Thursday, September 30, 2010

Last Day of September

LIVERPOOL, UNITED KINGDOM - JULY 18:  A figure...Image by Getty Images via @daylife

A big ship sails on the alley, alley-o
the alley, alley-o
the alley, alley-o
A big ship sails on the alley, alley-o
on the last day of September

Good-bye September, hello October
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Friday, September 24, 2010

Non-stick cookware linked to high cholesterol in Children

NEWARK, NJ - AUGUST 13:  A mans finger is pric...Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Check out this study on PFOA and it increase LDL or bad cholesterol

For news like this follow me on Twitter MommaBrookie
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leaps and bounds

Breastfeeding offers benefits for both mother ...Image via Wikipedia

It seems to me that Liv jumps steps. She barely said momma last week, today she has mastered it, plus is now saying my sister's name, Allison. It is crazy to me that my little 13 month old said "auhlithson" twice!
She is also climbing down a flight of stairs.
She also is getting better at learning to "ask" for things. She started handing me books to read to her.
It just amazes me how quick they grow.
I love watching her develop and see her personality shine. She is such a tender loving child. She gives plenty of kisses and hugs and loves to twirl my hair. Liv is such a cuddle bug. I love our cuddle time and love that she is still nursing. It is just the best feeling when she looks up in my eyes and smiles and strokes my skin while she nurses. Sometimes I even get butterflies.
She just has such a funny personality too. On the news today when they played Katie Perry and the infamous Elmo scene Liv starts shaking her hands and wiggling her body to the beat. She loves music and loves dancing, even though she can't even stand alone she dances sitting very well.
I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful daughter. I am grateful for everyday we have together and ever tender moment we share.
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Monday, September 20, 2010

Cry it Out study

Crying babyImage via Wikipedia

Should you leave your baby to cry, does it help them or hurt them, well according to this study it can make your baby susceptible to future anxiety disorders and impede your babies future abilty to respond to stress.
People are consitantly being told by doctors, their peers, parents and other well meaning people to just let their baby cry to help them sleep. That its good for them and will help, which in the short term it often does help the baby sleep, but what about the long term. People aren't told that it may effect their child in the future. cry it out is generally seen as safe and harmless. But really ask any mother how painful it is to hear you child scream and cry and think "is it really harmless if all my instincts say this is wrong." Now studies are showing that our instincts are probably right.
I just hope that people think twice before starting sleep training and do some research on the topic before just leaving their baby to cry.
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Sunday, September 19, 2010

My Fall Promise

Fall in BrekkeparkenImage via Wikipedia

I vow to fill my home with natural scents of the season.

I love the smell of apples and spice, pumpkin and hot tea, but this year I will not fill my home with the scents from candles. I will not allow the air in my home to be polluted with the toxins many candles give off.
I will bake, cook and bring fresh flowers into my home.
I will help my home feel like the fall season and make beautiful memories for my child, that envoke all of her senses.
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Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Weekly Rhythm

Overview of biological circadian clock in huma...Image via Wikipedia

Shortly after I had Liv I decided we needed some structure to our week, to help us get things done. I am the eternal procrastinator and can let my life fall to chaos pretty quickly. When I let things fall to that I can not think and get nothing done. To prevent this I created a weekly routine for us. This goes along with Steiner and rhythm in your life.
Monday: Market-this is the day we go to the grocery store
Tuesday:I keep Tuesday pretty open to do other cleaning or to do errands.
Wednesday: Wash-laundry day, changing the linens, and changing the towels in the bathrooms and kitchen (I do that when needed but also atleast once a week on Wednesday)This is also our garbage day. Well the pick up is early in the morning on Thursday so Wednesday we empty all the garbages.
Thursday: Baking day
Friday: Floors-this day I vacuum, mop and do other household cleaning.
Saturday: Fun day
Sunday: Church, relax other fun stuff. We usually have a nice big Sunday dinner.
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Monday, September 13, 2010

how bad are antibacterial soaps?

Logo of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ...Image via Wikipedia

Check out the link on triclosan, that is in the post heading, which is in most antibacterial soaps.
It really makes you think what does the FDA do to protect us when they allow things like this that they admit the long term effects are not even know.
Personally I avoid it in my home and use triclosan free hand washes and dish soaps. Usually I use method soaps. In my home.
What the article does not mention are the negative effects that antibacterial soaps have on the environment too. They kill good bacteria that fish and other water life need to live. It messes with the ecosystem and the delicate balance of nature.
Just another product to avoid, but it can be done very easily, which is what makes me angry. Why can't companies make soap with out it since many companies out there are not using it?
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Friday, September 10, 2010

Fall is Here

Autumn StreamImage by digitalART2 via Flickr

I love the Waldorf philosophy of rhythm with the seasons. My father owned a flower shop growing up and I lived across the street from a farm so I was always very aware of the changing seasons. Different flowers, crops, scents, tastes I still can recall so many of them. So much of this is now missed for many children. You can get apples all year round, pumpkin pie in June, and a Yankee candle smelling like Autumn leaves.
I really feel its important to go with the natural rhythm of the seasons. I feel it is better for us in many ways, its green to eat seasonally, it helps with our own natural rhythm and not work against it and it also can create many great memories for your child. There are many great books out there that have some good ideas on how to create rhythm and create your own family traditions.
I am so excited to start new traditions with Liv. On of the first is to go apple picking. I am luck to live in an area with lots of farms. I can't wait to pick the apples, then bake many apple dishes to enjoy, smell the pies cooking through out the house and to warm up my home with the lots of baking.
Fall isn't offically here, but in Jersey is summer ends after Labor Day and we have had some nice cool Fall weather already. We are enjoying walking in the cool weather and playing in the falling leaves. I am also reading Fall poems to Liv.
I am excited to start some great fall traditions for Liv and keep a nice family rhythm.
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Friday, September 3, 2010

