New Look

Yeah, I decided to go with a new template for this blog... seems like its not gonna look quite right until those little quizzes are in the archive section instead of the main page...

Dreams:

Crazy-ass dreams... of course, they say that comes with the territory of being pregnant... but, I've always had vivid dreams.

One of my dreams, my leg was cut off below the knee... I believe it was my right leg. It was right on the side of me and I felt it and was wondering when they were gonna reattach it; I was at the hospital.

Jeremy's been having dreams too... he dreams that we have our 2 girls and a son... so... maybe we'll actually have a boy this time :D That would be so cool. Of course, I'll love another daughter just as much :D But, being that this is more than likely our last one...

General Griping:

I'm soooo sick of worrying about the bills! I just cannot wait until that settlement is finished! I don't care how much we get... as long as we can pay the bills that we accumulated due to Jeremy's car accident. We have the $2000 loan to pay off and the Visa bill that's about $2800 to pay off... plus we are far behind on the utility bills... We will have to buy Calista some new shirts for school... the shorts will prolly still fit... maybe get a couple of more jumpers though... as well as new socks and shoes.

I just want Jeremy to let ME handle the money. I would soooo keep us in the clear and have extra money... I bet.

I have the mind to call his lawyer and ask what's up with the case. Also call those people that are garnishing his check.

We have to go to the D.A.'s office at some point before July 20th to settle the crap about us not being married, him supporting me and the girls and Medicaid.

Another thing I worry about... keeping my appointments with no vehicle and no license.

Jessica's blog

Jessica's blog

Household Duties

Geez, my house is a frickin' wreck!

What Race Were You Meant To Be?

Yeah, I'm going Quiz crazy today...

You scored as White. You were Meant to be White Ok whitie run along. White 60% Black 40% Asian 35% Mexican 10% What Race Were You meant to Be? created with QuizFarm.com

What Celebrity Could Be Your Twin?

I like this comparison... lmao

You scored as Pamela Anderson. You would look most like Pamela Anderson (this means you have similar features... youre not identical) Pamela Anderson 69% Ashlee Simpson 56% Lindsay Lohan 31% Paris Hilton 19% Michael Jackson 19% What Celebrity Could Be Your Twin!? (Awesome!!) created with QuizFarm.com

What Body Part Are You Attracted To?

This is true... but, that pic looks like a woman, huh? I actually thought it would have face as the first thing... and I rather the butt over the one above it... lmao... guess I didn't answer the way I was supposed to... like one of the questions was have you grabbed at least 3 people's butts in the last month... umm... no, I haven't... only Jeremy's... lol

You scored as Abs/Stomach. You are attracted to: the abs/stomach. You are a abs/stomach guy/gurl. Abs/Stomach 75% Boobs 75% Face 67% Penis 58% Butt 17% What Body Part Are You Attracted To?(pics) created with QuizFarm.com

What Mythological Creature Are You?

Guess some think of Angels as mythological creatures...

You scored as Angel. Angel: Angels are the guardians of all things, from the smallest ant to the tallest tree. They give inspiration, love, hope, and positive emotion. They live among humans without being seen. They are the good in all things, and if you feel alone, don't fear. They are always watching. Often times they merely stand by, whispering into the ears of those who feel lost. They would love nothing more then to reveal themselves, but in today's society, this would bring havoc and many unneeded questions. Give thanks to all things beautiful, for you are an Angel. Angel 75% Faerie 67% Mermaid 58% Dragon 50% WereWolf 17% Demon 0% What Mythological Creature are you? (Cool Pics!) created with QuizFarm.com

Rough Night

Man, I barely got any sleep last night. My throat kills me at night! It doesn't really bother me during the daytime... its like once I'm laying down, it feels awful. Swallowing hurts terribly. So, I ended up getting up and gargling with salt water... which I accidently let some go down my throat which caused me to gag and try to throw up... nothing to throw up though. I gargled with hydrogen peroxide and sipped on a combo of apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and water... then poured some honey down my throat. That all helped somewhat because I was actually able to fall asleep.

Then, of course, my dreams... geez... one of them had me waking up desperately trying to breathe... I was running from some aliens... (LOL) and went home to wake Jeremy and Ursula up (not sure where Calista was) but I had a feeling they had already taken them and left some fakes in the bed... I saw the window next to the bed was open (not my real life home either). That's when I started like panting. I finally woke up and was breathing so hard, my heart was beating hard as well.

So, between my actual throat killing me and my dreams... it was a rough night :(

One cool thing... I bought a nice threadmill from our neighbors yesterday :D

Jeremy cut his hair off Tuesday evening and Calista lost her first tooth that same evening :D woohoo! :D

Deadly immunity

When a study revealed that mercury in childhood vaccines may have caused autism in thousands of kids, the government rushed to conceal the data -- and to prevent parents from suing drug companies for their role in the epidemic.

- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Go ahead, I dare you to read the whole thing :D

Here's another good link to peruse as well. It compares Autism to mercury poisoning.

ABC is supposed to be airing the piece that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote up.

Nursing Article

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this article in Parents magazine!

It was forwarded to one of my email lists, apparently directly from the lady who wrote it.

Here is the whole forward:



Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2005 10:44 PM
Subject: [DCUM-List] "I Still Nurse My 5-Year-Old"


Hi everyone,

I waited to let you know that I have an essay in this month's Parents
Magazine. Called "I Still Nurse My 5-Year-Old," I am amazed that they
printed it. It was an interesting process because they came to me to ask
me to write it. It was quite a struggle, though, because they had very
different notions of what I would write and many, many times, I was sure
they were either going to kill the story or find another writer. Anyway,
after months and months of back and forth, we finished the piece and it is
in the June issue.

