Motor City Girl

Fwd:

2009-06-09T17:03:00.001-04:00

2009-04-24T10:49:00.001-04:00

2009-04-23T11:29:00.001-04:00

2008-11-30T13:41:00.001-05:00

2008-11-24T09:06:00.000-05:00

2008-11-08T15:21:00.001-05:00

Yes we can!

2008-11-05T09:19:00.002-05:00

Madeleine makes her first political statement!

Hey, old friend.

2008-11-02T11:41:00.000-05:00

Thirty-some years later and good as new!

Happy almost halloween

2008-10-24T19:16:00.002-04:00

2008-09-27T11:31:00.001-04:00

So animated!

2008-09-24T19:15:00.003-04:00

Lovely light

2008-09-24T08:47:00.001-04:00

I can't wait for all the family dinners we'll have here!

M is no longer a vegetarian

2008-09-23T09:39:00.001-04:00

How to wear white after Labor Day

2008-09-20T08:53:00.001-04:00

Some of the reasons why we work!

2008-09-07T16:28:00.001-04:00

History

2008-09-06T23:33:00.001-04:00

On the day of Sen. Barack Obama's historic speech accepting the nomination for President of the United States, Madeleine wouldn't go to sleep. I just didn't get it. I wanted to watch the speech, as I intended to do with all the big convention speeches for the Dems and Republicans, and it wasn't exactly convenient that I was about to be holding a super squealy six-month-old (who has just found the volume control on her voice box) for an hour while trying to hear the words of the first African-American accepting his party's nomination for America's top spot.

Then I thought, why not let her be a part of this important moment in history? So I got out the camera and started snapping, and we took it all in together. In retrospect, I'm so glad she stayed up so I was able to document it. Years from now when we are sitting around the dining room table talking about world affairs, I'll tell her about Sen. Obama's historic run for the presidency the year she was born. And I'll tell her it was the same year that the first woman, Sen. Hillary Clinton, almost got that nomination. And I'll add that it was the first time the Republicans nominated a woman, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, for their vice-presidential spot. Wow!

This is certainly an election year to behold, one that shows so much promise for the future. Having such a momentous speech interrupted by a few dozen baby squeals made it all the more meaningful.

Great toy

2008-08-20T10:49:00.000-04:00

A taped box of noisy pasta.

Happy six months!

2008-08-07T08:48:00.001-04:00

Smile!

2008-07-31T08:55:00.003-04:00

Baby items just make me smile.

Grass is fun.

2008-07-27T22:21:00.006-04:00

When Miss Madeleine is tired or cranky, there's nothing that puts her in a good mood like some soft green grass under her feet.

And there's nothing that puts us in a good mood like hanging out with a baby on some soft green grass -- even if we spend much of the time trying to prevent said baby from leaning/toppling over and eating the grass. It's still just plain fun.

Food. Happy and sad... mostly happy.

2008-07-27T21:53:00.004-04:00

M. tried food for the first time last weekend -- the inevitable rice cereal. What an incredibly happy moment to see our baby growing to be so healthy and strong that she's already ready for "big people" food.

But at the same time, my heart ached while feeding her. After all, this 14.5 lb. baby, who is nearly six months old, has been sustained entirely, I said entirely, on breastmilk. That means she has been living her entire little life off of food that I create for her daily in my own body.

So while it was incredibly exciting to see her eat real food, it meant something so much bigger. She's growing up and becoming more independent.

And I guess mommy will just have to start sharing her.

Hey Addy...Whoa!!!!!

2008-07-27T21:46:00.001-04:00

I can do it!

2008-07-26T17:42:00.001-04:00

M can hold her own bottle. Where has the time gone?

Sucker for bakeries.

2008-07-24T12:23:00.001-04:00

Reaching!

2008-07-24T08:50:00.001-04:00

Au naturel

2008-07-17T21:07:00.000-04:00

2008-07-16T08:24:00.001-04:00

2008-07-13T19:41:00.001-04:00

2008-07-13T19:10:00.001-04:00

Okaaaaay!

2008-07-10T16:09:00.001-04:00

Perfect fit!

2008-07-07T08:29:00.002-04:00

I love

2008-07-03T09:31:00.000-04:00

That my work essentials like headphones have to compete for space in my purse with fuzzy lions.

The flower series

2008-06-28T21:08:00.003-04:00

With the move into the new house, the return to work and everything else, I've hardly had time to blog. While I've been shirking my blogging duties, our little munchkin is growing up.

Last month, she discovered her ears, and they became positively fascinating. Soon, her feet became all the rage. They're still in vogue, but she also loves just staring at her hands, and we love staring at her eyes growing wide as she sees those little wiggly things attached to her arms just moving out of control.

She became very squeal-y this month, too, which is so entertaining. But today we really were in for a treat, getting a taste of sustained baby laughter as she delighted in a rousing game of peek-a-boo. It gave me the giggles, too, as she just grew more and more amused at peek-a-boo being repeated twenty or so times.

In the above photo, you can see her curiosity in bloom. Oh, the simple pleasures!

Smile

2008-06-23T20:27:00.001-04:00

Cooking made easy

2008-06-23T19:23:00.001-04:00

Yup. This is the real deal.

2008-06-10T17:56:00.002-04:00

2008-06-07T18:55:00.001-04:00

2008-06-07T18:02:00.001-04:00

Oh my!

2008-06-03T20:09:00.001-04:00

At home

2008-06-03T08:09:00.000-04:00

Good morning, new house!

2008-06-01T09:01:00.001-04:00

Comfy new house

2008-05-31T07:21:00.001-04:00

So much fun!

2008-05-23T09:25:00.001-04:00

The life!

