A "Real" Post! {Finally!!!}

Man, my whole week has been nuts! It would seem that I got in way over my head. Well, actually, things wouldn't have been so screwed up if I hadn't caught a nasty cold a couple of weeks ago. You never realize how great it feels to be healthy until you're sneezing, coughing, and trying to keep up with a little one - all while trying to let a fever do it's work to kill the germs inside!

Had all gone smoothly, I'd have managed to write one giveaway sponsor's review and a "real" post everyday. That was the plan. But, I found myself writing nothing, then trying to get all of the sponsor posts up before the hop. I was up until 5am on Friday morning putting the finishing touches on the Made in Michigan Giveaway Hop post - just in time. I still have one more review post to write and another great Etsy giveaway to post by tomorrow. Then, things will calm down around here. I'll be able to get the Mindful Parenting Collaboration post written (I did manage to get my inner work done while sick!) and a few other posts that I've been meaning to write taken care of. Hopefully, I'll be able to get back on track soon!

Other than being sick, I've been getting ready for Halloween! Last weekend, our town had a really great Harvet Festival - complete with Trick-or-Treating at the small businesses downtown. It is so neat to watch Little Guy's eyes light up at every single Tootsie Roll and Twizzler. He smiled HUGELY at every stop (I don't think he could stop smiling!) and his "Thank You" to everyone was so genuine! You see, we don't do a lot of candy around here, though I don't completely outlaw it. Up until this summer, in fact, fruit leather and raisins were referred to as "candy".

Today, the farmer's market held their own Trick-or-Treating! So, Little Guy got to dress up in his really cool Thomas costume again and get FREE CANDY from the vendors he's come to know all over the summer.

Oh, and we decorated pumpkins last night. Check out this post to see how we do pumpkins around here. It's more economical - and safer - than carving!

Showing off how strong he is!

And, finally, here are a couple of pictures I managed to catch this morning that ended up being nice little surprises when I uploaded them from my camera:

The River Raisin this morning. I really like getting photos of the river when the reflection in the water comes out so beautifully.

I love this one! The flower vendor has a blue tarp over her stall this morning. I just love how everything in the picture has that blue hue to it except the flowers.

I Like to Trust My Immune System, BUT... {#Rafflecopter #Giveaway}

Sponsored by Tomoson.com I am a firm believer in "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger" when it comes to germs. I really think that allowing the body to come into contact with potential illnesses can help the immune system create a barrier to these germs. Think about all of the harmful bacteria and viruses we probably come into contact with everyday and don't get sick from. That's because our immune systems are working full-force to protect us. Honestly think of all the times you didn't wash your hands before popping something into your mouth. How many times have you applied the "five-second rule"? And it's even worse with our kids. We all have to admit that we don't know about 90% of times that they've touched nasty things and then stuck their hands into their mouths. Yet, how often do they really get sick?

Now for the big "BUT"... As many of you know, Little Guy has only received two shots ever. And, while I'm sticking to my guns on this, I don't want to see him get sick, either. There are times when we head somewhere and there are toys for kids to play with. The library, doctor's office, even out health food store all have a nice little collection of toys that kids of all ages and healthiness play with. I have watched with a flipping stomach as one little girl with a nasty cough and green boogers chewed on a block that my son immediately picked up to play with the second she dropped it. Yeah - horrors! Even after I rushed over and washed his hands and the block, I can't be sure he didn't have those hands near his mouth first. And what if I hadn't even noticed what had happened?

Then there's my husband. He has COPD. He's got an artificial heart valve. He has a ton of other little things wrong with him that lead up to a greatly lowered immunity to germs. A simple virus to most people can become pneumonia or something worse for him in the blink of an eye. And, with all of these health-related problems come visits to doctors. he has at least one appointment a week. He goes in, grabs the pen that every other patient has touched to sign in, sits in the same waiting room chairs as everyone else, reads the same magazines... I wonder how many of the patients who were there before him were ill? How many of them actually covered their mouths with the crook of their arms when they coughed or sneezed? And how many just used their hands and then picked up the same Reader's Digest my husband is now holding? Oh, and then he comes home and picks up Little Guy or gets him something to eat, or... Well, you get the picture.

So, with cold and flu season (and all the other little illnesses that float around) coming soon, I feel it's time to do a little more than keep a sharp eye out for snotty toys and sick patients. I received a sample of Prefense to try out and, boy, am I glad. I think my favorite thing about it is that just one applications can last all day - through TEN hand-washings! This means that I can put some on Little Guy's hands before we leave for our adventures and not really have to worry about him touching things and then sticking his fingers in his mouth. I can remind my oldest to use a squirt of the foamy hand sanitizer and he can safely share pencils, hit the bathrooms, and eat lunch without washing his hands (you know he doesn't!) And hubby can just apply the 100% alcohol-free sanitizer as he's getting ready to leave for yet another doctor's appointment. They're all going to keep from picking germs up on their hands throughout the day.

