Carseats are a big soapbox, passion, obsession - whatever you want to call it - of mine. Lately, I've seen a lot of carseats being used improperly. A while ago, I posted this on Prayer of Hannah about carseats. I wanted to do another post that highlighted common mistakes parents make. This list comes from an article I first read in Parents magazine, April 2009. I thought it was VERY well written and I was able to find a copy online here.
I've added the RED to show what I think to be THE MOST common mistakes that I see amongst my friends. I also added some italics. Please, check and recheck how you're using your carseat. Even experienced parents need to be reminded of these things. Jacob and I still get our carseat manual out almost everytime we have to move a carseat.
And for those wondering - yes, Adeline is still rear facing at almost 20 months. Will was rear facing until about 20 months as well. Most commonly, I get suggestions from folks worried that they will break their legs in a crash. I simply reply with - I would rather have broken legs than broken necks. There is no evidence to show an increased likelihood of breaking limbs during a collision. There IS evidence showing that children under 2 are more likely to suffer spinal cord injuries when forward facing versus rear facing. Here is a great summary of the evidence on rear-facing.
Feel free to ask me any questions about car seats. I have spent an enormous (bordering on too much!) amount of time reading about and researching car seats. And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not think I am judging you or your recent blog post including a picture of your new car seat. :) I simply want to help spread information to parents in order to keep our babies as safe as possible!
TOP CAR SEAT MISTAKES
Harnessing your INFANT:
1. Placing your baby in the front seat.
The force generated by a deployed front airbag can severely injure or kill a child. Buckle her into the safest spot in your car: the center of the rear seat. A recent study conducted at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia found that kids seated there were 43 percent less likely to be injured in a crash than those who rode in the side seats. However, any position in the rear is safer than in the front.
2. Using the wrong anchors.
The LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) system allows you to attach the seat to metal rings in some cars' rear seats without using the seat belt. But not all cars have anchors in the middle. To install your car seat in the center, make sure you're not using the anchors for a window seat by mistake. If yours doesn't have center anchors, use the seat belt instead.
3. Not getting a tight-enough fit.
The seat shouldn't be able to move more than an inch from side to side. When tightening the LATCH straps or seat belt, put your knee in the car seat and push down to help you pull them as tight as possible. You should adjust the harness straps so that you can't pinch a fold in the fabric. "If your child can move forward at all, there is a risk that he could whip forward during a crash and injure his head or spinal cord," says Dr. Durbin.
4. Positioning the harness straps too high.
When your baby is rear-facing, adjust the straps so they're threaded through the slots at or below his shoulder level, says Jennifer Stockburger, vehicle and child-safety program manager at Consumer Reports' Auto Test Center, in East Haddam, Connecticut. Otherwise, she could be injured or ejected in a crash. (Although not included in this list; the opposite is also often overlooked. Positioning the harness straps too low when foward facing. Forward facing children should have the shoulder straps AT or ABOVE shoulder level. If they are below, the child will not be secure in a collision. If the child's shoulders are above the last strap slot - then they have outgrown the carseat.)
5. Adding padding.
You can't tighten straps snugly if you cover them with cushy pads, wrap your baby in a blanket or a thick coat, or use seat pads that aren't designed for the seat.
Harnessing your TODDLER:
1. Turning the seat too early.
If you have a convertible seat, your child should ride rear facing until he's reached the maximum rear-facing limit of the seat (generally 30 to 35 pounds). (The AAP recently stated a new minimum of two years should be used for rear facing. The previous recommendation was 1 year or 20 pounds.)
2. Not cinching the harness tightly.
The fit should be so snug that you can't slip a finger between your child's shoulder and the strap (or pinch the fabric of the straps).
3. Using the LATCH system and a seat belt.
You're not getting double the protection. "The two have never been tested together, and it's possible that using both could injure your child in an accident," says Walker.
4. Skipping the tether.
Fifty-five percent of parents make this dangerous mistake, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The tether secures the top of the car seat so it's installed tightly enough.
5. Securing the chest clip in the wrong spot.
It should cross your child's chest at his armpit level. If it's too low, the straps might slip off; when it's too high, the clip could injure his neck.
BOOSTERS:
1. Giving up the booster too soon.
NHTSA surveys show that only 37 percent of children ages 4 to 7 were riding in a booster seat in 2007. Most states have booster-seat laws (which parents often ignore), but many only cover kids up to age 7. (Likewise, I would add "Giving up the 5-point harness too soon." 5-point harnesses are much safer than booster seats and there is no reason to rush into a booster seat other than convenience.)
2. Using the lap belt only.
If you skip the shoulder belt, your child's upper body could jerk forward so violently in a crash that her head may strike her knees or she may suffer severe internal injuries.
Tough Conversations
Posted by | Monday, October 26, 2009 at 5:00 AM
It’s my turn to start off our week with a new topic. This week’s topic is Keeping Kids Safe. When I was assigned this topic I thought I really wouldn’t be able to post on things that would relate to moms in the states because our “safety” where we live is much different than in the states. Actually, on a day to day basis in our country I feel my kids are much safer than in America. But that’s not what I am going to post about. I decided I would post a little on other types of safety measures we can take as our children grow older in this ever changing sinful world.
I am going to break this safety post into two categories:
1. Movies/TV
2. Friends
Movies/TV- We do watch TV and we do watch movies in our household. But we do have a safety guard for both. I don’t know if you know this or not but just because a show is a cartoon or just because a movie is advertised as a children’s movie does NOT mean that is true! :)
TV…Know what your children are watching! I am sure many of you have had the experience of walking in the room while a cartoon was playing and hearing cuss words, rude language, or even back talking children to their parents. We watch a show with our kids several times to make sure there are not attitudes, words or actions that we would not want them to mimic. If something does come up, we talk about it. We say things like, “Oh wow! That little girl is not respecting her mom and dad. We don’t act like that at our house, do we?” And then, we don’t make a huge deal about NEVER watching that show. We just find something else for our kids to do during that time…a fun chore is always an option. :) (side note: Don’t just leave emergency numbers with your babysitter. Make sure any babysitter you have is aware of what you allow your children to watch.)
Movies…This gets more complicated as children get older. Our oldest is 13 now and there is always a fine line about what she can and cannot see. We use a website called www.pluggedinonline.com to screen movies before we allow her to go and see them. Now, this is where it gets tricky. By the time our children are 13 they are not under us at all times…sometimes they are at parties and sleepovers. There have been times when our daughter has informed us when she got home about what movies she watched. These have not always been my choice of movie for her but we talk about it and deal with the issues that came up in the movie. (side note: Don’t panic or go bananas when your child tells you they saw something you wouldn’t necessarily approve of (unless you have specifically told them not to watch something)…calmly talk about it and use the conversation as a teaching time just like when they were little.)
Friends…When I was in the 3rd grade a friend of mine gave me a picture of a naked girl lying on top of a van. I took that picture home to my mom. She said, “Where did you get this picture?” I told her who gave it to me. She said these words that I will never forget, “Stacey, this little girl is going to be trouble as she gets older. You can be nice to her at school but you will not go to her house and she will not come here. This is not someone that you are going to be good friends with. Do you understand me?” That girl did turn out to be BIG trouble and as I grew up I was so glad my mom didn’t let me “hang out” with her.
KNOW your child’s friends and their families! We teach our children to be a friend to all but they know there are boundaries to each friendship and we are very open about the why’s and why not’s. Open conversations about details such as sexual touching, inappropriate language, disrespectful words and actions to adults, drinking and unapproved TV/movies are important in our house. We try not to sugar coat things and try to keep it real with our kids. That doesn’t mean we have the same conversation with our 13 year old and our 7 year old. We have learned we have to tweak these conversations for the age differences.
For example, our middle daughter has a friend who always demands her way with her parents. We talk to Madison about this attitude. We say, “Madison, we don’t talk like ________. That is not how Jesus would have us treat our parents.” Again, as they get older the conversations get “stickier” and more complicated and might I add, HARDER! Our 13 year old traveled to the states without us this past summer. Before she left we had some real “heart to hearts” with her. She’s a great kid and loves Jesus so much but we knew she would be confronted with many things. We were very open about topics such as sexual touching, revealing clothing, movies, etc….They were tough conversations to have but we felt it was necessary and it was what God desires for us to do with our children….”Train them in the way they should go…” All in all, we try not to lay down legalistic rules with our children. We tell them daily to “just love Jesus with all your heart in all you do and say.”
Many times it makes me mad to have to have these conversations with my kids. But we live in a fallen/sinful world and we are sinful people, so it is what we must do. Jesus desires to be glorified in all we do…let’s glorify HIM in how we choose to keep our kids safe in the sinful world in which we live.
What about you? Do you have open conversations with your kids? Did your parents keep a tight lip with you and allow you to figure things out on your own? Give us your wisdom on the kinds of conversations that go on at your house!
I am going to break this safety post into two categories:
1. Movies/TV
2. Friends
Movies/TV- We do watch TV and we do watch movies in our household. But we do have a safety guard for both. I don’t know if you know this or not but just because a show is a cartoon or just because a movie is advertised as a children’s movie does NOT mean that is true! :)
TV…Know what your children are watching! I am sure many of you have had the experience of walking in the room while a cartoon was playing and hearing cuss words, rude language, or even back talking children to their parents. We watch a show with our kids several times to make sure there are not attitudes, words or actions that we would not want them to mimic. If something does come up, we talk about it. We say things like, “Oh wow! That little girl is not respecting her mom and dad. We don’t act like that at our house, do we?” And then, we don’t make a huge deal about NEVER watching that show. We just find something else for our kids to do during that time…a fun chore is always an option. :) (side note: Don’t just leave emergency numbers with your babysitter. Make sure any babysitter you have is aware of what you allow your children to watch.)
Movies…This gets more complicated as children get older. Our oldest is 13 now and there is always a fine line about what she can and cannot see. We use a website called www.pluggedinonline.com to screen movies before we allow her to go and see them. Now, this is where it gets tricky. By the time our children are 13 they are not under us at all times…sometimes they are at parties and sleepovers. There have been times when our daughter has informed us when she got home about what movies she watched. These have not always been my choice of movie for her but we talk about it and deal with the issues that came up in the movie. (side note: Don’t panic or go bananas when your child tells you they saw something you wouldn’t necessarily approve of (unless you have specifically told them not to watch something)…calmly talk about it and use the conversation as a teaching time just like when they were little.)
