Mike Davidson: Hacking A More Tasteful MySpace

Mike Davidson: Hacking A More Tasteful MySpace I might just have to add this man to my hero's list. The MySpace layouts ARE absolutely awful. That's the simple reason why I didn't bother to sign up for so long, the sheer ugliness of it all! I now have something to work on the next few days... code tweaking, I love it!

I'd say it's about stinking time!!!

Ever since Dory was born, I have been unhappy with the growth charts and have known that they have been based on formula fed infants and not breastfed ones, as should be the norm. Dory was real high on them, and then drastically dropped causing others that I know and love to worry that she was too small. I loathed the fact that I knew that she was fine, and very healthy, but didn't have a good place to just instantly show it. Well, the WHO apparently heard my cries for help! Dory at 2 years old is squarely between the 50th and 85th percentiles for both length and weight! And this means, NO, my breastfed 2 year old is not small for her age, she is very healthy thank you!

I am a bit excited to tell Mom, who works for WIC... She'll be excited too! I do hope that America adopts this new scale soon rather than fighting it. I can certainly foresee formula companies putting up a stink!

Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Endorses New WHO Child Growth Standards
4/28/2006 1:40:00 PM EST

BIOWIRE

With the release yesterday of the new international growth standards for infants and children, the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) endorses the work of the WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study (MGRS). Unlike the old growth charts, the new standards (1) describe how children "should grow," (2) establish breastfeeding as the biological "norm," and (3) provide international standards for all healthy children. The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (www.bfmed.org), a global organization of physicians dedicated to the promotion, protection and support of breastfeeding and human lactation, urges worldwide adoption of these standards.

At its 11th International Meeting in September 2006 in Niagara Falls, NY, ABM will feature Cuberto Garza, MD, PhD, addressing this research and the new international growth standards. Further discussion of this work will appear in the new peer-reviewed journal Breastfeeding Medicine (www.liebertpub.com/bfm), the official journal of the Academy.

Current infant and child growth charts have been criticized because they are based on 20-year-old, limited samples of mostly formula-fed infants whose pattern of growth has been demonstrated to deviate substantially from that of healthy breastfed infants. Infants fed artificial milks (formula) put on weight more quickly than those that are breastfed, thereby inaccurately classifying breastfed infants as underweight.

Undertaken between 1997 and 2003, the MGRS collected growth and related data from 8,440 healthy breastfed infants and young children from diverse ethnic backgrounds and cultural settings (Brazil, Ghana, India, Norway, Oman, USA). The growth standards developed depict the normal early childhood growth under optimal environmental conditions and can be used to assess children everywhere, regardless of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and type of feeding.

Human milk supports not only healthy growth, but also optimal cognitive development and long-term health. The resulting growth standards are recommended for application to all children independent of type of feeding. Joan Meek MD, MS, RD, FABM, President of the Academy and child nutrition expert noted: "Current research has shown that too rapid growth in infancy is associated with higher blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity later in life. It is well documented that infants grow and develop best on human milk."

The manual detailing the methods and development of the WHO Child Growth Standards is available at: www.who.int/bookorders. The actual growth charts are available at: http://www.who.int/childgrowth

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publisher of Breastfeeding Medicine, is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Journal of Women's Health, Obesity Management, and Disease Management. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 60 journals, books, and newsletters is available at www.liebertpub.com.

Joan Younger Meek, MD,MS, RD, FABM

President, Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine

160

Beats per minute for the new little one as counted yesterday at our second prenatal appointment.

Dory was so funny... she was upset at first with the little handheld doppler, but then when Daddy brought her over, we all laughed at the swooshing noises. And lil' squirm sure is hard to find when you are laughing! Anyway, we kept asking Dory if she could hear it, and when she did, she said: "*gasp* (hand to ear) hear it! hear it!" When we asked what it was she said "baby!" Smart girl this big sister!

160 bpm, maybe another girl!

MySpace

Jerica-- this is for you!!
www.myspace.com/zzwhitejd

(Everyone else can visit it too, in fact, please do! But, I made it for Jerica!)

Also, a video for you... Dory counting at Grandpa's

Get this video and more at MySpace.com

Dory cruising in the crib for the first time...

Get this video and more at MySpace.com

Making a Mei Tai

Jan Andrea: at home on the web

I have found directions that I really like and can customize to my needs. My friend Sara and I went out and bought the fabric yesterday, and I will shortly be off on my next sewing adventure! The question then becomes, how long will it take me to finish it?

The website listed here relly seems to have some very good directions as well as links to other directions that do different things. I really must thank this lady for taking the time to help me out!

Just call me Evil.

