Time for Change!

hello from the long lost!! So many changes and new things have happened in the last month, I have a lot to catch up on!

So since we moved in real life, it only makes sense to move over my cyber world!!

So update your bookmarks and so on, since I will be updating over at the new place from now on. This blog will still be open for archive purposes!

A Day in the Life at Our House....3rd Edition

Be blessed!!

I *HEART* Salma Hayek!!

Oh yeah, you knew I would be all over this!!!

My first thought was "It's about time!!" We are so behind in dropping the stigma attached to breastfeeding. I applaud Salma for standing up and doing the right thing!

Now people are talking and breastfeeding is the center of it again.....God bless her for giving warm nourishment to that little baby and hopefully educating the Mama's there (and the Daddies!!) on giving their babies the best possible nourishment possible.

Salma Hayek Breastfeeds a Starving Baby


Back to the craziness and chaos of packing....whew! Almost there!!!

Have a blessed weekend!

How it's Made...Formula!

Here's an excellent post and it's not at all a bashing post, just facts presented very well.
What's in formula? What's not?

Some people may think I have a hate on for formula...I don't. I do however believe it should fall into the category along with other medical interventions...such as antibiotics. Use with caution and only if absolutely necessary. Having just been through what I went through at the hospital, we have so far to go with building up women to successfully breastfeed. It's very bizarre in the NICU, everyone says "Breast is best...BUT" Everywhere you look is formula labels....the tiny bottles I was given to use...thanks to Ross Laboratories...boxes of Neosure and Enfamil sitting everywhere. Where was all the breastfeeding stuff......tucked away in a back room. Oh sure they have pumps available and the Lactation consultants are absolutely WONDERFUL (I mean they really ROCK!!!)but they're very limited as to what they can do. I mean, they certainly cannot override what the doctor says.

But, where was the signs and pictures of nursing babies in the NICU? They're aren't any. Where's the promotion of that? Nowhere. Most women in there end up feeling as though their breastmilk is inferior and either needs to be supplemented with Human Milk Fortifier (which, BTW, can be done WITHOUT any notice or permission from the parents...they just add it to the breastmilk at their discretion) or the baby needs a 'top up' of formula. *sigh* OK, let's look at Preemies.....they are a very special type of infant, one who is desperately trying to finish the amazing growth outside of the womb that really should be taking place inside of the womb. The rate of growth that happens inside the womb is astonishing....and the doctors are trying very hard to mimic the nutrition that is needed to sustain this rapid rate of growth.

They do that by supplementing the babies with a carefully man-made designer milk, fortified with a careful amount of vitamins and nutrients based on cow's milk (casein), whey and other oils......my issue....THESE ARE NOT NATURAL! They are exposing their tiny guts to cow's milk protein which is KNOWN to cause bleeding in the gut...do you see why I get upset?!?!? Our doctor even freely admitted that they are finding more and more infants are having casein sensitivities in the last 10 years than ever before.

Ugh, I could go on and on....ideally, I would've loved to have seen much more effort being put into helping these mamas believe that their milk is the perfect food for their babies...even if they can't fight the man-made stuff being added. It is so very lonely and difficult pumping for that long, they need support to help them through that and encouragement that it can be done. They need to be educated and reassured....all of which the lactation consultants do, but when the doctor starts the conversation with "Breastmilk is best, but......." it becomes a very difficult situation. Dr.Jack Newman sent me some wonderful info on breastfeeding preemies...as well as some fascinating pictures of young preemies latched on and feeding. Breanna latched on perfectly at just 32w3d and nursed beautifully...like she'd done it all along. So, it can be done!!!

My LC was an absolute dream.......she was so funny and blunt...praise the Lord she's there trying to make a difference and maybe just maybe if she can reach just one mama, another preemie will be able to experience the glorious bonding and nutrition that breastfeeding can offer him/her.

Once again, I thank the Lord for the wonderful gift of being able to breastfeed my daughter...I cherish even more than ever before.

Blessings!!

Things that make you go hmmmmmmmm......

Click on the cartoons to read the relevant info. Whoa! I realize that this is American info, BUT, you can bet it is the same here. We are soooo long over due for changes...I encourage you to go over to Natural News and read up on some of the articles, education is the key to change!!


On the homefront.....cleaning/packing/organizing....every day!! Breanna is changing so much, although not by huge leaps in the size department, but this week she began smiling at us and trying to coo and talk! It's so funny to see because she *looks* like a 6week old baby!!lol I'm so happy that the other day I managed to get Breanna on my back!!Whoohoo!! She loves it there and spends a good portion of the day there, she loves to be able to watch everything that mama is doing and then drifts off to sleep when she's had her fill! This pic was taken on Jan.19th



and here is another of my happy girl:

taken on Jan.24th

Grocery shopping this weekend!! You have no idea how nice it is to be able to put all the kids in the van AND all the groceries...at the SAME TIME! I'm really looking forward to making the trip out to BC this summer if we can (still trying to budget that all in), it will be nice to be able to pack things and have it all fit!lol
Here's a pic of our new family vehicle:(it was taken through the window of our new house)


I will be posting a couple of pics in the habitat blog today and will hopefully have a recipe over in the food blog later today!

Have a blessed day!!

F~R~E~E~Z~I~N~G

Oh my did the weather change, like within a few hours...brrrrrrr!!

Anyways, just popping in here to let you know there are some updates in the Habitat blog and I have been adding to my new blog (whose debut has been put off...lol)it's coming though!!
Habitat Blog
New Blog

Now it will just be tedious task of re-adding all my links...but on the flip side it will give me a chance to make sure they're all still good!!

Blessings!!

Finding calm in chaos

have you seen it???? Nah, me neither. I wouldn't mind a few extra hours in a day though, but I guess that would really mess things up globally, now wouldn't it?!?!lol
So, I will make do with the 24 I have.....too bad I need sleep!!lol

Well back to work I go, here's some pics for you!!










Have a blessed day!!!

Updating....again!!

Goodness, I blink and a week is GONE!!

Great news!!! We are moving at the end of February!!! Praise the Lord, that is so awesome! I'll update more on that and some pics in the Habitat blog later this week.

We are also the proud owners of a 15 passenger van now!!! Another wonderful answer to prayers!! What a lesson in patience that was....we waited 26mos for a vehicle that would fit us all and it is so sweet to have it now!!!

Unfortunately I have so much more to 'talk' about but I need to help *motivate* the big kids into cleaning the basement....so much to do now!!!! YIPPPPEEEEE!!!
(why yes, I am a *little* excited!!)

Oh, you gotta check this out! So very true and absolutely brilliantly done!
~At a meeting of the AARP (American Association of Retired
People) they showed a video that was submitted in a contest by a 20
year old. The contest was Titled 'u @ 50'.This video won second
place. When they showed it , everyone in the room was awe-struck and
broke into spontaneous applause.So simple and yet so brilliant. Take
a minute and watch it.



Have a blessed Saturday!!