Friends…When I was in the 3rd grade a friend of mine gave me a picture of a naked girl lying on top of a van. I took that picture home to my mom. She said, “Where did you get this picture?” I told her who gave it to me. She said these words that I will never forget, “Stacey, this little girl is going to be trouble as she gets older. You can be nice to her at school but you will not go to her house and she will not come here. This is not someone that you are going to be good friends with. Do you understand me?” That girl did turn out to be BIG trouble and as I grew up I was so glad my mom didn’t let me “hang out” with her.
KNOW your child’s friends and their families! We teach our children to be a friend to all but they know there are boundaries to each friendship and we are very open about the why’s and why not’s. Open conversations about details such as sexual touching, inappropriate language, disrespectful words and actions to adults, drinking and unapproved TV/movies are important in our house. We try not to sugar coat things and try to keep it real with our kids. That doesn’t mean we have the same conversation with our 13 year old and our 7 year old. We have learned we have to tweak these conversations for the age differences.
For example, our middle daughter has a friend who always demands her way with her parents. We talk to Madison about this attitude. We say, “Madison, we don’t talk like ________. That is not how Jesus would have us treat our parents.” Again, as they get older the conversations get “stickier” and more complicated and might I add, HARDER! Our 13 year old traveled to the states without us this past summer. Before she left we had some real “heart to hearts” with her. She’s a great kid and loves Jesus so much but we knew she would be confronted with many things. We were very open about topics such as sexual touching, revealing clothing, movies, etc….They were tough conversations to have but we felt it was necessary and it was what God desires for us to do with our children….”Train them in the way they should go…” All in all, we try not to lay down legalistic rules with our children. We tell them daily to “just love Jesus with all your heart in all you do and say.”
Many times it makes me mad to have to have these conversations with my kids. But we live in a fallen/sinful world and we are sinful people, so it is what we must do. Jesus desires to be glorified in all we do…let’s glorify HIM in how we choose to keep our kids safe in the sinful world in which we live.
What about you? Do you have open conversations with your kids? Did your parents keep a tight lip with you and allow you to figure things out on your own? Give us your wisdom on the kinds of conversations that go on at your house!
Handmade Christmas Past and Future
Posted by | Friday, October 23, 2009 at 7:24 AM
I hope this post is easy to read - I wanted to put all of my ideas into one just to save time. Below are some Christmas gifts I have made in the past or plan to make this year. I love to make handmade gifts - but finding something that I can do and it still look nice enough for my recipient is difficult! Here are ones that I have done and therefore - anyone can do them!
Custom Sillhouette Pictures - This is on the to-do list for this year. Actually last year, but I ran out of time. The recipient loves the old antique looking sillhouette pictures and has a display in her house. She also happens to love my children (and I really hope she doesn't read POH!) so I'm going to make her one of each of my kids. While I LOVE the modern look of the one above (the pic and tutorial are found here, at Design Sponge), I'm going to make mine more antique looking with a black or gold frame to match her collection.
Celebration and/or Holiday Garland - The picture below is the birthday garland I made for my daughter's birthday (that now resides in her room). The picture above is from Pottery Barn Kids. In the past, PBK has featured a similar garland - made of felt - that spelled "Give Thanks" on the traditional triangle pennants like below. It gave me the idea to not only make birthday banners, but also fun garland for other holidays as well. I haven't nailed this one down yet, but I do think I will be making some gender neutral birthday banners this year. I may make a "holiday" one for myself and see how I like it. If it turns out - I'll consider giving holiday ones as gifts in the future too. The original instructions I followed (but modified slightly) are found here at Create.
Glass Magnets - I first made these at my craft club. The picture above shows one Christmas themed set that someone gave away during our gift exchange. Here is a list of tutorials on Not Martha, along with some CUTE pictures. Basically, we cut circles of cute paper and decoupaged them to the flat glass marbles (from the dollar store!). Glue your magnet on and, Voila! I decided to make sets of these using cute craft paper. I found decorative tins at Michaels and gifted them in sets of 6 or so. I love having mine on the fridge and if you get good magnets, they can really hold a lot!
Etched Glass - Again, I first did this craft at craft club. You will not believe how easy it is and you can see how AWESOME it can look! The "G" on the far right is the one I made for myself. I haven't decided who will be getting this for Christmas, but someone will! You can find the full tutorial here at Create. (Remember stores like Marshalls and Ross have a great selection of glass vases and hurricanes for etching!)
Key Fobs - I've detailed how to make these before here on POH. They did become a gifts for many last Christmas. So far, they are still holding up well!
Hairbow Holders - Again, I've given the instructions on these before on POH. But they were also given to four little girls last Christmas. I gave the one pictured above along with a new bow. Would be a cute way to start a bow collection for a young toddler (unless they are totally bald like my daughter!).
Wool Pants and Shirt Set - This was my gift last year for my youngest nephew, Sam. I had just learned how to make wool pants (which can double as a diaper cover when using cloth) out of old sweaters! I decided to make him a comfy set of wool pants and a hand painted shirt. The tutorial that is the BEST for making the wool (or fleece) pants is found here at DiaperSwappers. (You may have to make an account to see it - not sure.) I used a very old sweater made of really soft wool. I got a plain white t-shirt and used fabric paint to stamp "Sam I Am" on his shirt. Even if you didn't want to sew the pants - a personalized plain t-shirt can be so cute! I like to use those foam stamps with the fabric paint. It seems to work well.
Custom Sillhouette Pictures - This is on the to-do list for this year. Actually last year, but I ran out of time. The recipient loves the old antique looking sillhouette pictures and has a display in her house. She also happens to love my children (and I really hope she doesn't read POH!) so I'm going to make her one of each of my kids. While I LOVE the modern look of the one above (the pic and tutorial are found here, at Design Sponge), I'm going to make mine more antique looking with a black or gold frame to match her collection.
Celebration and/or Holiday Garland - The picture below is the birthday garland I made for my daughter's birthday (that now resides in her room). The picture above is from Pottery Barn Kids. In the past, PBK has featured a similar garland - made of felt - that spelled "Give Thanks" on the traditional triangle pennants like below. It gave me the idea to not only make birthday banners, but also fun garland for other holidays as well. I haven't nailed this one down yet, but I do think I will be making some gender neutral birthday banners this year. I may make a "holiday" one for myself and see how I like it. If it turns out - I'll consider giving holiday ones as gifts in the future too. The original instructions I followed (but modified slightly) are found here at Create. 
Glass Magnets - I first made these at my craft club. The picture above shows one Christmas themed set that someone gave away during our gift exchange. Here is a list of tutorials on Not Martha, along with some CUTE pictures. Basically, we cut circles of cute paper and decoupaged them to the flat glass marbles (from the dollar store!). Glue your magnet on and, Voila! I decided to make sets of these using cute craft paper. I found decorative tins at Michaels and gifted them in sets of 6 or so. I love having mine on the fridge and if you get good magnets, they can really hold a lot!
Etched Glass - Again, I first did this craft at craft club. You will not believe how easy it is and you can see how AWESOME it can look! The "G" on the far right is the one I made for myself. I haven't decided who will be getting this for Christmas, but someone will! You can find the full tutorial here at Create. (Remember stores like Marshalls and Ross have a great selection of glass vases and hurricanes for etching!)
Stationary, Mailing Labels, & more!
Posted by | Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 6:00 AM
How about giving some fabulous stationary that you didn't have to design or buy? It's not technically "homemade," but you are printing it off yourself on your own choice of paper and weight of paper too. Being a stationary fanatic, I would LOVE to receive this from someone.
Ez from Creature Comforts has a whole series of free downloads available, and they are all really well done. The first, an adorable stationery set that is really charming, having a linen look to the paper. The other download, (the two side photos) are these mailing labels, which are so cute and simple. How about for the family chef in your life? Try these bright and sunny printable recipe cards. Or for the teacher, business friend, or even teenager in your life, try this free printable cube perpetual calendar. How precious! Just download and print it off in colors that would suit the recipient. That website is chock-FULL of free quality printables! Just take some time to browse around the site.
If these gifts are right down your alley, I hope to hear of some of things you tried!
Statement Necklace
Posted by | Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 8:30 AM
When I saw this featured DIY craft on Refinery 29, I about flipped! This is genius!
Materials Needed:
1. Upholstery trim
2. Strand of pearls (or beads)
3. Suspender clips
4. Ribbon
5. Needle and thread
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Materials Needed:1. Upholstery trim
2. Strand of pearls (or beads)
3. Suspender clips
4. Ribbon
5. Needle and thread
How to:
1. Lay strand of pearls (or beads) on top of upholstery trim and use needle and thread to secure the pearls with small stitches. If you have a broken necklace lying around, this is a great project to re-use it for.
2. Attach suspender clips onto both ends of your necklace.
3. Loop ribbon through suspender opening.
4. Finish off necklace with a big statement bow knot.
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Teacher/Kiddie Presents
Posted by | Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at 2:39 PM
This is a great idea for your child's teacher, your own child's room, or for your child's friend. It could also serve as a birthday present too! This great idea is originally featured at Testosterone Times Three.
You can find a box of crayons and a frame at the dollar store. Print out your background with the teacher’s/kid's name, scripture, or any saying and create a monogram out of crayons, breaking them to get the right widths. I would hot glue the crayons on, pop in the frame, and you’re ready give a great homemade gift. You can also substitute other school supplies such as colored pencils or regular #2 pencils.
Project Estimate:
Frame, $1 (or use a frame you already have around the house)
Box of crayons, $1
Glue, on hand
Total: $2
Homemade Christmas Gifts
Posted by | Monday, October 19, 2009 at 10:47 AM
Hey POH Readers! Feels so good to be back blogging after the birth of our second daughter Mattie. It's a little challenging, hence the reason I'm late with this post, but I love POH and I love it challenges me in so many areas.
This week is dedicated to Homemade Christmas Gifts. I will post something new throughout the week. Today is a gift you can give early, around Thanksgiving or at the beginning of December, a homemade FRESH wreath. I love making these, for they are absolutey affordable and quality at the same time.
