the strange compulsion to view this debate as a worst case scenario twisted into a best case scenario situation. It seems those that oppose universal public health care think a strong argument against socializing medicine is to cite how it will affect our ability to receive care for life threatening forms of cancer and other diseases. This is something to ponder. I could get into an argument about access to care and cost and preventative medicine, but many others have done so more eloquently than I. Instead I thought I would approach this from a less cynical and morbid viewpoint.