  
We went out today with frinds for Ben & Jerry's free ice cream day. I had two wonderful free cones and loved every bite. I even decided that since Dory is now 2 she should be able to have a little too. So I gave her Lemonaide Sherbert. She wasn't real sure about it, she had a few bites, and it might be awhile before she asks for ice cream again!!! Evil, evil Mommy......

Great Big Sea

We went to the concert last night, and I wimped out.... It was so sad. My heartburn was aggravated by the deep vibrations from the speakers. So I went outside and listened from the comfort of no vibrations. Then a few songs later, John joined me and we enjoyed the show that was happening outside the concert... Did you know the drunk people outside the doors can be FUNNIER than the actual show you paid money for?!?!? I could still hear the music, so it was good.

Anyway, intermission hit, the flood gates opened, and as soon as the tide started to reverse, we finally understood I wasn't getting any better and departed for home. Sad, but true.

At least I made it this time... The last time they came through town I had a newborn infant and John had to go by himself. Too bad John could not have gone by himself this time... The band want to the pub afterwards, and John could have gone too if I had not been sick! Of course, my dear sweet hubby said that he would have rather me gone than to have gone by himself.

We also snagged the last onesie they had for Dory.... It says Great Big Baby. Of course, I'll post the picture of our little band groupie later....

The Quickening

5 am and I was nursing Dory when I felt the faintest brushing roll over deep inside. Dory felt like a tiny muscle spasm internally, but this was much closer to the cliche butterflies. I really think that I would not have felt it if Dory didn't have me up and stilling very still, so thank you big sis!
I think 12 weeks is really early, even for #2, but I am excited about the first movements none the less!

Easter Egg Hunt!

Dory competed in her very first Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday. I wondered if she would be able to get the idea, since some moms were smack talking about how they were practicing! (I love my mom group, they are some great girls!) However, Dory won in a three way tie in the end with 19 eggs. And we gave one back to Ava who was sweet enough to give it to us.

Dory's first egg...

"Oh BOY!" -- Dory, as she dashed off to go and get more.

Dory's winning basketful.

Extra fingers, webbed toes....

Also known as Polydactaly and Syndactaly!

I had a friend reciently ask about her son's webbed toes. The pediatrician wants her to operate on them to seperate them.... so I though I would share what we have done, and not done.

Dory was born with extra fingers hanging off of her hands. We really agonized on how to remove them and when to remove them since we really did think in this case they would be a serious teasing problem for her later in life. In the end, we waited until she was just shy of a year and had them removed by a hand specialist under general anestesia.

Right Hand, back of hand and palm...

Left hand, palm and back of hand...

Note on each hand the skin tab connector, they had inside a vein, artery and nerve cells. The fingernails did grow. After birth the extra fingers grew right along with the growth of the other normal digits. After surgery in Febuary 18th, 2005 we found out that the fingers had fully formed joints but had no ligimants for movement.

This is how her fingers looked at birth. She often 'held' her fingers in her fists so that they were not always visible. Sometimes people thought she was holding something she shouldn't be, like bologna.


These are my toes, and the genes from which Dory ended up with extra fingers.
Notice on my left foot the two toes are not as webbed as they are on my right. I really thought until I was in kindergarten that everyone's toes were just like mine.... and since then thought that I just had the coolest toes. I have never thought of having them separated, nor would I want to. They have caused me no problems whatsoever at all.

Dory's left foot matches my left foot, but her right foot is even closer to the norm.

Not quite the original tree hugger.....

But she sure is cute!!!

Finally, Mo Willems pictures are uploaded!

"My what blue eyes you have!"
Signing a rock....
Wow!!! My very own rock!
 

Mommy drivel

Dory is sick, I'm losing weight and my head still hurts.

So, Dory came down with a cold on Tuesday. It was just a runny nose, then on Wednesday it becae a full blow green river. Last night, it moved into her chest. I have now made two trips to the drug store... one in the middle of the night last night. But, they are working, she is napping, and hopefully all will be well soon. I really don't want to miss the big Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, she's never been before!

Losing weight..... yep, I was 134 last September. Yesterday I was 125. All of it has come off in the last few weeks due to the nausea. I just can't seem to get enough calories in to support the pregnancy and nursing and running after a toddler. And I'm not doing too much running right now! Well, I have no doubt that I will certainly gain it all back in due time. I did with Dory after losing 10 lbs when I caught a cold in week 8.... I went on to gain 36 lbs with her.

My head... oh, yes, my head. I wacked it on the tub Sunday night. When I fainted and fell off the toilet. Fun huh? I will spare you the gorey details, but Dory saw the whole thing and I am quite sure was not happy to see her mommy fall. The whole new blood flow during pregnancy is a wonderful thing. That was one main contributing factor to the spell, I'm sure.

a little pregnant: Your cervix and the next recipients of the Super Bowl trophy will thank you

a little pregnant: Your cervix and the next recipients of the Super Bowl trophy will thank you

It must be a political day for me, breastfeeding and now this. Julie brought this to my attention with her latest entry. I have sent off two letters, one to Republican Elizabeth Dole and another to Republican Richard Burr. I eagerly await their responses, and will certainly share them with you.