Disclaimer: Your fingertips will get black because of the sap, so definitely slap on some latex gloves. I didn't mind it too much because I wasn't headed anywhere, and my hands just smelt so good!
Step 1: Go to walmart in the " fake flower" section and buy a grapevine wreath. I couldn't find the grapvine wreaths in the Christmas section. This is the biggest secret to making the fresh wreath, because it's the grapevine wreath that gives you your perfectly round shape. The wreaths cost around $2.50 or $2.99, pretty good for something you can reuse every year.
Step 2: Wal-mart fabric: Skip on over to the by the yard section and look in their reduced "scraps" section. You won't need even a yard of material, so the scrap section is perfect for what you need. Just look for anything that looks Christmas-y. I found a green and bright red plaid material that was .44. I also found some shimery gold material and some maroon material. It was perfect. Even less than 1/4 yard will do.
Step 3: Wal-mart: While you're at Wal-mart, be sure you pick up a wreath hanger. They are hidden in Wal-mart too. They are around $2.00. They are in the wedding/scrap book/craft section, believe it or not. I didn't see any in the Christmas section. I've seen them in black or gold. I used gold because of my gold pieces of material and my bow.
Step 4: Do you have wire ribbon? At Michaels, I found a huge spool of 100 feet of wide, wire ribbon on sale for $3.99. Do you know how many ribbons you can make with that?!? You can get it at Wal-mart too. Just be sure that it's wire and wide. You will also need wire clippers and a spool of wire. These items will last year after year.
Step 5: Go to Lowes or Home Depot and ask where their free tree limbs are. There should be a box out front with "free" on it(at Lowes). If you ask them, they will bag up in a net the limbs that you want. The Lowes worker told me to take both HUGE boxes and of course, I didn't need them, but he did offer to bag up what I did want, using the same plastic net they put on your trees when you buy them. The fun part is that it's free!!!
Step 6: Once you're home, get out all of your needed materials(see list below) and find an open space in a garage or outside. You don't want to get sap on your carpet or rugs :
This week is dedicated to Homemade Christmas Gifts. I will post something new throughout the week. Today is a gift you can give early, around Thanksgiving or at the beginning of December, a homemade FRESH wreath. I love making these, for they are absolutey affordable and quality at the same time.
Disclaimer: Your fingertips will get black because of the sap, so definitely slap on some latex gloves. I didn't mind it too much because I wasn't headed anywhere, and my hands just smelt so good!
Step 1: Go to walmart in the " fake flower" section and buy a grapevine wreath. I couldn't find the grapvine wreaths in the Christmas section. This is the biggest secret to making the fresh wreath, because it's the grapevine wreath that gives you your perfectly round shape. The wreaths cost around $2.50 or $2.99, pretty good for something you can reuse every year.
Step 2: Wal-mart fabric: Skip on over to the by the yard section and look in their reduced "scraps" section. You won't need even a yard of material, so the scrap section is perfect for what you need. Just look for anything that looks Christmas-y. I found a green and bright red plaid material that was .44. I also found some shimery gold material and some maroon material. It was perfect. Even less than 1/4 yard will do.
Step 3: Wal-mart: While you're at Wal-mart, be sure you pick up a wreath hanger. They are hidden in Wal-mart too. They are around $2.00. They are in the wedding/scrap book/craft section, believe it or not. I didn't see any in the Christmas section. I've seen them in black or gold. I used gold because of my gold pieces of material and my bow.
Step 4: Do you have wire ribbon? At Michaels, I found a huge spool of 100 feet of wide, wire ribbon on sale for $3.99. Do you know how many ribbons you can make with that?!? You can get it at Wal-mart too. Just be sure that it's wire and wide. You will also need wire clippers and a spool of wire. These items will last year after year.
Step 5: Go to Lowes or Home Depot and ask where their free tree limbs are. There should be a box out front with "free" on it(at Lowes). If you ask them, they will bag up in a net the limbs that you want. The Lowes worker told me to take both HUGE boxes and of course, I didn't need them, but he did offer to bag up what I did want, using the same plastic net they put on your trees when you buy them. The fun part is that it's free!!!
Step 6: Once you're home, get out all of your needed materials(see list below) and find an open space in a garage or outside. You don't want to get sap on your carpet or rugs :
- fabric
- fabric scissors
- hand-held twig cutter (borrow one from your neighbor)
- wire cutters (or buy a spool of wire with the cutter attached)
- tree limbs
- grapevine wreath
Step 7: Stuff your cut limbs in one direction into grapevine wreath, meaning you want all of the limbs pointing in one direction all the way around the wreath, so you'll be turning your wreath one direction the whole time. No hot-glue gun needed. :) It's okay if you have crazy twigs pointing in all directions...you'll shape it up when you're done.
Step 8: Lay aside your wreath after stuffing it. Take out your fabric and your fabric scissors. Cut your fabric into 1" strips(wide) and about 4" long(I'm guessing). Not too long because you want the ties to be perky...no drooping allowed. You will feel like you can't tie them easily but it's the perfect length. My strips were too long at first and it didn't look as good. You can use one color, two colors dispersed separately all over the wreath or tie them together. I liked the look of tying two colors together in one knot. But then again, I liked the diversity of having two colors separately dispersed all over the wreath too.
Step 9: Making the bow. Either buy one or google bow tutorial. For now, just get your materials.
Step 10: Attach your ribbon bow to your wreath using the wire with which you made the bow.
Step 11: Shape up all of the straying twigs. You want some random twigs, but the bigger ones you want to clip off.
Ta-dah! You're now ready to hang it! Using your wreath hanger, hang your beautiful, fresh wreath up for all to see.
These make great gifts!!!
What Do I Wish I Had Known Before Giving Birth?
Posted by | Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 3:08 PM
How about oh-so-many things!
This list could easily be much longer than it is, but I figured this would be my top ten (in no particular order)!
To give some background, in preparation for our first birth, we attended the childbirth class at our hospital where we were to have our son, Keaton. After a very long (36 hour) labor (mostly back labor, 2 hours of pushing) ended up in a (very necessary, however emotionally gut-wrenching) c-section, I knew I had to be much more prepared for our next birth. I did all I could possibly think of to prepare for my un-medicated, VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) that was to follow 16 months later with my son, Benjamin.
--
1. I wish I had known how much having a doula would have helped in my first birth.
Not just for the physical labor, but emotional as well. I truly feel I would have had a c-section with Keaton, no matter what, due to his very short cord. However, a doula would have been able to help me with my back labor (and to tell me that an epidural might not help much with the back labor...because it surely didn't!) and to recall the information we learned in our class (as well as offering other valuable information to help us throughout labor and birth) that we totally forgot as soon as labor started! Also, if I had a doula, she could have helped me process through the emotional roller coaster I went through for months following Keaton's birth.
2. I wish I would have known how much my "care providers" would influence my labor and birth.
When I first became pregnant, I really wanted a natural birth, the closer labor time came, I was scared into getting pain medication as early as possible. If I had asked more questions early on, I could have quickly learned that I may not be getting the care I was desiring from them and sought out doctor's or midwives that would help me reach my goal and, as a first time mom, to not be afraid of labor and birth.
3. I wish I had known how easy it would be, in the throws of labor, to tell my provider what I wanted to do.
With Benjamin, I had to ask my midwife to leave the room at one point so I could re-focus on getting back to 'laborland' - she was more than happy to do this. I knew that it was so important to regain control over my labor that it was not hard to tell her I needed her to do this.
Later, my midwife had to step out of the room to be with another mom who was pushing, leaving me with the on-call OB (who was adamant about a repeat c-section) to assist in birthing my baby. I was able to have the labor and birth I (pretty much) wanted because I refused certain interventions when she mentioned them.
4. I wish I had known how much I really wouldn't care about anything when transition hit.
In preparing for my labor, my doula and I talked about many things, but two things in particular stood out.
First, she had told me that "many women who attempt natural childbirth end up naked." I laughed at her and said something along the lines of, "Yeh, like all the hippies in Ina May's book! I'm way too modest for that..." She said, "That's what I thought too, I'm just warning you..." Transition hit - everything came off and I did not care one little bit!
Secondly, we talked about vocalizing throughout the contractions. I told her I was not going to be "that loud woman in labor." My doula could tell I was having trouble focusing throughout some of the contractions after my midwife broke my water and suggested moaning through them, keeping the noises long and low, almost "song like." After a few minutes, I quickly learned that moaning was the answer - it was amazing and I didn't care who was around to hear me.
In the end, I didn't care that I was on my hands and knees, naked, moaning on a hospital bed, up (what felt like) 10 feet in the air for all the world to see. Imagine my surprise after Benjamin was born, I turned over to see him and was greeted with a room full of smiling nurses!
5. I wish I had known there were other books to read than, "What To Expect When You're Expecting."
I feel I would have been more prepared for my first birth reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, Henci Goer's Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth or Birthing From Within (and I could go on and on!)
What To Expect When You're Expecting is great for the medical side of it all, preparing you for tests and whatnot, but in preparing for an un-medicated birthing experience, I do not feel it compares to these other books.
6. I wish I had known what an incredible support my husband would grow to be throughout our 'birth journey'.
Before I went into labor with Keaton, he didn't want to see "anything" but, when my OB proclaimed that Keaton was crowning, he was checking for his sons' head!
In preparing for Benjamin's birth, he allowed me to share all my fears and concerns regarding a VBAC vs. a repeat c-section, and why I personally could not have another c-section. He insisted we seek out a doula (not because he was afraid he couldn't handle things, but to have one more person 'on our side'). He read Dr. Robert Bradley's Husband Coached Childbirth and insisted on practicing relaxation techniques.
During my labor with Benjamin, he stayed by my side the entire day while I labored at home and never left my side at the hospital. He kept me updated on the progress of Benjamin's arrival and whispered encouraging words in my ears. And, he shocked us all by agreeing to cut the cord.
Who knows what he'll do whenever #3 comes along!
7. I wish I had known beforehand, how empowered I would feel after pushing out that sweet baby.
I had read about it and heard about it, so I knew about it, but I definitely was not prepared for the overwhelming urge to take on the world! I can't even begin to explain this in any more detail - I just remember being floored at what my body had just done!