According to the Prefense Web site, the hand sanitizer is non-toxic and perfectly safe for children. Because it is alcohol-free, there are two benefits that you won't see in other hand sanitizer brands: 1) Your skin won't be absorbing large amounts of alcohol repeatedly throughout the day, 2) The silica will actually work to soften your hands and the bonding film that sticks to your skin will hold moisture in.Oh, and Prefense is scented with essential oils, you don't get that nasty "hospital smell" that follows you around all day. Prefense was tested by Iowa State University and its Institute for Physical Research and Technology’s Company Assistance group, which proved that the product's anti-pathogen properties last a full 24 hours.  Additionally, Prefense has been tested against different strains of Staph (including MRSA) and H1N1.

Although I feel that my family's immune systems need to work for themselves, there are times when a little extra defense will go a long way. While we will not use this every day, I can rest easy knowing that I can try to prevent my loved ones from becoming ill when "germ season" is at its peak. 

If you'd like to purchase a bottle of Prefense (and they now have wipes, too!), you can visit their online store HERE. It is available on Amazon.com, too - a great deal if you get free shipping through Prime! And, finally, you can check out Prefense's store locator if you'd prefer to buy it locally.


You can also connect with Prefense on social media sites. Check out Facebook and Twitter and stay up-to-date on deals and even giveaways!

 
 
Now, how would you like to win an 8oz. bottle of Prefense for your own family? That's 640 applications! Just complete the mandatoyr (first) entry in the Rafflecopter form below. If you'd like extra entries, go ahead and complete any of the other entries you'd like. Don't forget to read the important information at the bottom of the entry form!!!

Good luck!



I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

The End of an Era... And the Start of a New One {#WorldBreastfeedingWeek}

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I'm done with breastfeeding... forever. It's a bittersweet realization. I'll never have a little one smiling up at me, sharing a special bond ever again. Yeah, I'm done having babies. Little Guy weaned about a month ago, at 32 months. I knew it was coming. He'd go a few days without even asking. Then, suddenly, he'd need it constantly. But, the need to nurse slowly dissipated as he changed from a toddler to a little boy.

The final blow was his first full-blown cold. Yeah, he'd never been sick before this. Maybe the occasional runny nose or fever that lasted 2-3 days, but I blame those on teething - a new tooth always popped out withing a few days of his "illness". Oh, did I mention that the only vaccine he's ever had was for polio. (It's a terrible disease that is still around. We live near an international airport and come into contact with a lot of tourists. Plus, his grandparents remember all too clearly the effect that polio had on friends, family, and even themselves.) ANYWAY, I attribute his perfect health to breastfeeding - I can't tell you how many illnesses I had that were never passed on. But, I believe that his first cold can be attributed to the lack of nursing. Once his nose was completely blocked and remedies only lasted a few minutes, he just gave up on breastfeeding. I wanted so much to use it as a comfort to him, but it was not to be.

I noticed a direct correlation between his growing independence and weaning. He had started potty training around the same time. We stopped using the stroller when we went somewhere - he could walk (or run!) everywhere. He got into the "No helping me! I do it myself!" stage. He was ready.

My oldest son, who is now 13, quit nursing when he was 15 months old. It coincided with his learning to walk. As soon as he could get himself from here to there, he decided he didn't want to nurse anymore. I was fine with it - I was working full time in a restaurant. He refused to take breast milk from a bottle or a cup, so my husband would bring him to where I worked (thankfully it was only a few blocks from our home) during my breaks so he could be nursed. It was getting tedious - I never really got a break from someone needing something from me. As soon as the nursing session was over, I was back to the customers.

I describe the end of our nursing relationship as "bittersweet" because I was beginning to feel chained down. I was the only one who could put him to bed. I was the only one he would come to when he needed some affection. My husband was beginning to feel very left out. Plus, Little Guy had this habit of clamping down when he fell off to sleep. As if he knew that once he was out, I'd get up from the bed. Oh, and if someone made a loud noise, the telephone rang, or he heard a train outside our window, I knew I'd get bit! Toddler teeth are very sharp and there were many occasions when I'd have to put a little band-aid on one of my nipples. Sexy!!!!

I'm going to miss the closeness we shared, but there are new ways for us to spend special time together. Little Guy loves sitting on my lap and hearing stories. His imagination has grown to the point where I can read him stories from books without pictures and he is following my words closely. I know he's understanding because he'll often stop me from reading to ask a question or add to the story. How cool is that? And, while he's in my lap, he loves sitting in his old nursing position. We still get to share those special smiles.Oh, and even my oldest still has breastfeeding ingrained in him - when I check on him in the middle of the night, he makes little suckling noises in his sleep. I know those noises and remember them clearly - way back to when he was just a tiny little one.

I'm going to really miss breastfeeding. Since it has just started to become an "alternative" to bottles in our area, I'm finding that many pregnant and new moms are asking my advice. I never thought of myself as an ameture lactation consultant, but that seems to be a new part for me to play. In fact, I recently received a phone call from a woman I'd never met before. Screaming newborn in the background, all she could do was cry into the receiver. She finally managed to tell me she couldn't get her little one to eat. I was able to talk her through a nursing session over the phone and she came over to my house as soon as the baby was full - before the next feeding was due. We talked and I was floored by the misinformation she had been fed - by friends, family, and even her doctors. I helped her understand why these "facts" were merely opinions and gave her real facts. I helped her through the next feeding and she left smiling, with a baby who was sound asleep!