Julie writes: The U.S. Senate is currently considering S.1955, a measure that opponents are calling the "Lose Your Benefits" bill. Formally and doublespeakfully titled the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act, this bill would allow insurance companies to flat-out ignore nearly all state laws that require coverage for certain conditions or treatments — you know, those little extras like cervical cancer screening, bone marrow transplants, alcoholism and drug abuse treatment, mental health services, breast reconstruction, minimum maternity stay, provision of diabetic supplies, inclusion of domestic partners in policy coverage, direct access to your OB-GYN, continuity of care during pregnancy, mammography, contraceptives, infertility diagnosis and treatment...

Julie has a good form letter posted as well as a link to a Senator list that has contact info easily avaliable. Please use it!!!

NC forces children to wean.

The state and counties of NC are becoming notorious for calling breastfeeding mothers in for jury duty and then not dismissing them. More than a handful of Moms I know have had this happen just last year. It is absolutely positively absurd. The moms are told that their children can use the court system's childcare (also used for criminals kids and children who are witnesses to crimes) and that just because the child is EXCLUSIVELY BREASTFED that there is NO reason to be excused from a civil duty. Also, some moms are excused right away and others are forced to endure hardships to actually appear, there is absolutely no concrete policy. You are at the whim of who is on the receiving end of your letter. And if you were stupid enough to take your kid with you? Government run child care and contempt of court awaits you. Forget the law that states here in NC that if you have a right to otherwise be there, you have a right to be there breastfeeding.

N.C. Gen. Stat. sec. 14-190.9
1993 N.C. ALS 301; 1993 N.C. Sess. Laws 301; 1993 N.C. Ch. 301; 1993 N.C. HB 1143

"§ 14-190.9. Indecent exposure.
(B) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a woman may breast feed in any public or private location where she is otherwise authorized to be, irrespective of whether the nipple of the mother's breast is uncovered during or incidental to the breast feeding.

I mean, if the kid is exclusively breastfed, generally they will not take a bottle. Meaning that the poor child will scream, cry and starve all day. THAT should be considered child abuse and punishable by law.... But no, it's the court system we have here.

Apparently NC is not the only backwards state. Check this out: Family Friendly Jury Duty, it's a real eye opener.

There are over 4 pages that just go on and on about how nursing mothers were not allowed to postpone on Charlotte Mommies, unfortunately I can not share them. :( It's what has me all riled up. While I have not yet been called, and would love to serve my civic duty, I AM still breastfeeding and have another baby on the way so I will be doing so for quite some time. This really concerns me.

I know of a bill that will hopefully be introduced in the house next session. Let me know if you want more info on it. I also know that those of us who are concerned will be attending a rally/protest here in Charlotte soon. When details are released I will certainly share them with you.

'mon, 'mere, Mo Willems & a little Stars Hollow

When Dory says to you, "'Mon", she means "Come on". Apparently I have shortened my language and completely dropped the 'co' leaving just the 'm-on'. When she says "'mere", she means 'come here'. You get the idea. It's amazing what little people can tall you about yourself if you are just willing to listen.

i.e.-Tonight as Grand and I raced through the 2nd disk of season 3 Gilmore Girls, Dory grabbed her laundry basket and proclaimed to Grand, "mon and!"... Grand looked at me puzzled and said, 'I don't know what she is saying....' So I translated. She is saying "Come on Grand, take the other handle and lets walk around the powder room 5 or 6 times until you collapse and find something else for me to do." She had tons of energy around 7pm, after her very long nap, after meeting legendary Mo Willems at Park Road Books this afternoon.

Mo signed her books AND gave her a rock. It was really cute, really... We went last since I was helping out by being the official photographer and Grandma Patty had been kind enough to come too so that I wasn't worried about how low the cup of pretzels was getting or rather or not she was making a break for the front door (not that I think Sally would ever let that happen, but she can get busy, ya' know?) while trying desperately to get a good shot with no flash since the flash won't work at a distance.
Anyway, so Dory walks up to him and says 'hi', and he comments on how blue her eyes are (smart man).... To which she responds 'Thank you.' Well, what a pleasant little toddler she is, and he of course ate it up. (I told you he was a smart man.) So then she points to a rock on the edge of the table and says to Mo, 'Rock!'. He says 'Yes, a little boy was nice enough to give this to me...' and then he asks, 'Would you like it?' She responds with a sheepish but very sure of herself, 'Yeah.' So, he autographs it, Mo, hands it to her and she lovingly gazes at it. Her very own rock. Wow.