8. I wish I had known in my first pregnancy how a chiropractor could help so much.
I have pretty much dubbed myself a chiro-pusher. I will talk about our amazing chiropractor to anyone who will listen. I have horrendous sciatic nerve pain while pregnant. During my first pregnancy, my OB suggested I go see one and I refused. At about 5 months into my second pregnancy, I decided to give it a try. Within an hour, I was sold. Here are just a few of the ways she has helped us:
*Benjamin was transverse up until 2 days before I went into labor, he flipped just a few hours after an adjustment from her (he would flip flop from transverse to head down, just about every day, but at my last adjustment, it was just the push he needed to settle into place)
*She helped with my sciatica (never cured it, but made it livable with regular visits)
*My labor stalled in the middle of the day, in a matter of minutes and a quick adjustment, she jump-started my labor. I went from nothing (I woke up that morning with 6 minute apart contractions that fizzled around lunch time) to 5 minute apart contractions, lasting 45-60 seconds long
*After Benjamin was born, he had a horrible latch from being transverse for so long making breastfeeding painful, to say the least. At four days old, he had his first adjustment and she made a huge improvement in his jaw to allow him to latch on perfectly
*He developed reflux and started to become colicky. A few adjustments later, I had my happy, content baby back!
And I could go on and on and on!
9. I wish I had known how manageable my labor would be.
I don't know if it was how hard my first labor was, how determined (ie: stubborn!) I was or how I had prepared myself, but it was no where near as "bad" as I thought it would be (I can't even call it bad). I remember chatting with my doula before we left for the hospital and saying, "These contractions are so easy..." She (having had a very similar first labor as mine, full of back labor) could only laugh and agree with me. There were moments of self-doubt throughout my labor, especially as transition hit, but only once did I ever think that I couldn't do it - and that one time was right before I asked the midwife to step out so I could refocus and get back to 'laborland' (where I "set up tent and camped out", according to my husband, lol).
10. I wish I had known that cervical dilation and effacement would (and does) mean nothing regarding when labor would begin.
When I was pregnant with Keaton, I was checked at 35 weeks and found out that I was 1.5cm dilated and 50% effaced. I was completely unimpressed by these numbers, but my OB said, "Wow! I bet we're going to have a baby this weekend! There's no way we'll see you at your appointment next week!" I asked about 8 times if he was serious, he assured me he was...Five and a half weeks later, I "finally" had my baby. I decided then and there that I would never be checked again unless already in labor.
Thankfully, the midwives that I now see do not check (unless you ask) - 1- because it is no indication as to when labor will begin and 2- more cervical checks increase the chance of infection. It was so nice to only be checked twice (both times while in labor) and not have the disappointment of thinking that I was 'not progressing' in those final weeks.
Please note: these are just what I wish I had known. To each their own, right? :) Thank you, Hollie, for allowing me to share some insights from my birthing experiences!
Not just for the physical labor, but emotional as well. I truly feel I would have had a c-section with Keaton, no matter what, due to his very short cord. However, a doula would have been able to help me with my back labor (and to tell me that an epidural might not help much with the back labor...because it surely didn't!) and to recall the information we learned in our class (as well as offering other valuable information to help us throughout labor and birth) that we totally forgot as soon as labor started! Also, if I had a doula, she could have helped me process through the emotional roller coaster I went through for months following Keaton's birth.
2. I wish I would have known how much my "care providers" would influence my labor and birth.
When I first became pregnant, I really wanted a natural birth, the closer labor time came, I was scared into getting pain medication as early as possible. If I had asked more questions early on, I could have quickly learned that I may not be getting the care I was desiring from them and sought out doctor's or midwives that would help me reach my goal and, as a first time mom, to not be afraid of labor and birth.
3. I wish I had known how easy it would be, in the throws of labor, to tell my provider what I wanted to do.
With Benjamin, I had to ask my midwife to leave the room at one point so I could re-focus on getting back to 'laborland' - she was more than happy to do this. I knew that it was so important to regain control over my labor that it was not hard to tell her I needed her to do this.
Later, my midwife had to step out of the room to be with another mom who was pushing, leaving me with the on-call OB (who was adamant about a repeat c-section) to assist in birthing my baby. I was able to have the labor and birth I (pretty much) wanted because I refused certain interventions when she mentioned them.
4. I wish I had known how much I really wouldn't care about anything when transition hit.
In preparing for my labor, my doula and I talked about many things, but two things in particular stood out.
First, she had told me that "many women who attempt natural childbirth end up naked." I laughed at her and said something along the lines of, "Yeh, like all the hippies in Ina May's book! I'm way too modest for that..." She said, "That's what I thought too, I'm just warning you..." Transition hit - everything came off and I did not care one little bit!
Secondly, we talked about vocalizing throughout the contractions. I told her I was not going to be "that loud woman in labor." My doula could tell I was having trouble focusing throughout some of the contractions after my midwife broke my water and suggested moaning through them, keeping the noises long and low, almost "song like." After a few minutes, I quickly learned that moaning was the answer - it was amazing and I didn't care who was around to hear me.
In the end, I didn't care that I was on my hands and knees, naked, moaning on a hospital bed, up (what felt like) 10 feet in the air for all the world to see. Imagine my surprise after Benjamin was born, I turned over to see him and was greeted with a room full of smiling nurses!
5. I wish I had known there were other books to read than, "What To Expect When You're Expecting."
I feel I would have been more prepared for my first birth reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, Henci Goer's Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth or Birthing From Within (and I could go on and on!)
What To Expect When You're Expecting is great for the medical side of it all, preparing you for tests and whatnot, but in preparing for an un-medicated birthing experience, I do not feel it compares to these other books.
6. I wish I had known what an incredible support my husband would grow to be throughout our 'birth journey'.
Before I went into labor with Keaton, he didn't want to see "anything" but, when my OB proclaimed that Keaton was crowning, he was checking for his sons' head!
In preparing for Benjamin's birth, he allowed me to share all my fears and concerns regarding a VBAC vs. a repeat c-section, and why I personally could not have another c-section. He insisted we seek out a doula (not because he was afraid he couldn't handle things, but to have one more person 'on our side'). He read Dr. Robert Bradley's Husband Coached Childbirth and insisted on practicing relaxation techniques.
During my labor with Benjamin, he stayed by my side the entire day while I labored at home and never left my side at the hospital. He kept me updated on the progress of Benjamin's arrival and whispered encouraging words in my ears. And, he shocked us all by agreeing to cut the cord.
Who knows what he'll do whenever #3 comes along!
7. I wish I had known beforehand, how empowered I would feel after pushing out that sweet baby.
I had read about it and heard about it, so I knew about it, but I definitely was not prepared for the overwhelming urge to take on the world! I can't even begin to explain this in any more detail - I just remember being floored at what my body had just done!
8. I wish I had known in my first pregnancy how a chiropractor could help so much.
I have pretty much dubbed myself a chiro-pusher. I will talk about our amazing chiropractor to anyone who will listen. I have horrendous sciatic nerve pain while pregnant. During my first pregnancy, my OB suggested I go see one and I refused. At about 5 months into my second pregnancy, I decided to give it a try. Within an hour, I was sold. Here are just a few of the ways she has helped us:
*Benjamin was transverse up until 2 days before I went into labor, he flipped just a few hours after an adjustment from her (he would flip flop from transverse to head down, just about every day, but at my last adjustment, it was just the push he needed to settle into place)
*She helped with my sciatica (never cured it, but made it livable with regular visits)
*My labor stalled in the middle of the day, in a matter of minutes and a quick adjustment, she jump-started my labor. I went from nothing (I woke up that morning with 6 minute apart contractions that fizzled around lunch time) to 5 minute apart contractions, lasting 45-60 seconds long
*After Benjamin was born, he had a horrible latch from being transverse for so long making breastfeeding painful, to say the least. At four days old, he had his first adjustment and she made a huge improvement in his jaw to allow him to latch on perfectly
*He developed reflux and started to become colicky. A few adjustments later, I had my happy, content baby back!
And I could go on and on and on!
9. I wish I had known how manageable my labor would be.
I don't know if it was how hard my first labor was, how determined (ie: stubborn!) I was or how I had prepared myself, but it was no where near as "bad" as I thought it would be (I can't even call it bad). I remember chatting with my doula before we left for the hospital and saying, "These contractions are so easy..." She (having had a very similar first labor as mine, full of back labor) could only laugh and agree with me. There were moments of self-doubt throughout my labor, especially as transition hit, but only once did I ever think that I couldn't do it - and that one time was right before I asked the midwife to step out so I could refocus and get back to 'laborland' (where I "set up tent and camped out", according to my husband, lol).
10. I wish I had known that cervical dilation and effacement would (and does) mean nothing regarding when labor would begin.
When I was pregnant with Keaton, I was checked at 35 weeks and found out that I was 1.5cm dilated and 50% effaced. I was completely unimpressed by these numbers, but my OB said, "Wow! I bet we're going to have a baby this weekend! There's no way we'll see you at your appointment next week!" I asked about 8 times if he was serious, he assured me he was...Five and a half weeks later, I "finally" had my baby. I decided then and there that I would never be checked again unless already in labor.
Thankfully, the midwives that I now see do not check (unless you ask) - 1- because it is no indication as to when labor will begin and 2- more cervical checks increase the chance of infection. It was so nice to only be checked twice (both times while in labor) and not have the disappointment of thinking that I was 'not progressing' in those final weeks.
Please note: these are just what I wish I had known. To each their own, right? :) Thank you, Hollie, for allowing me to share some insights from my birthing experiences!
H1N1 Vaccine Info
Posted by | Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 12:57 PM
Since we have discussed (in a friendly, non-judgmental way - just a reminder!) vaccines before on POH, we felt that a quick post about H1N1 - or Swine Flu - might be a good idea. I know I have seen and heard some crazy myths floating around about the virus and the vaccine. We've said it before, but it can't hurt to say it again - do your research!
So to help you, here is information about the H1N1 vaccine. This comes directly from the website of Dr. Bob Sears - author of The Vaccine Book. His website is a great resource for VERY up to date info on all of the vaccines. But I would still recommend The Vaccine Book as a must read for all parents.