I'm going to address these "facts" that she had believed in another post. They are the ones I have heard over and over - in person, online, from health 'professionals', and from well-meaning friends and family. Hopefully, it will help a new mom who is struggling in a misinformed community with no real advice coming toward her.


***Sorry there are no pics. I do not have any. I'm the picture-taker in the family. Please, if you're the family photographer and are still nursing - MAKE someone take pictures of you nursing. I feel cheated that I don't have any, now that it's too late to do anything about. :-(

***

I’m celebrating World Breastfeeding Week with Natural Parents Network!
You can, too — link up your breastfeeding posts from August 1-7 in the linky below, and enjoy reading, commenting on, and sharing the posts collected here and on Natural Parents Network.

(Visit NPN for the code to place on your blog.)

Why I've Been So Sick

I have always been able to boast of a pretty great immune system. The last time I really got sick with the flu was way back in 1999. My oldest was not quite two. It was on Thanksgiving. I popped the turkey into the oven at noon and went to watch the re-runs of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The next thing I knew, it was 2pm and I couldn't walk. I crawled into the kitchen and turned off the oven. I don't remember much from the next four days. My husband took off work (I later found out) and my toddler would crawl up onto the couch to nurse whenever he wanted (open bar!!!) When I finally was able to get my own juice from the fridge, the stench in the kitchen was overpowering - The Turkey! Yeah, my husband didn't even think to look in the oven. He was more concerned about remember to change diapers and feed the little one so he wouldn't starve. That was the only time I ever just threw out a perfectly good pan - I just couldn't deal with it at the time and my husband probably would have had rotten turkey carcass all over the kitchen and himself if I asked him to do it.

 Anyway, since then, I have had colds and sinus infections, maybe the odd fever... nothing much. Until the first of this year. I've been sick four times in as many months. I get fevers, my whole body is wracked with pain, I'm somewhat delirious (NOT a good thing with my Little Guy's curiosity and penchant for sneakiness!) Why didn't I go to the doctor right away? I have a bad history with them. I don't like them and I don't trust them. Read two reasons (among many) HERE (scroll down to #5 & #6.)

 I finally gave in and went to the doctor two weeks ago. I'm underweight (it runs in the family) and the first thing the doctors around here seem to think is that I'm some kind of drug addict. Maybe it's my nervousness at even being in their office. I don't know. The first thing he said when he saw my list of complaints was, "I'm not prescribing you any pain medication until I know what's wrong with you." Um, OK, don't want it! I'm breastfeeding and I don't want my little guy getting all of that fun stuff in him anyway. And did I even ASK you for anything???  Didn't listen to my heart or even check my blood pressure. Made sure to have me pee in a Dixie cup, though! He said, after the little dipstick came out in a rainbow of colors, that it looked like I might have a problem with my kidneys. That explains the back pain. He ordered a TON of blood tests and sent me on my way.

Went back last week for a follow-up, with all of the same symptoms raging. Here's what he told me: "Your kidneys are functioning at about 60% of what they should be. I need more blood tests, so get these to the lab (holding out a bunch of little Rx papers) and come back in two weeks." So, I ask what I can do until then. Should I drink water, cranberry juice, eat certain foods??? He actually rolls his eyes, sighs, and writes another script. Here's an order for physical therapy. WHAT?! So, I ask why. He got all pissed off at me! "Well, if you don't have time to go to physical therapy, then you'll be on dialysis within six months!" Then he stomped out of the exam room. Did I mention there was no physical exam - again?

So, I got home and did what everyone does - I Googled about it. First of all, I have no idea what is wrong with me. The doctor wouldn't say - he wanted more tests. All I have to go on are my symptoms and the 60% thing. I cannot find anything that indicates that any type of kidney problem can be resolved with physical therapy. None. I've checked the scholarly articles, journals, research papers, etc. Nada. So, my appointment with him is at the end of the week. In the meantime, I'm sitting here in agony. It hurts most of the time, with fever and delirium mixed in a few days a week. I can't see another doctor. I'm on a health plan under Medicaid. So, I just have to wait.

If this guy doesn't give me some real information at the end of the week, I think I may just head to the ER. But that just brings on a new set of problems. All of those scary "what-ifs" keep going through my head. The biggest is: What if they want to keep me??? Hubby is manic-depressive with a side of ADD. I can't leave the kids in his hands. It's not that he doesn't try, but he's just not able to keep up with a 13 year-old who is practicing being an adult (yeah - it's been pretty frustrating!) and a 2 1/2 year-old who has to investigate everything (especially everything that he's been told is dangerous!) I'd probably be more ill from the stress of being stuck in a hospital than just staying on this path. If I go and refuse to be admitted, I risk losing medical coverage...

So, that's why I've been AWOL for so long. I have 25 posts that are all half-written. I have four reviews to write. I really want to get a bunch of giveaways lined up. Argh! So, please bear with me. I think that dropping this class will be the first step in the right direction - the grade and lack of getting my papers "just right" is driving me nuts!