MamaGrizzly

Are you an organ donor? If not, you need to be! Please don’t take your organs with you - they won’t do you any good once you’ve left this earth. PLEASE check into organ donation.

Don’t think your organs make a difference? Well, they DO! And you don’t even have to die to make an organ donation - bone marrow is another very big need and you can do that now while you are alive!

Don’t believe me? Well, several months ago, I had a blog entry about young lady name Tricia who has cystic fibrosis. Just as she was preparing to begin her journey to prepare for a double lung transplant, she found out she was pregnant. I could tell you the whole story (I’ve been reading their blog and praying for them since early January), but it would be best if you started here. Long story short? Tricia was given a less then 50 percent chance that either she or the baby would survive. Guess what? Tricia is now out of the hospital after receiving her double lung transplant and her beautiful little girl - Gwyneth - born 15 weeks early will most likely go home this week. Don’t believe me? Read for yourself. But I warn you - it will change you! Happy Mothers Day Tricia!

I get a LOT of hits on people doing google searches on Pulmicort and Xopenex - and the other day, someone was even searching Pulmicort with the words “infant hype”.  Pulmicort IS a steroid and it most DEFINITELY affected our daughter.  She’s always been a good sleeper but we definitely noticed that we couldn’t give her Pulmicort at night.  If we did, bless her heart, she was hyped up for half the night - it was pitiful.  When we DID give her Pulmicort (and we tried not to), we wound up giving it to her in the morning only - it definitely affected her during the day, though, and it was harder for her to fall asleep for her naps -  nothing a little extra snuggling and nursing couldn’t fix though!

My parents did a LOT of things right - those are the things I most definitely want to mimic.  One of those things was always making healthy snacks available.  I could eat at any time of the day if I was hungry.  My Mom always made sure that there were plenty of healthy snacks available around the house for those times.  We had fruits, nuts, crackers - oh yes - and peanut butter!  We never had sodas around and cookies and cake were special treats but ALWAYS home made.

I learned a lot from that growing up and it’s taught me some very healthy eating habits.  And although my Mother always prepared healthy dinners, I’ve been able to learn even more about health and nutrition.  It’s interesting that my children, 4 and almost 2, are naturally hungry and want something to eat about 6 times a day.  Why do I find that interesting?  Because every diet out there known to man preaches that you should be eating 6 small meals a day - and my children are just acting on their natural hunger.   I won’t bother naming any of them because EVERY diet and diet book I’ve read makes that recommendation.

And I think that is critical to the success of our children - to teach them that food is simply energy - it’s not to be a controlled substance.  But, I’m also considered “odd” by many of my friends because, you see, we don’t bring sugared foods into the house.  Children don’t NEED sugar.  What they need is a steady stream of healthy carbohydrates, protein, and the right fats to maintain their energy.   When my children are older and able to fix their own snacks, I intend to give them free access to the kitchen pantries and refridgerator.

I get a lot of hits on this blog for people doing google searches on “Xopenex and Pulmicort“.  When my daughter was diagnosed with RSV in November 2006 (at 7 months), we had to give her breathing treatments of Xopenex and Pulmicort off and on throughout that Winter.  I was told to be prepared that we would probably be on both drugs throughout the second Winter of her life as well.

I fully expected, after talking to the pediatrician, as well as, friends and family members who have children who have had RSV that this Winter (2007) was going to be rough but I am happy to report ( and a little nervous since it’s not QUITE over) that we’ve only had to do breathing treatments for about 3 days since October 2007.    We’re very relieved that she has stayed as healthy as she has and I hope that next year we won’t even need the prescriptions for Xopenex and Pulmicort.  Anyway, since I get so many hits on those 2 drugs, I just thought I would post an update.

My darling little soon to be 4 year old son decided today that picking a very small red berry and sticking it UP his nose would be a LOT of fun!  Only to find out that gravity doesn’t work QUITE as well in a nostril as it does on the playground.  So, we tried tweezers and a flashlight and started getting frustrated.  Then one of the ladies at the church said, “I think if you blow in their mouth as if you were going to do mouth to mouth resuscitation that it will come out.”  You know what?  It worked!!!!  Moms - tuck this in your brains - you too may need to know this very critical skill one day!

I have an RSV baby….  But let me preface that by saying I am blessed that she was born ON her due date at a whopping 8 pounds 5 ounces and VERY healthy.  She was also 100% breastfed until she was 9 months and then I started with food but continued breastfeeding for another 6 months.  So, all that to say it helped my daughter IMMENSELY with this dreaded virus.  It can be a deadly virus for parents of premies or children born with underdeveloped lungs or other problems.

When she was 7 months old (and it’s been almost a year to the date), she came down with what we thought was a nasty cold.  But, we were up with her for an entire Friday night - and I mean we paced the floor with her for 6 hours and she whimpered in our arms almost the entire time.  We KNEW something was wrong.  Fortunately, our pediatrician was open that Saturday for illnesses like this.  We took her in and the second the doctor listened to her lungs she said, “I think she may have RSV - let’s test her.”  Fifteen minutes later, we had the positive diagnosis.  We quickly became the proud owners of a nebulizer  and one treatment of Xopenex and Pulmicort in the doctors office and my daughter was no longer wheezing and had fallen asleep in my arms - FINALLY she could get oxygen to her lungs.