Here are links:
Previous vaccine posts on POH
Info on the actual H1N1 virus
Dr. Sears blog - including the article here and other vaccine news
The Vaccine Book
Here is what Dr. Sears has to offer about the H1N1 vaccine:
The FDA just approved four versions of the pandemic H1N1 (or “swine” flu) vaccine. Expected to become available as early as the first week of October, here is the run down on each of these four vaccines:
Sanofi Pasteur’s injected vaccine: Approved for ALL age groups (infants 6 months of age through adulthood and the elderly). It comes in several forms:
Prefilled single ½ dose syringe with NO mercury – for infants 6 thru 35 months of age.
Prefilled single full dose syringe with NO mercury – for anyone 3 years and older.
Single-dose (full-dose) vial with NO mercury – for anyone 3 years and older.
Multidose bottle (contains ten full doses or twenty ½ doses) WITH 25 mcg of mercury per full dose – for anyone 6 months and older (infants 6 to 35 months would get a half dose (0.25 ml), 3 years and older would get the full 0.5 ml dose).
Other ingredients include: the viral proteins, egg proteins, gelatin, formaldehyde, polyethylene glycol p-isooctyphenyl ether, sucrose.
CSL’s injected vaccine: Approved for anyone 18 years and older. It comes in two forms:
Prefilled single-dose syringe with NO mercury.
Multidose bottle with ten doses WITH 24.5 mcg of mercury per dose.
Other ingredients include: the viral proteins, sodium chloride, sodium phosphate, potassium phosphate, calcium, taurodeoxycholate, egg protein, 2 antibiotics, and beta-propiolactone.
Novartis’s injected vaccine: Approved for anyone 4 years and older. It comes in two forms:
Prefilled single-dose syringes with a trace amount of mercury (less than 1 mcg because 99% of it is filtered out).
Multidose bottle with ten doses WITH 25 mcg of mercury per dose.
Other ingredients include: the viral proteins, sodium chloride, phosphate, egg proteins, two antibiotics, betapropiolactone, nonylphenol ethoxylate.
MedImmune’s live virus nasal spray vaccine: Approved for anyone 2 years through 49 years of age. There is no mercury.
Other ingredients include: the live viruses, egg protein, MSG, pig gelatin, arginine, sucrose, potassium phosphate, an antibiotic,
How are these vaccines manufactured?
Here is the interesting part. Everyone has been worrying and theorizing about how these BRAND NEW vaccines are going to be made and what new and dangerous ingredients they might contain. Well, what has ended up happening is that these four companies have made their “swine” flu vaccines using the exact same process and ingredients that they’ve used for their regular flu vaccines. All they’ve changed is the strain of the flu germs that go into the vaccine. Not to say that these vaccines are completely chemical free and 100% safe. But we aren’t dealing with brand new flu vaccines here. We are dealing with the same thing we face with flu shots every year: same chemical ingredients, new flu vaccine strains. You can find out more details on how regular flu shots are made in the flu chapter of the vaccine book, and apply that same process to the “swine” flu vaccines.
Sanofi Pasteur’s pandemic H1N1 vaccine is analogous to their regular flu vaccine Fluzone, a brand that has been in use for several years.
CSL’s pandemic H1N1 vaccine is analogous to their regular flu vaccine Afluria, a newer player in the flu vaccine market that was first made last year for the 2008/2009 flu season.
Novartis’s pandemic H1N1 vaccine is analogous to their regular flu vaccine Fluvirin, which has been around for a few years (previously made by Chiron).
MedImmune’s live nasal spray pandemic H1N1 vaccine is analogous to their regular nasal spray Flumist.
Which one do I recommend?
At this time I have absolutely no preference whatsoever.
How many doses are needed?
All infants and children from 6 months through 9 years of age are supposed to get two doses of this vaccine, one month apart (no matter what brand you are using, and you probably shouldn’t switch brands between the two doses). This is needed to generate an adequate immune response. Anyone who is 10 years and older only needs ONE dose.
Can doses be given along with other vaccines?
The product inserts make it very clear that no testing has yet been done on these versions of the flu vaccine to determine if they can be given along with other vaccines. The government is operating under the assumption that these vaccines should behave the same way as their regular seasonal flu vaccine counterparts. So, the unofficial word is that you can give them with any vaccines, or apart from any other vaccines in any time intervals you want.
Technically you can get them together (both flu shots together) or with any other vaccine. But my advice? Get them alone, as far apart as you can from another flu shot or any other shots. More on this below.
What safety and efficacy testing has been done on these vaccines?
Here is where we are flying by the seat of our pants, so to speak. The product inserts make it VERY clear that the “swine” flu versions of these vaccines have NOT undergone any testing to demonstrate whether or not they are safe and whether or not they even work. They are relying on the fact that they are so similar to the regular flu shots that they should work just as well.
Although I don’t like that approach, I must admit that they may be right. I don’t see any reason to doubt that our immune systems won’t respond to this vaccine the same way they respond to regular flu shots. And I don’t expect that the side effects would be any different either. In The Vaccine Book, I give a lot of detail about flu vaccine ingredients and side effects that you should be aware of before getting this shot.
I’ve heard that the last swine flu vaccine caused a really bad reaction called GBS? What about THIS swine flu vaccine?
Every product insert for this new vaccine discusses this issue from 1976 in which the old swine flu vaccine caused a higher rate of GBS (weakness and paralysis reaction) than expected, so they stopped using it. That was a completely different strain of the swine flu than what we have today. Plus, that vaccine was made much differently than how they are made today. So, I see no correlation between the risk of GBS from that old vaccine and the current one.
Having said that, everyone needs to be aware that ANY flu vaccine poses a very small risk of a GBS reaction. Although I don’t think this new vaccine has an increased risk, what I DO worry about is that infants will be getting FOUR (count them, FOUR) flu vaccines this year – two doses of the regular one, and two doses of the swine flu vaccine. That’s unprecedented. We’ve never given anyone four doses of a flu vaccine in one year. There is no way to predict what the side effects might be.
What about pregnant and/or nursing mothers?
This is a little scary. The flu shots are ALREADY recommended for pregnant and nursing moms, BUT (and this is a really huge but) the vaccine product inserts make it very clear that the regular flu vaccines have never been tested on pregnant or nursing women to determine if there is any harm to fetuses or young babies (with one exception – the Flumist nasal spray brand did have some testing in this area, BUT not enough, as is stated in the product insert).
Despite this complete lack of research, it is recommended for these moms anyway. Anyone see a problem with that?
If you do get a flu shot, at least make sure it is mercury free (or at least only TRACE mercury).
What should I get first, regular or swine flu shots, and how do I space them out?
My basic advice for anyone is to only get one flu shot at a time, spaced out one month apart. So, it would take 3 months to work in all four doses (2 regular flu and 2 swine flu). I have no preference on how you go about doing this. Do get 2 regular, THEN two swine? Or the other way around? Or do you alternate between the two? Take your pick.
The seasonal flu causes about 20 infant and 100 total pediatric deaths each year in the U.S. The swine flu has so far caused 112 pediatric deaths. So, that’s about the same as the regular flu. From April through the end of July, there were about 43,000 confirmed swine flu cases, with 5000 hospitalizations and about 300 deaths in all ages according to the CDC website. More deaths have occurred since then. This is no different from the regular flu. They’ve stopped officially counting the number of cases because it’s now too widespread to keep track of. But the bottom line is that the swine flu is about the same level of seriousness as the regular flu. So, take your pick which to do first. You may want to start with the regular flu shot since it’s available right now.
What about other routine childhood vaccines that are also needed during this time?
I would advise parents to delay any vaccines for diseases that don’t pose an immediate danger to a baby’s or child’s life and catch up on those vaccines in Feb or March, a couple months after finishing the flu vaccines. Diseases that aren’t usually life-threatening (keeping in mind that ANY disease can be fatal, but the following are less likely to be) include measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, and Hep A. Diseases that don’t exist in the U.S. or that don’t occur during infancy in the U.S. (so even though they can be very severe, a child has almost no risk of catching it in the U.S.) that could be safely delayed are polio, Hep B, tetanus, and diphtheria (although to get a pertussis vaccine, tetanus and diphtheria have to come along with it).
Diseases that DO pose an immediate danger to babies and children are HIB and PC meningitis, Rotavitus, and Pertussis. So, I would rather children stay on time with those four vaccines and delay the flu shots (if you feel comfortable delaying flu shots).
If you want to make sure your child has flu coverage and stays up to date on these other shots, you can stagger them by two weeks.
For teens, I would follow the same guidelines – don’t get flu shot around any of the other routine teen shots like HPV, meningococcal, or Tdap. The only disease here that would be more severe than flu would be meningococcal, so that’s more of a priority.
Should people even get any flu shots?
I don’t have a recommendation one way or another. There hasn’t been a lot of research on safety and efficacy of flu shots (just read through the product inserts – the sizes of the research studies are very small compared to all other childhood vaccines), and the product inserts are very clear about where the research is lacking (almost seems like a disclaimer in there).
BUT, the flu can and does kill people every year. I do believe the flu shot helps protect against the flu and lowers this risk. I go over many of the pros and cons in The Vaccine Book. Everyone has to make their own choice on this. I’m not going to make a suggestion one way or the other.
You can review all the product inserts yourself from the homepage of
www.FDA.gov
So to help you, here is information about the H1N1 vaccine. This comes directly from the website of Dr. Bob Sears - author of The Vaccine Book. His website is a great resource for VERY up to date info on all of the vaccines. But I would still recommend The Vaccine Book as a must read for all parents.
Here are links:
Previous vaccine posts on POH
Info on the actual H1N1 virus
Dr. Sears blog - including the article here and other vaccine news
The Vaccine Book
Here is what Dr. Sears has to offer about the H1N1 vaccine:
The FDA just approved four versions of the pandemic H1N1 (or “swine” flu) vaccine. Expected to become available as early as the first week of October, here is the run down on each of these four vaccines:
Sanofi Pasteur’s injected vaccine: Approved for ALL age groups (infants 6 months of age through adulthood and the elderly). It comes in several forms:
Prefilled single ½ dose syringe with NO mercury – for infants 6 thru 35 months of age.