You can read it at:
http://platypusmedia.com/documents/stillnurse.htm>
http://platypusmedia.com/documents/stillnurse.htm

If you get inspired, write the editors and let them know what you think.
You can send letters from:
http://www.parents.com/submit_form/tell_us.jsp http://www.parents.com/submit_form/tell_us.jsp

Take care,

- Dia


____________________________________________
Dia L. Michels
Platypus Media -- Books for Families, Teachers and Parenting Professionals
627 A Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
202-546-1674
Toll-free: 1-877-PLATYPS (1-877-872-8977)
Fax: 202-546-2356
Dia@PlatypusMedia.com
www.PlatypusMedia.com







*NOTE: The content of this message is private and cannot be quoted without
explicit permission of the author.
_______________________________________________
dc-urban-moms-list mailing list (DCUM List)
dc-urban-moms-list@mailman.dcurbanmom.com
http://mailman.dcurbanmom.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/dc-urban-moms-list

DCUM Website: http://www.dcurbanmom.com/
The Nanny and Babysitter Forum: http://dcurbanmom.com/nannies



And here's the article itself:


http://platypusmedia.com/documents/stillnurse.htm

Have you even wondered why anyone would breastfeed a child who’s old enough to walk, talk and even go to school? Meet a mom who’s happy to explain.

“I Still Nurse My 5-Year-Old”

By Dia Michels

Parents Magazine, June 2005, Pages 127-130

It’s a typical evening at home: My 11-year-old son is in the family room, glued the computer. My husband is puttering around in the kitchen, and I’m in the living room watching television with my 15-year-old daughter.

A few minutes later, my youngest child climbs up onto sofa and into my lap. “I want mumsies,” Mira says. In response, I lift my shirt and unfasten my bra. She latches onto my breast happily.

It’s a cozy scene, but it’s also quite extraordinary by most people’s standards. You see, Mira is 5 years old. I know that a lot of people think it’s totally nuts that I’m still nursing her. But in my mind, the really crazy moms are the ones who withhold their beneficial breastmilk from a little one who needs—and wants—to suckle.

* * *

I have been breastfeeding almost continually for the past 15 years. Like all nursing moms, I started immediately after each of my babies was born. But unlike the vast majority of breastfeeding moms—83 percent, to be exact—who quit before their baby’s first birthday, I kept offering my milk to my kids, and they kept taking it. It wasn’t that I started out with a plan to nurse our kids into their school years, it was just that we saw no reason to stop doing something that was so good for them and I so thoroughly enjoyed.

Nursing came very easily to me. From the start, I found that having my own clean, warm, ample food supply at all times was quite convenient. When my children were infants, I breastfed them on demand—a dozen times over a 24-hour period. But as they got older, they nursed less and less. As toddlers, I fed them three or four times a day. By the time they were 4 and 5, once at bedtime was usually sufficient—and so far Mira is following the same pattern.

I believe my breast milk has given my children vital nutrients and helped to boost their immune systems. More important, it has comforted them in a way that nothing else could. When Mira is sad, frightened, hurt, or unsettled in any way, nothing is more soothing to her than being cradled in my breast.

A lot of people assume that nursing an older child is difficult, but I’ve never found it even the slightest bit inconvenient. Because I have a well-established milk supply, my breasts always have milk, whether I nurse once a day or once a week. I don’t pump, my breasts don’t swell or leak, and there’s no discomfort whatsoever. In fact, nursing is quite beneficial for me too. Some studies show that the more you breastfeed, the lower your risk for certain types of cancer.

The only downside has been dealing with people’s attitudes. Even my closest friends make it clear that they disapprove. "How long are you going to let Mira nurse like that?" I’m asked repeatedly, always with a tinge of disgust.

Everyone has a reason why I should wean my daughter. I’ve been accused of nursing her for my own sexual gratification. I’ve heard that she’ll grow up to be too dependent or even mentally unstable. All I can say is that I am convinced I’m doing the best thing for my daughter—just as I’ve done for her brother and sister. Even my husband, who knew very little about nursing when he became a parent, is totally supportive, as he’s watched what nursing has done for—and what it means to—our children.

I guess you could call me a breastfeeding zealot. When my children were younger and nursing often, I didn’t think anything of feeding them in public. In a culture that has completely sexualized female breasts, a lot of people found it disturbing. When she was younger, I was asked not to nurse my daughter at her preschool, because a teacher said it "it could be upsetting to the children." I was chastised for breastfeeding at our pool club because "no food is allowed in the swimming area." Countless times, I was asked to use the bathroom at museums, grocery stores, and restaurants. I always refused, insisting that it was not appropriate for anyone and pointing out that no one ever complains about a baby sucking on a bottle in public.

As far as I’m concerned, breastfeeding has been the right thing to do for me and my family. My children are amazingly healthy and rarely get sick. They are thriving emotionally as well. All three of them are self-possessed, purposeful and serenely focused. There is almost no sibling rivalry among my kids. As a family, we’re extremely close and I think that is a direct result of breastfeeding.

* * *

I don’t have a built-in schedule for weaning Mira. But, at 5½, she’s starting to wean herself—which is just as it should be. She still likes to breastfeed from time to time, usually at night when we’re cuddling on the sofa or in bed. But I know that pretty soon she will lose interest altogether, just as she has lost interest in a favorite doll or a blanket. When that day comes, I will celebrate that she has moved on to another stage of life and is ready to explore the world at a different level.

For me, breastfeeding has been a beautiful, peaceful and powerful experience—and I think it’s the most important thing any mother can do for her kids.

Dia Michels lives with her husband and three children in Washington, DC. The author of If My Mom Were A Platypus: Mammal Babies and Their Mother, she can be reached at Dia@PlatypusMedia.com