She could care less about the two new board books or the fact that he signed Knuffle Bunny and Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, nope... She has a brand new rock.

Rock picture to follow tomorrow.

Why oh why

am I still so freaking tired? and nauseas? and tired? Oh, wait, I already said that.... I told you I was tired.

So many things I could blog about, but well, belch... I am just too tired. I'll do it later. You know, after I completely forget what they were.

It is unusual for these to be right on......

Your Scholastic Strength Is Deep Thinking

You aren't afraid to delve head first into a difficult subject, with mastery as your goal. You are talented at adapting, motivating others, managing resources, and analyzing risk. You should major in: Philosophy Music Theology Art History Foreign language

What Should You Major In?

baby names, baby names...

Baby names can make peope insane.... I thought John and I had it all figured out if this is another girl; we were agreed on Katherine Mae. We very well may still use it, but now we don't actually know. The discussion is open again since we didn't understand each other on why we chose that name.
Absurd, huh? Well, that's us.
Now there are new names up for thought, and I really like Eleanor Mae, and John likes Eleanor Katherine.... Anyway, we seldom agree on the names we do like... but as I was searching the Social Security Baby Names List (very cool site) I once again found Eleanor, which I really like and John informed me I liked last time. (I'll take his word for it...) It still isn't the most popular, which is important to me, and I love the old sound of it.
When we come to some sort of consensus, we'll let you know. Don't expect it to be anytime soon though!

Heaven help us if it is a boy... that might be even more difficult.

The Husband on Strike is Wrong... Petition

I'm signature #1529... The Husband on Strike is Wrong... Petition

I can't read a word of it, but....

These are some super beautiful pictures of doors and windows.... (let me know if the site says anything dirty, so I can delete this post...)
portes et fen�tres

Stowe Botanical Gardens, continued....

Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens

 Dory got wet!... Daddy got even wetter....

 Another beautiful Tulip.

 I completely forget what this miniscule flower was...

 Dory at a 'spitting' fountain, the water shot in little jets along the way.

 

Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens

Since the time change hit, Dory had sliced her finger and John had skinned' up his leg... We headed out to the Gardens after we missed Church on Sunday morning in order to have some great family time. It was wonderful!
Dory loved the water fountains and John enjoyed looking at the plants. I just enjoyed watching them both have such a great time!
Afterwards we headed to a Fish Camp for lunch... John's first time at a traditional Southern fish camp, as well as Dory's. Maybe it was even my first time, but I don't know to tell the truth.
We headed down to my Mom's house afterwards to visit for a short while, since she broke her leg and could not make it to Dory's party last weekend and we were pretty close after having been at gardens.

On another Stowe note.... My daughter is a thief.
I took out the stroller on Sunday to walk around at Stowe Gardens and found........
A pair of navy blue size 3.5 leather mary janes from Tot Trade. *shock* I didn't pick these up, she can't fit into them. She wears a 6! And she was out of the stroller there for a few minutes.....
It shows a new depth to her love of shoes.
On the upside, they were 3$, it was the last day close to the end and they were marked to be donated.... but I still feel bad about it.
My not-even-2, the one who looks so innocent below, darling daughter is a thief.

 A tulip!

 Dory at the first big fountain!

 Dory close-up... Notice the stylish sunglasses and hat!

 Some beautiful jonquils.

 

This may be a sign.

You Failed the US Citizenship Test

Oops, you only got 6 out of 10 right!

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?

The next 6 days!

This is a baby at 56 days gestation. We are right at 50 days today. In the next six days our baby will nearly double in size from 18.0 mm to 30.0 mm, roughly the size of the top of my husband's thumb. At 56 days the fingers and toes have seperated; eyelids and ears are all in place and growing. The liver is HUGE and the stomach very small while the intestines are moving out of the umbilical cord. In the next week, the eyelids will form, the eyes will travel from the sides of the head to a more central position on the face. From Sunday to Monday, days 51-52, the brain will make a big leap as the baby goes from 18.0 mm to 26.0 mm! From Thursday on, the baby is growing more than developing new things.

This should explain why my nausea and fatigue are starting to subside!

This was all taken from pages 157 to 195 in From Conception to Birth: A life unfolds by Alexander Tsiaras. I would stongly urge you to take a look at it! The pictures are absolutely beautiful, and from my understanding in the intro, the pictures were created from non-invasive technology and artistry.

The child is mine!

Last night confirms it... Dory is my child. When she was an infant, she wanted nothing to do with masssages... Until tonight. And she loved it and went right to sleep without another dose of milkies. :) Yeah!