Prefilled single full dose syringe with NO mercury – for anyone 3 years and older.
Single-dose (full-dose) vial with NO mercury – for anyone 3 years and older.
Multidose bottle (contains ten full doses or twenty ½ doses) WITH 25 mcg of mercury per full dose – for anyone 6 months and older (infants 6 to 35 months would get a half dose (0.25 ml), 3 years and older would get the full 0.5 ml dose).
Other ingredients include: the viral proteins, egg proteins, gelatin, formaldehyde, polyethylene glycol p-isooctyphenyl ether, sucrose.
CSL’s injected vaccine: Approved for anyone 18 years and older. It comes in two forms:
Prefilled single-dose syringe with NO mercury.
Multidose bottle with ten doses WITH 24.5 mcg of mercury per dose.
Other ingredients include: the viral proteins, sodium chloride, sodium phosphate, potassium phosphate, calcium, taurodeoxycholate, egg protein, 2 antibiotics, and beta-propiolactone.
Novartis’s injected vaccine: Approved for anyone 4 years and older. It comes in two forms:
Prefilled single-dose syringes with a trace amount of mercury (less than 1 mcg because 99% of it is filtered out).
Multidose bottle with ten doses WITH 25 mcg of mercury per dose.
Other ingredients include: the viral proteins, sodium chloride, phosphate, egg proteins, two antibiotics, betapropiolactone, nonylphenol ethoxylate.
MedImmune’s live virus nasal spray vaccine: Approved for anyone 2 years through 49 years of age. There is no mercury.
Other ingredients include: the live viruses, egg protein, MSG, pig gelatin, arginine, sucrose, potassium phosphate, an antibiotic,
How are these vaccines manufactured?
Here is the interesting part. Everyone has been worrying and theorizing about how these BRAND NEW vaccines are going to be made and what new and dangerous ingredients they might contain. Well, what has ended up happening is that these four companies have made their “swine” flu vaccines using the exact same process and ingredients that they’ve used for their regular flu vaccines. All they’ve changed is the strain of the flu germs that go into the vaccine. Not to say that these vaccines are completely chemical free and 100% safe. But we aren’t dealing with brand new flu vaccines here. We are dealing with the same thing we face with flu shots every year: same chemical ingredients, new flu vaccine strains. You can find out more details on how regular flu shots are made in the flu chapter of the vaccine book, and apply that same process to the “swine” flu vaccines.
Sanofi Pasteur’s pandemic H1N1 vaccine is analogous to their regular flu vaccine Fluzone, a brand that has been in use for several years.
CSL’s pandemic H1N1 vaccine is analogous to their regular flu vaccine Afluria, a newer player in the flu vaccine market that was first made last year for the 2008/2009 flu season.
Novartis’s pandemic H1N1 vaccine is analogous to their regular flu vaccine Fluvirin, which has been around for a few years (previously made by Chiron).
MedImmune’s live nasal spray pandemic H1N1 vaccine is analogous to their regular nasal spray Flumist.
Which one do I recommend?
At this time I have absolutely no preference whatsoever.
How many doses are needed?
All infants and children from 6 months through 9 years of age are supposed to get two doses of this vaccine, one month apart (no matter what brand you are using, and you probably shouldn’t switch brands between the two doses). This is needed to generate an adequate immune response. Anyone who is 10 years and older only needs ONE dose.
Can doses be given along with other vaccines?
The product inserts make it very clear that no testing has yet been done on these versions of the flu vaccine to determine if they can be given along with other vaccines. The government is operating under the assumption that these vaccines should behave the same way as their regular seasonal flu vaccine counterparts. So, the unofficial word is that you can give them with any vaccines, or apart from any other vaccines in any time intervals you want.
Technically you can get them together (both flu shots together) or with any other vaccine. But my advice? Get them alone, as far apart as you can from another flu shot or any other shots. More on this below.
What safety and efficacy testing has been done on these vaccines?
Here is where we are flying by the seat of our pants, so to speak. The product inserts make it VERY clear that the “swine” flu versions of these vaccines have NOT undergone any testing to demonstrate whether or not they are safe and whether or not they even work. They are relying on the fact that they are so similar to the regular flu shots that they should work just as well.
Although I don’t like that approach, I must admit that they may be right. I don’t see any reason to doubt that our immune systems won’t respond to this vaccine the same way they respond to regular flu shots. And I don’t expect that the side effects would be any different either. In The Vaccine Book, I give a lot of detail about flu vaccine ingredients and side effects that you should be aware of before getting this shot.
I’ve heard that the last swine flu vaccine caused a really bad reaction called GBS? What about THIS swine flu vaccine?
Every product insert for this new vaccine discusses this issue from 1976 in which the old swine flu vaccine caused a higher rate of GBS (weakness and paralysis reaction) than expected, so they stopped using it. That was a completely different strain of the swine flu than what we have today. Plus, that vaccine was made much differently than how they are made today. So, I see no correlation between the risk of GBS from that old vaccine and the current one.
Having said that, everyone needs to be aware that ANY flu vaccine poses a very small risk of a GBS reaction. Although I don’t think this new vaccine has an increased risk, what I DO worry about is that infants will be getting FOUR (count them, FOUR) flu vaccines this year – two doses of the regular one, and two doses of the swine flu vaccine. That’s unprecedented. We’ve never given anyone four doses of a flu vaccine in one year. There is no way to predict what the side effects might be.
What about pregnant and/or nursing mothers?
This is a little scary. The flu shots are ALREADY recommended for pregnant and nursing moms, BUT (and this is a really huge but) the vaccine product inserts make it very clear that the regular flu vaccines have never been tested on pregnant or nursing women to determine if there is any harm to fetuses or young babies (with one exception – the Flumist nasal spray brand did have some testing in this area, BUT not enough, as is stated in the product insert).
Despite this complete lack of research, it is recommended for these moms anyway. Anyone see a problem with that?
If you do get a flu shot, at least make sure it is mercury free (or at least only TRACE mercury).
What should I get first, regular or swine flu shots, and how do I space them out?
My basic advice for anyone is to only get one flu shot at a time, spaced out one month apart. So, it would take 3 months to work in all four doses (2 regular flu and 2 swine flu). I have no preference on how you go about doing this. Do get 2 regular, THEN two swine? Or the other way around? Or do you alternate between the two? Take your pick.
The seasonal flu causes about 20 infant and 100 total pediatric deaths each year in the U.S. The swine flu has so far caused 112 pediatric deaths. So, that’s about the same as the regular flu. From April through the end of July, there were about 43,000 confirmed swine flu cases, with 5000 hospitalizations and about 300 deaths in all ages according to the CDC website. More deaths have occurred since then. This is no different from the regular flu. They’ve stopped officially counting the number of cases because it’s now too widespread to keep track of. But the bottom line is that the swine flu is about the same level of seriousness as the regular flu. So, take your pick which to do first. You may want to start with the regular flu shot since it’s available right now.
What about other routine childhood vaccines that are also needed during this time?
I would advise parents to delay any vaccines for diseases that don’t pose an immediate danger to a baby’s or child’s life and catch up on those vaccines in Feb or March, a couple months after finishing the flu vaccines. Diseases that aren’t usually life-threatening (keeping in mind that ANY disease can be fatal, but the following are less likely to be) include measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, and Hep A. Diseases that don’t exist in the U.S. or that don’t occur during infancy in the U.S. (so even though they can be very severe, a child has almost no risk of catching it in the U.S.) that could be safely delayed are polio, Hep B, tetanus, and diphtheria (although to get a pertussis vaccine, tetanus and diphtheria have to come along with it).
Diseases that DO pose an immediate danger to babies and children are HIB and PC meningitis, Rotavitus, and Pertussis. So, I would rather children stay on time with those four vaccines and delay the flu shots (if you feel comfortable delaying flu shots).
If you want to make sure your child has flu coverage and stays up to date on these other shots, you can stagger them by two weeks.
For teens, I would follow the same guidelines – don’t get flu shot around any of the other routine teen shots like HPV, meningococcal, or Tdap. The only disease here that would be more severe than flu would be meningococcal, so that’s more of a priority.
Should people even get any flu shots?
I don’t have a recommendation one way or another. There hasn’t been a lot of research on safety and efficacy of flu shots (just read through the product inserts – the sizes of the research studies are very small compared to all other childhood vaccines), and the product inserts are very clear about where the research is lacking (almost seems like a disclaimer in there).
BUT, the flu can and does kill people every year. I do believe the flu shot helps protect against the flu and lowers this risk. I go over many of the pros and cons in The Vaccine Book. Everyone has to make their own choice on this. I’m not going to make a suggestion one way or the other.
You can review all the product inserts yourself from the homepage of
www.FDA.gov
Packing your bag and stocking your cabinet--things to know BEFORE labor and delivery!
Posted by | Monday, October 12, 2009 at 3:00 PM
Before my first child was born, a dear friend gave me a list of things to pack/not pack in my hospital bag. After my first child, I added my thoughts, and started giving it out to all my friends who were having babies. Hope you find this helpful!
What you DON'T have to pack in your hospital bag:
• diapers
• wipes
• baby clothes other than an outfit to bring the baby home—the hospital will provide tiny little white shirts for your little one
• baby blankets—the hospital will provide receiving blankets
• sanitary pads
• lots of underwear for you—the hospital has disposable underwear that you will, strangely enough, come to love after labor and delivery;-)
• multiple pairs of pants for you
• nursing pillow, unless you just want to have it; the nurses will assist you with helping the baby latch on using hospital pillows, etc
• bottles for the baby, unless you plan to bottle feed and want to use a particular bottle
• jewelry—you may have to take it off, and you don’t want to risk losing it
• long distance calling card—some places in the hospital say no cell phones, but the nurses do not mind you making the occasional call
• pillows—hospital has plenty!