We continued with breathing treatments pretty steadily through January but we QUICKLY discovered that when she got the Pulmicort (which is a steroid) in the evenings, it woke her up at night.  So, we just continued with the Xopenex through January and then after that watched her carefully and with every cold, she started back on the Xopenex treatments.

Fast forward to this year - she’s now 19 months and the RSV is still affecting her.  We had to start back with the breathing treatments this year for all colds and continue them for a couple of days after the cold symptoms are gone.   The doctor highly encouraged us to do Pulmicort twice a day and Xopenex three times a day.  Well,  we gave her Pulmicort at night for 2 nights straight and guess what?  Our little “like a rock” sleeper was up each night - WIRED TO THE MAX wanting to PLAY!  What???  This is the SAME little girl that will go to bed at 8:00PM and sleep in and cuddle with her Daddy on Saturdays until 9:30AM!   So, we decided to NOT give her Pulmicort last night - guess what?  Our little sleeper was back!  She didn’t want to have a party at 3:00 in the morning!  Anyway, just wanted to post our experiences with that in case other parents are out there searching for answers!

This is a MUST see!!! 

I forgot about the Halloween toy/costume recalls.  There is an article on FoxNews about the recalls.  Below are some important highlights from the article.  The really scarey part is the number of parts listed in the article.  How many of you parents knew about these?  I read the news regularly and found many of these a surprise. 

 The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued warnings on items such as witch and skull pails, cape costumes and pumpkin Mr. Potato Heads, saying they are unsafe for kids.

“We’ve tested 22 Halloween products, and three were found to have contained high levels of lead,”

About 142,000 purple witch buckets, manufactured by Family Dollar Stores in Charlotte, N.C., were recalled because of toxic lead levels found in the paint coating them. Also pulled were 55,000 candy-filled skull pails, made by R.L. Albert & Son of Greenwich, Conn.

Fake choppers called “Ugly Teeth” tested positive for lead too, with conflicting reports about whether the levels surpassed the limits set by the Food and Drug Administration.

How safe are you feeling about buying toys made in China?

FoxNews has another article dated October 31, 2007 - Lead-Tainted Toys Recalled.  Are you surprised?  Below is an excerpt from that article:

WASHINGTON —  Toys “R” Us recalled about 16,000 Chinese-made Elite Operations toys because of lead contamination, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Wednesday.

The military-style toys are recalled because their surface paints contain excessive levels of lead, which is toxic if ingested by young children. Under current regulations, children’s products found to have more than 0.06 percent lead accessible to users are subject to a recall.

This is the second recall of lead-tainted children’s products for Toys “R” Us this month. On Oct. 4, the company recalled about 15,000 Totally Me! Funky Room Decor Sets because surface paints on the back of the decorating kits’ mirrors contained high levels of lead.

But, this is just one of many  articles I found when I did a search on FoxNews of “Chinese toy recall”. 

If you’re not rethinking what you are buying for your children, you need to be!

I’m not sure when I’ll be back but I have a few scheduled posts.

I’m beginning to think that this is never going to end!  FoxNews has an article this morning about Winnie the Pooh Playsets being recalled.   Below is a quote from the article:

More than 90,000 children’s products, most imported by J.C. Penney Co. Inc., were recalled Thursday for containing dangerous levels of lead, a government safety group announced.

J.C. Penney recalled Chinese-made Winnie the Pooh play sets and decorative ornaments with a horse-theme, as well as art kits made in Taiwan and Vietnam. Totaling 70,400, the toys imported and sold by J.C. Penney all had excessive levels of lead in their surface paint.

Lead is toxic if ingested by young children. Under current regulations, children’s products found to have more than 0.06 percent lead accessible to users are subject to a recall.

Parents - if you aren’t concerned, you SHOULD be.   And you should definitely be thinking about buying toys made in the good ‘ole USA!

I’ve often heard the phrase that if we live long enough, we will leave this world much the way that we came in.   I have had a lot of time to reflect on this in the last few years as my 80+ year old Father has gotten older and now after visiting with him after a very difficult hip surgery, I had an opportunity to reflect on this while sitting at my Father’s bedside for 3 days.  It was hard trip for me as I had to leave my cute little toddlers behind - thankfully I have a marvelous husband who insisted that I go and despite the children being sick the entire time, my husband has told me over and over how much fun he had with the children. God has blessed me immensely!

I’ve watched my Father over the last couple of years progress from no naps, to taking 1 nap a day, to taking 2 naps a day.  It’s interesting because in that same period of time, my toddler has gone from 2 naps a day to 1 nap a day.  I’ve watched as occasionally he has become confused. I’ve also watched that he is an absolute creature of habit - boy howdy does that sound like a toddler or what?  Habits and routines - toddlers and the elderly thrive on those things and remove one of those and functioning normally can be difficult.