Helping Liv get through this sleep regression

I had to implement the No Cry Sleep Solution back with Liv since her nights have got so bad.
In an ideal world I wouldn't have to worry about her night time seperation anxiety getting to her. I would love to be co-sleeping still, but with my husband and I both being poor sleepers we were actually disturbing Liv too much a night. So the next best thing for me would be to hsve her crib in my room, but my room in way too small for that. So we are stuck with her in her own room and having to work through seperation anxiety.
Many parents books say go in, check on them, if nothing is wrong let them cry and they will stop. As some one who as panic attacks and anxiety I could never let my paniced daughter just scream and cry. I know how horrible anxiety feels, like your heart is going to jump from your chest, like you might sufficate, like the world is spinning out of control. I can not let her go through that alone.
When she first started to have these night wakenings she was very paniced, shaking and screaming. I would immediately go to her, pick her up and rock her or nurse her back to sleep. This is also the first phase in the NCSS. We already have used her plan before so some of the other pre-steps we already have. Liv sleeps with a snoedel that I wore to make it smell like me. She also sleeps with a Seahorse that plays soothing music.
We also have key words.
Next after about 2 weeks of doing this Liv was still waking a lot, but not as paniced so I felt it was time to go on the phase 2. This involves not picking her up, but using soothing pats to get her back to sleep, while she is still in her crib. We have been doing this now for about 2 weeks and are moving on to phase 3. Phase 3 is comfort with out pick ups. This does not work to well for Liv so I modified it for her. That is one of the things I love about the NCSS. It is not a strict program that you must follow to a tee. You have flexability so you are able to do what feels right to you.
This, to me, is what is wrong with most Cry It Out programs. There is no flexabilty. You must follow the program, no matter what, or they claim it will not work right. No matter how hard or long your child cries you either check on them at timed intervals (Feber Method) or just leave them to cry alone (extinction method).
Our modification of phase 3 goes like this, when Liv stands up and goes to the side of her crib and cries out for me I immediately go in and first check to see if anything is wrong. If not I lay her on her belly or side (she is over 1year) put on her seahorse, tell her its night-nights and leave the room. I leave the door open and the door to my bedroom is open. The doors are right across for each other so she can peak into my bedroom. Then if she continues to cry I wait a min or so. How long I wait depends on how she is crying. If she is wailing I go right back in. Then I repeat. Since she has been weaned to this gently this whole process so far as not lasted more then 10 min, usually closer to 5. With the Ferber method she would have been left to cry the whole time. With this method, yes there is some crying, but I reassure her, give her some love with a hug or some words and let her know that momma is here in something is wrong, but right now you just need to sleep. At anytime she is too upset I stop the "training" and either nurse her, rock her or bring her in bed with me. This is a huge no-no in other methods. But I use my momma instincts to guide the way of getting her to sleep. Also if she is just whinning I leave her be, unless she stands up. For Liv that is her "I need you"
One good point Pantley makes in her book that children do make noises in there sleep. Sometimes they even cry, so give them an minute to resettle themselves and see if they really need you. This is why I love having a video monitor. When Liv cries I usually check it first. If she is not standing she usually cries out, grabs her pacifer or she snoedel and is right back asleep.

This way takes a lot longer then sleep training. I have been doing this for weeks now when most sleep training books say it takes several nights or so to get results. But to me I could not take hours of her crying. It doesn't feel right and it just hurts me so I can't imagine how Liv must feel. This was she is eased into sleeping right and I am seeing good results.

As a parent I feel much more comfortable with this method then any cry it out method. I also just feel that it would not work well with my child. She is stubborn at this young age. I feel she would cry forever till I gave her some attention.

And really what is wrong with giving you child attention when they cry? No contrary to popular belief that it will not spoil your child or teach them to cry for attention, as long as you child is getting positive attention. It will teach them that my mom and dad care, and will respond to my needs, love me uncondionally and help them be more secure and independent in the future
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Thursday, September 2, 2010

Tylenol and Asthma

CHICAGO - JUNE 30:  Tylenol PM is sold over-th...Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Well shortly after blogging about Liv's eczema I came across this article (see link in title) about acetaminophen use linked to asthma and eczema. Well I use tylenol sometimes for Liv's teething. I will be cutting down on this greatly and only use it for a fever, or maybe even switch to baby motrin or a natural product like Hylands.
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My adventures being a new, more natural and nurturing momma.: Twitter

My adventures being a new, more natural and nurturing momma.: Twitter

http://twitter.com/MommaBrookie

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Twitter

Follow me on Twitter for news on mothering, breastfeeding, green and natural parenting and anything I think might be of interest.
@ MommaBrookie

Eczema oubreak for Liv

Eczema versus Fingerprints 2009Image by maz dot nu via Flickr

Where I live we are in a heatwave. Monday we spent the day at the Delware river, swimming, playing, and sweating. Well when Liv sweats it gets in her little baby rolls and then her eczema comes on. It was just about completly gone before this too.
My poor baby has been scratching it too, so now its all red and irritated.

I am not one to just go right for the hydrocortisone cream to treat. I try to avoid using it unless it is really bad and she is really scratching.
It is a steriod cream, just knowing that makes me want to limit Liv's exposure to it. I do not like the idea of putting a steriod cream on my baby's skin.
I try to avoid the heat and water when she has an outbreak. So right now we are relaxing in the air conditioning. I also sometimes apply a hypoallergenic and fragrance free moisturizer to help with the healing. This works pretty well.
When ever liv comes down with anything I look for a more natural way to treat her with out going right to drugs.
This makes me feel better, knowing that I am not exposing her to so many chemicals.
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