What you DO want to pack in your hospital bag:
• hairband or clips to hold your hair back, if necessary
• anything that helps you relax for delivery and afterward—an IPod with your favorite music, a book, a scented lotion
• change for the snack machines or a bag of snacks (especially for your hubby)
• at least one nursing bra (a sleep bra is a must, and maybe another one to wear coming home)
• nursing pads—during the first few days, I would recommend Lansinoh Brand Ultra Soft Nursing Pads (Babies R Us carries them). They are more expensive, but they are the softest I have found, and when you start nursing, your breasts will appreciate the softness of those pads. You will be able to move to other pads later
• Tums if you are prone to heartburn. I was not prone to it, but had horrible acid reflux during labor. The nurses would not give me anything, but I could have taken the Tums if I had some with me
• camera, extra batteries/charger, film (each hospital has different regulations about videography during labor, so check for their policies)
• cell phones and chargers
• comfortable, loose tops or short nightgowns. Look for something that buttons down or is big enough to pull up for nursing ease. Pants/bottoms are not necessary—you will be bleeding enough after the delivery that you might mess up the bottoms anyway. A light-weight robe is nice—I used a short robe that I pulled on over a tank top, and that worked great
• moisturizing body lotion—if you should have an epidural, your skin may itch as it wears off. Lotion helps!
• flip-flops for the shower
• your favorite toiletries (i.e., scented shower gel from Bath and Body Works if you like that), your makeup, lotions and perfume—anything that will help refresh you and make you feel better
• slippers or socks—the hospital floor can get cold!
• name of the pediatrician you plan to use—they will ask you this in labor and delivery
• book/magazine (something light and fluffy) for you; book/magazine for your husband—you may need this during labor and delivery while you “wait” to dilate, or to help you relax at the end of the day when visitors and family have left
• list of people to call with their phone numbers
• outfit to bring the baby home
• outfit for you to wear when you leave the hospital—look for comfortable, loose fitting separates: you will not be able to fit back into your pre-pregnancy sizes immediately! Though it is no fun to wear them after the baby comes, maternity pants may feel the most comfortable (or something with a drawstring waist)
Coming Home from the Hospital:
Have someone fill your pain prescription as soon as you get home—taking the medication regularly will make a huge difference! The day that you leave the hospital you will feel sore—it will be the first time you have moved around so much since the baby was born, so expect to be tired, sore and emotional.
Make sure your bathroom cabinet is stocked with these items:
• sanitary pads (no tampons)
• moistened, unscented wipes *optional*(this sounds crazy, but Pampers makes a Sensitive Skin baby wipe that works great—you just cannot flush them)
• Tucks Hemorrhoid pads *optional*--Tucks pads are cooling and calming
• Pericolase medication (stool softener and gentle laxative)—helps keep you regular and prevents your bowel movements from being painful
• Spray bottle (from hospital) for cleaning yourself
• Dermaplast (also from hospital), a topical numbing spray that is such a blessing when you are sore
Your first night home from the hospital will be really rough, but you will survive! Expect to cry a lot at first. Know that every woman experiences these emotional ups and downs, and it is normal. The baby blues last through the first couple of weeks and then things stabilize—but they will suddenly pop back up at random times! It’s normal to cry, however, if you feel like your baby blues are unmanageable, or are lasting a very long time, please reach out to friends and family for help.
In your budget, plan for an additional expenditures in doctor’s co-pays. Your baby will visit the doctor approximately 4 times in 2 months (though this varies by office): 72 hours after discharge from hospital, 2 weeks, 1 month and 2 months. Each of these visits will cost you an office co-pay, and if you do not plan for those fees, it can catch you off guard.
Above all, relax and enjoy this time. Labor and delivery may be painful, but it is the most rewarding thing you will ever experience. It is exciting! Look forward to it with anticipation and joy, and know that your friends and family are praying for you, supporting you and ‘cheering you on’ during this wonderful time. ~Leah Finn
What you DON'T have to pack in your hospital bag:
• diapers
• wipes
• baby clothes other than an outfit to bring the baby home—the hospital will provide tiny little white shirts for your little one
• baby blankets—the hospital will provide receiving blankets
• sanitary pads
• lots of underwear for you—the hospital has disposable underwear that you will, strangely enough, come to love after labor and delivery;-)
• multiple pairs of pants for you
• nursing pillow, unless you just want to have it; the nurses will assist you with helping the baby latch on using hospital pillows, etc
• bottles for the baby, unless you plan to bottle feed and want to use a particular bottle
• jewelry—you may have to take it off, and you don’t want to risk losing it
• long distance calling card—some places in the hospital say no cell phones, but the nurses do not mind you making the occasional call
• pillows—hospital has plenty!
What you DO want to pack in your hospital bag:
• hairband or clips to hold your hair back, if necessary
• anything that helps you relax for delivery and afterward—an IPod with your favorite music, a book, a scented lotion
• change for the snack machines or a bag of snacks (especially for your hubby)
• at least one nursing bra (a sleep bra is a must, and maybe another one to wear coming home)
• nursing pads—during the first few days, I would recommend Lansinoh Brand Ultra Soft Nursing Pads (Babies R Us carries them). They are more expensive, but they are the softest I have found, and when you start nursing, your breasts will appreciate the softness of those pads. You will be able to move to other pads later
• Tums if you are prone to heartburn. I was not prone to it, but had horrible acid reflux during labor. The nurses would not give me anything, but I could have taken the Tums if I had some with me
• camera, extra batteries/charger, film (each hospital has different regulations about videography during labor, so check for their policies)
• cell phones and chargers
• comfortable, loose tops or short nightgowns. Look for something that buttons down or is big enough to pull up for nursing ease. Pants/bottoms are not necessary—you will be bleeding enough after the delivery that you might mess up the bottoms anyway. A light-weight robe is nice—I used a short robe that I pulled on over a tank top, and that worked great
• moisturizing body lotion—if you should have an epidural, your skin may itch as it wears off. Lotion helps!
• flip-flops for the shower
• your favorite toiletries (i.e., scented shower gel from Bath and Body Works if you like that), your makeup, lotions and perfume—anything that will help refresh you and make you feel better
• slippers or socks—the hospital floor can get cold!
• name of the pediatrician you plan to use—they will ask you this in labor and delivery
• book/magazine (something light and fluffy) for you; book/magazine for your husband—you may need this during labor and delivery while you “wait” to dilate, or to help you relax at the end of the day when visitors and family have left
• list of people to call with their phone numbers
• outfit to bring the baby home
• outfit for you to wear when you leave the hospital—look for comfortable, loose fitting separates: you will not be able to fit back into your pre-pregnancy sizes immediately! Though it is no fun to wear them after the baby comes, maternity pants may feel the most comfortable (or something with a drawstring waist)
Coming Home from the Hospital:
Have someone fill your pain prescription as soon as you get home—taking the medication regularly will make a huge difference! The day that you leave the hospital you will feel sore—it will be the first time you have moved around so much since the baby was born, so expect to be tired, sore and emotional.
Make sure your bathroom cabinet is stocked with these items:
• sanitary pads (no tampons)
• moistened, unscented wipes *optional*(this sounds crazy, but Pampers makes a Sensitive Skin baby wipe that works great—you just cannot flush them)
• Tucks Hemorrhoid pads *optional*--Tucks pads are cooling and calming
• Pericolase medication (stool softener and gentle laxative)—helps keep you regular and prevents your bowel movements from being painful
• Spray bottle (from hospital) for cleaning yourself
• Dermaplast (also from hospital), a topical numbing spray that is such a blessing when you are sore
Your first night home from the hospital will be really rough, but you will survive! Expect to cry a lot at first. Know that every woman experiences these emotional ups and downs, and it is normal. The baby blues last through the first couple of weeks and then things stabilize—but they will suddenly pop back up at random times! It’s normal to cry, however, if you feel like your baby blues are unmanageable, or are lasting a very long time, please reach out to friends and family for help.
In your budget, plan for an additional expenditures in doctor’s co-pays. Your baby will visit the doctor approximately 4 times in 2 months (though this varies by office): 72 hours after discharge from hospital, 2 weeks, 1 month and 2 months. Each of these visits will cost you an office co-pay, and if you do not plan for those fees, it can catch you off guard.
Above all, relax and enjoy this time. Labor and delivery may be painful, but it is the most rewarding thing you will ever experience. It is exciting! Look forward to it with anticipation and joy, and know that your friends and family are praying for you, supporting you and ‘cheering you on’ during this wonderful time. ~Leah Finn
Udder Covers
Posted by |
at 2:30 PM
If you are in need of a nursing cover or would like to give a fabulous shower gift, I just found out that you can buy a nursing cover from Udder Covers for the price of what it costs to ship it (using a coupon code). You end up just paying 8.95 for shipping. I can't even find them on ebay for that price. I'm not sure how much longer they'll do it so HURRY!!
The website is:
https://www.uddercovers.com
**The coupon code is: cute2
The website is:
https://www.uddercovers.com
**The coupon code is: cute2
Alternative Medicine at our House
Posted by | Friday, October 9, 2009 at 1:14 PM
We use alternative medicine most of the time (with the exception of Tylenol for overnight teething trouble – I haven’t found anything to be particularly effective when it is really bad. I do use Hyland’s Teething Tablets and they provide temporary relief). Obviously what we do in our home should not be construed as medical advice. Honestly, we haven’t needed a lot of alternative medicine as my kids are generally healthy. I chalk this up to the Lord’s blessing and good food. We spend a little more money on grassfed beef, good dairy, and I use my own freshly ground flour, and sugar is limited. We also take vitamins and supplements regularly (cod liver oil, a good mulit-vitamin and probiotics). But, when illness does hit, here’s what we do.
Stomach Bug:
As soon as someone comes down with a vomiting or diarrhea, we start taking Activated Charcoal. It comes in little capsules and Ben and I swallow them whole. I open the capsules and stir the charcoal into applesauce or applejuice. It is tasteless and the kids think it is a special treat when they are sick to have “blue” applesauce.
Stomach Bug:
As soon as someone comes down with a vomiting or diarrhea, we start taking Activated Charcoal. It comes in little capsules and Ben and I swallow them whole. I open the capsules and stir the charcoal into applesauce or applejuice. It is tasteless and the kids think it is a special treat when they are sick to have “blue” applesauce.
The charcoal works by absorbing any toxins that are present in the digestive system and then they are eliminated. So, it won’t actually stop vomiting immediately, but it will gather up all the gunk and help get rid of it faster.