My Father had a bad fall and fortunately got to the phone and was able to call my sister.  After the initial hip surgery and some rehab, they found infection and so 2 more surgeries, lots of drugs and antibiotics were administered.  He’s now completely out of his element.  He’s in strange places moving around all the time with unfamiliar people and unfamiliar surroundings.  And worst of all, my Mother is no longer here to be that “rock” of foundation the way a Mother or Father is to a child.  What does that do to a toddler when they are in an unfamiliar surrounding and Mommy or Daddy didn’t bring them there to help them get adjusted?  Well, those of you have parented know that it brings about fits of tantrums due to unfamiliarity and anxiety.  They are out of their routine and out of their element - and it’s difficult.  It’s been exactly the same for my Father.

So this brings up a great comparison - I should treat my children exactly the same way as I treat my Father in his current state.  Would I get mad at him and yell at him for doing something he shouldn’t?   Of course not.  When my Father gets upset, I try to calm him down, console him, remind him who I am (a child wouldn’t necessarily need that), and simply be there for him. In other words, treat him with kindness and love.  And, just like when my toddler says, “Mommy! I don’t like you!” and my response is, “Well, I’m sorry about that but I still love you!”   My response to my Father when he says something mean will be along those same lines. It has to be, doesn’t it?  And with my Father, it very much boils down to treating him exactly the way I would want to be treated.  Should that be any different than how we treat our children?
It’s just been such a reflection for me these past few days in my parenting and in my struggles to parent.  It’s a reminder that my toddlers deserve the exact same treatment that my Father does.  It’s truly been a time of reflection for me and a reminder that my toddlers (well, my toddler and my preschooler) need the same amount of patience that I have with my Father.  And, it’s the same love and patience that will provide for a better long term relationship with my children.  And folks, that’s what it’s all about with our children - building a relationship. 

I’ve also been reading a book the last few days while my Father has been sleeping. The book is titled “Hold On to Your Kids - Why Parents Need to Matter More than Peers”. It’s a fabulous book and I can’t wait to share more of it. But the book is about connection - and connecting with our children. It also talks about how our society has changed and how much more critical a strong attachment is with our children.

Well, have I got a surprise for you!  There are MORE Thomas the Train recalls being announced.  Yes… that’s right more bad products Made in China. 

I’m 40.  There.  I said it.  Funny - I don’t “feel 40″ but everywhere I look I am reminded that I AM getting older!  I take really good care of myself, I try to exercise when I can, eat right, all those good things.  But, I’m still aging.  ugh!  And EVERYONE has to remind me of that simple fact.

I had both children after I turned 35.  They make you feel ancient because they place you in the “ADVANCED MATERNAL AGE” category!!!  

I also realized sometime before I turned 40 that I was having to hold things farther away to read them than normal.  I can’t read small print as well as I used to.  Then I found out that once you turn 40, you’re supposed to have a mammogram EVERY year.   

But, today was the REAL kicker.  I’ve been having problems with my eyes being very dry - it’s been going on all summer.  So, I googled it on the Internet to see what some of the “causes” might be.  There are a number of things that can cause dry eyes.   But you know what was listed among them?   AGING.   

You’re not surprised, are you? It’s yet ANOTHER recall in the Chinese made products problem. The following excerpt is from FoxNews

NEW YORK — Toys “R” Us has recalled 27,000 crayon and paint sets made in China because the packaging of the wooden box contains lead, as does some of the watercolor paint within, company and government officials said Thursday.

No injuries have been reported from the use of the Imaginarium Wooden Coloring Cases, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

I do hope that all of the parents out there are really taking this seriously and looking into purchasing more of their toys from US toymakers.

The toy recalls are becoming so common now that don’t even seem to be getting major headlines.  See my screen shot below of where I found this article on Fox News.  To be fair, I didn’t even find the article on the main page of CNN or MSNBC.

Teresa of TOYSMADEINAMERICA.COM stopped by and left a comment on my  blog entry titled Buy Toys MADE IN AMERICA.

This is by far the most comprehensive list I have seen.  I encourage you to stop by there for all of your toy shopping - indoors AND outdoors!

SpongeBob SquarePants Address Books are being recalled over lead fears….  Here’s an excerpt from the article:

WASHINGTON —  An Ohio importer recalled nearly 250,000 SpongeBob SquarePants address books and journals manufactured in China because the bindings might contain hazardous levels of lead paint, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Wednesday.

Martin Designs Inc. notified the agency that tests of the metal spiral bindings turned up lead content above the level considered safe for children, the CPSC said. Under regulations, children’s products found to have more than .06 percent lead accessible to users are subject to a recall.

FoxNews has an article title Buy American: Toys Made in the USA.  In light of recent events in China, and Mattel’s attitude that they have no intention of changing their relationship with China, I will be seeking out more American made toys and products than ever before.  Here are some American toy manufacturer’s.  Let’s all do our best to support them.  Anyone have experience with any of the vendors below?

Melissa and Doug - I LOVE their products - especially their puzzles.

American Plastic Toys

Shop for America

Zebulon USA

US Made Toys

Uncle Goose Toys

Holgate Toy

Maple and Mark