Colds
We take vitamin C and Echinacea when we feel a cold coming on. I don’t usually give the kids Echinacea as I haven’t found an easy way to administer it. I do give them a little liquid C mixed in with water or milk if they are coming down with something. I also plan on taking garlic capsules the next time we are feeling under the weather to see how that helps. I probably won’t give this to the kids either because again they can’t swallow a pill. Mostly though I’ve found that colds just simply need to run their course. So we consume lots of water and rest as much as possible. We never take over the counter cold remedies as I don’t think they help much and all the additives can certainly hurt. (As a side note, I never take Tylenol or Advil or other pain relievers. I haven’t for years. I find that lack of sleep or poor diet causes my aches and pains and I’m better off just trying to rest more. I used to take them frequently for menstrual cramps which were bad, but I found that by eliminating sugar from my diet, my cramps totally disappeared! Seriously, try it! Cut out sugar for one month and hopefully you’ll be cramp free!)
Sore Throat
Krista recommended to me years ago trying Colloidal Silver as a sore throat remedy for whenever we feel a sore throat coming on. Since then I’ve researched Colloidal Silver and have found some very interesting information. It can apparently be used for lots of different things (applying to cuts and wounds, in eyes for pink eye, etc.) But, some people report actually turning silver from taking it. We use it, but I can’t say that it has made a huge difference (although once my husband and I had the same sore throat and I took it and he didn’t. He ended up with strep and I didn’t). I don’t have the highest quality and maybe that has something to do with it. I am also a little cautious when taking it pregnant or nursing, unlike all of our other health remedies.
Ear Infections/Aches:
To date, neither of my children have had any ear infections or ear trouble at all, which is pretty unheard of since it is one of the most common childhood maladies. I really attribute this to the good dairy they consume. But, if they do ever have ear trouble, we’ll avoid antibiotics completely and I’ll start using garlic oil in their ears at the first sign of pain. Our local health food store sells a brand of garlic oil for use in the ears. Hopefully it will do the trick!
Advent Traditions
Posted by | Friday, October 2, 2009 at 7:00 AM
First off, I love traditions and I love hearing all the different ways every family celebrates certain occasions! We discussed holiday traditions last year on POH. You can find those posts HERE. This year we intended to find lots of guest authors to share their holiday traditions. I asked my sister in law, Brandy, to share about how she uses Noel Piper's Advent Devotional and Calendar with her kids. She is super busy right now getting ready to move her family of five out of the country - so I'm going to share what I can with you about it. She gave me permission to share her blogposts where she shows how they used Noel's Advent devotional.
Unfortunately, I can't put a link to this product because it is currently being "redesigned" and not available at this time. You can see what it looks like on the links I provide to Brandy's blog - although I think it will change some following the redesign. Keep checking the Desiring God website to see if it is available. Or ask me - I stalk it daily waiting for it to return!
HOWEVER, as I was searching Desiring God to see if the advent devotional was available as a free resource - I found LOTS of other FREE resources, including Treasuring God in Our Traditions. FREE, to download as a pdf file! How awesome is that!? (You can also get Faithful Women and their Extraordinary God - another favorite of mine by Noel Piper!) I had previously mentioned in POH, here and Brandy also reminded me of it again when emailing about this blog post.
So, I dont have much to say about this advent devotional because I've never used it! You'll have to go over to their blog to see some cute pictures and videos of their family using it. Here are the links:
"Advent" - this post showed videos of a 2.5 year old Sarala (my niece) answering all the questions. Brandy thinks it is important to point out how its never to early to start teaching these truths to our children. They are capable of so much more than we give them credit for sometimes!
"Last Days of Normalcy" - this post shows some good shots of the actual calendar. In these pics, Sarala is 3.5, Jackson is 2.5 and Sam is 10 or 11 months.
"Advent...Live!" - this is from the same year as before and includes more videos of 3.5 year old Sarala and 2.5 year old Jackson.
So, I hope you enjoy "blog stalking" my niece and nephews. :) And I hope you don't mind that this is my second post in a row that is heavily linked to other sites - meaning I had nothing to do with the content of this post, really. Enjoy!
HOWEVER, as I was searching Desiring God to see if the advent devotional was available as a free resource - I found LOTS of other FREE resources, including Treasuring God in Our Traditions. FREE, to download as a pdf file! How awesome is that!? (You can also get Faithful Women and their Extraordinary God - another favorite of mine by Noel Piper!) I had previously mentioned in POH, here and Brandy also reminded me of it again when emailing about this blog post.
So, I dont have much to say about this advent devotional because I've never used it! You'll have to go over to their blog to see some cute pictures and videos of their family using it. Here are the links:
"Advent" - this post showed videos of a 2.5 year old Sarala (my niece) answering all the questions. Brandy thinks it is important to point out how its never to early to start teaching these truths to our children. They are capable of so much more than we give them credit for sometimes!
"Last Days of Normalcy" - this post shows some good shots of the actual calendar. In these pics, Sarala is 3.5, Jackson is 2.5 and Sam is 10 or 11 months.
"Advent...Live!" - this is from the same year as before and includes more videos of 3.5 year old Sarala and 2.5 year old Jackson.
So, I hope you enjoy "blog stalking" my niece and nephews. :) And I hope you don't mind that this is my second post in a row that is heavily linked to other sites - meaning I had nothing to do with the content of this post, really. Enjoy!
Resurrection Eggs
Posted by | Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 2:50 PM
Edited to add: I just found the file I created for my resurrection eggs. It is a word file - so if you would like it, email us and I'll send it to you!
This past Easter, I so enjoyed making resurrection eggs with Will (who was not quite 3 at the time). We enjoyed going through them several times in the week leading up to Easter and Will really seemed to understand most of them. I am already looking forward to using them this year with him a little older.
Basically the concept is that each egg holds a small item that represents some part of the Easter story. You also add a piece of paper with a scripture reference on it pertaining to the item.
For example: Judas betrayed Jesus for 3o pieces of silver. Therefore, one egg contained a few dimes along with the scripture reference for Matthew 27:3, "When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders." The last egg is empty - symbolizing the tomb! (That was Will's favorite egg!)
When I made mine - I found several different resources online for examples of items and scriptures to use. I think I used a combination of a few sites based on the items I had on hand to make my eggs with. My friend Sarah, has a good list for resurrection eggs on her craft blog. There are also instructions at Christian Homemaking.
You can also purchase resurrection eggs at Christian bookstores or Amazon - but I thought it was more fun and meaningful (not to mention cheaper!) to make them myself. In addition, I decided to make a second set while making ours and look forward to giving them away to someone in the near future! Possibly some young friends of ours in the neighborhood!
Has anyone else made or used resurrection eggs?
Basically the concept is that each egg holds a small item that represents some part of the Easter story. You also add a piece of paper with a scripture reference on it pertaining to the item.
For example: Judas betrayed Jesus for 3o pieces of silver. Therefore, one egg contained a few dimes along with the scripture reference for Matthew 27:3, "When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders." The last egg is empty - symbolizing the tomb! (That was Will's favorite egg!)
When I made mine - I found several different resources online for examples of items and scriptures to use. I think I used a combination of a few sites based on the items I had on hand to make my eggs with. My friend Sarah, has a good list for resurrection eggs on her craft blog. There are also instructions at Christian Homemaking.
You can also purchase resurrection eggs at Christian bookstores or Amazon - but I thought it was more fun and meaningful (not to mention cheaper!) to make them myself. In addition, I decided to make a second set while making ours and look forward to giving them away to someone in the near future! Possibly some young friends of ours in the neighborhood!
Has anyone else made or used resurrection eggs?
Leah's Mom Shares a Few Traditions
Posted by |
at 1:20 PM
Here's a little bit from my mom about what we did while I was growing up:
Easter - We always hid the kids' Easter baskets. When I was a kid they were always on the dining room table on Easter morning. But Gary's family always hid theirs so we started doing that with our kids. Also, we hid plastic Easter eggs that had coins in them instead of candy.
Halloween - This was always a fun holiday with our kids. I made their costumes each year and really went all out. When we lived on the farm and went to the Halloween party in Wolf Lake they usually won a prize for best costume. Gary's mom always made costumes and she inspired me to do the same.
Christmas - We always spent Christmas Eve at my in-laws. When the kids were little this was a very special night. The adults dressed up. The guys wore suits and the girls usually wore long dresses. Leah always had a special Christmas dress to wear. The food was extra special. Usually shrimp cocktail, prime rib, homemade desserts. Gift giving at the in-laws was insane. We bought for everyone. The pile of presents was so big you couldn't even get near the tree. And everyone opened presents all at once. It was complete chaos and tons of fun. There were always lots of gag gifts.
We spent Christmas Day with my family. Since I have three sisters we started taking turns hosting Christmas dinner. We drew names around September or October and opened gifts one at a time so you could see what everyone got. Food was always great. Lots of sweets. My mom and sisters and I always got together around the first week of December and made candy together. All the grandkids loved to dip chocolates. Peanut butter balls were the favorite.
Easter - We always hid the kids' Easter baskets. When I was a kid they were always on the dining room table on Easter morning. But Gary's family always hid theirs so we started doing that with our kids. Also, we hid plastic Easter eggs that had coins in them instead of candy.
Halloween - This was always a fun holiday with our kids. I made their costumes each year and really went all out. When we lived on the farm and went to the Halloween party in Wolf Lake they usually won a prize for best costume. Gary's mom always made costumes and she inspired me to do the same.
Christmas - We always spent Christmas Eve at my in-laws. When the kids were little this was a very special night. The adults dressed up. The guys wore suits and the girls usually wore long dresses. Leah always had a special Christmas dress to wear. The food was extra special. Usually shrimp cocktail, prime rib, homemade desserts. Gift giving at the in-laws was insane. We bought for everyone. The pile of presents was so big you couldn't even get near the tree. And everyone opened presents all at once. It was complete chaos and tons of fun. There were always lots of gag gifts.
We spent Christmas Day with my family. Since I have three sisters we started taking turns hosting Christmas dinner. We drew names around September or October and opened gifts one at a time so you could see what everyone got. Food was always great. Lots of sweets. My mom and sisters and I always got together around the first week of December and made candy together. All the grandkids loved to dip chocolates. Peanut butter balls were the favorite.
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