2008-04-27T13:41:00.001-04:00

Holding a rattle

2008-04-25T17:35:00.000-04:00

2008-04-25T15:23:00.001-04:00

Wow!

2008-04-25T15:17:00.001-04:00

Pretty path

2008-04-24T15:09:00.000-04:00

Lovely Dearborn

2008-04-24T15:04:00.001-04:00

Ooh! The zoo!

2008-04-19T14:29:00.000-04:00

2008-04-17T14:45:00.001-04:00

2008-04-17T14:07:00.001-04:00

Fave place!

2008-04-16T16:44:00.001-04:00

Glad we splurged on Born Free BPA-free bottles!

2008-04-16T14:24:00.001-04:00

From the NY Times...

Canada Likely to Label Plastic Ingredient ‘Toxic’
By IAN AUSTEN

OTTAWA — The Canadian government is said to be ready to declare as toxic a chemical widely used in plastics for baby bottles, beverage and food containers as well as linings in food cans.

A person with knowledge of the government’s chemical review program spoke on the condition he not be named because of a confidentiality agreement. He said the staff work to list the compound, called bisphenol-a, or B.P.A., as a toxic chemical was complete and was recently endorsed by a panel of outside scientists.

A public announcement by Health Canada may come as early as Wednesday but could be delayed until the end of May. Canada would be the first country to make a health finding against B.P.A., which has been shown to disrupt the hormonal systems of animals. The department’s decision was first reported in The Globe and Mail, a Toronto newspaper, on Tuesday.

Also on Tuesday, a draft report from the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ National Toxicology Program endorsed a scientific panel’s finding that there was “some concern” about neural and behavioral changes in humans who consume B.P.A.

B.P.A. is widely used to make polycarbonate plastics, which are rigid and transparent like glass but very unlikely to shatter. Polycarbonates have many uses that pose no risk, like the cases of some iPod models. Because animal tests have shown that even small amounts of the chemical may cause changes in the body, however, researchers have focused on food- and drink-related applications of B.P.A., like the popular Nalgene brand beverage bottles.

“If the government issues a finding of toxic, no parent in their right mind will be using products made with this chemical,” said Rick Smith, the executive director of Environmental Defence, a Canadian group that has been campaigning against B.P.A. “We will be arguing strongly for a ban on the use of this chemical in food and beverage containers.”

The public and industry will have 60 days to comment on the designation once it is released, setting into motion a two-year process that could lead to a partial or complete ban on food-related uses of plastics made using B.P.A.

Alastair Sinclair, a spokesman for Health Canada, said, “When the minister has an announcement to make, he will make it.” Mr. Sinclair declined to answer any questions.

A spokeswoman for the Canadian Plastics Industry Association referred a request for comment to the American Chemistry Council in Arlington, Va. The council did not respond to interview requests.

Some scientists question the significance to humans of studies indicating that even very small amounts of B.P.A. can induce changes in animals. There is also some dispute about how much of the chemical is released by plastics.

Jack Bend, a professor of pathology at the University of Western Ontario in London and one of the Canadian government’s outside scientific advisers, declined to comment on what action Health Canada would take. But he said he was concerned about the widespread use of B.P.A.

“The first thing is that it’s an endocrine disrupter, there’s no question about that,” Professor Bend said, referring to the chemical’s impact on the hormonal system. “Should people that are exposed to these low levels of this chemical be outrageously concerned? I’d err on the side of not creating panic. We simply don’t know. But we should find out.”

Professor Bend added that the impact of B.P.A. on the development of human fetuses was worrisome. It may prove to cause damage in much the same way as early exposure to mercury, he said.

Still going strong...

2008-04-15T21:12:00.001-04:00

We are all about the reusable organic wipes!

Yes, we plan to vaccinnate, but...

2008-04-10T13:19:00.002-04:00

Why is it that all the authors of these vaccine studies suddenly end up working for the vaccine companies? It's just a question.

From the NY Times
April 9, 2008, 5:03 pm
Is Mumps Making a Comeback?

An alarming outbreak of the mumps two years ago has raised questions about whether an additional vaccination is needed.

A report in The New England Journal of Medicine tracks the 2006 epidemic, the largest mumps outbreak in two decades in the United States. It occurred despite a national vaccination program aimed at eliminating the disease here by 2010.

Mumps is a viral infection characterized by fever and swollen salivary glands. Mumps had virtually disappeared in the United States in the 1990s, when doctors began using a second dose of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine among schoolchildren.

But surprisingly, most of those who became infected with mumps in the 2006 outbreak were college students who had received two doses of the vaccine. The outbreak raises questions about waning immunity and whether a third dose of vaccine may be needed.
The outbreak appeared to start in January 2006 on college campuses in Iowa.

By February, mumps was reported on other campuses, and by April the outbreak peaked, with 40 states reporting 2,786 cases. By the end of the year, a total of 6,584 cases and 85 hospitalizations had been reported, but no deaths occurred. Eight states — Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin — had the highest number of mumps cases.

The researchers noted that the virus likely came from students or other travelers from Britain, where there was a larger outbreak of the same strain. Since 43 percent of the world’s nations do not vaccinate against mumps, additional cases from overseas are likely, the report said.

At the time of the study, lead author Dr. Gustavo H. Dayan was employed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He now works for Sanofi Pasteur, which makes a mumps vaccine. In the United States, the mumps vaccine is sold by Merck.

Thank. God. For. Coffee!

2008-04-08T12:39:00.001-04:00

2008-04-06T20:06:00.000-04:00

Oh my. So much to weigh.

2008-04-03T12:47:00.002-04:00

Deadly Immunity
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. investigates the government cover-up of a mercury/autism scandal

By ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. (from Rolling Stone)

In June 2000, a group of top government scientists and health officials gathered for a meeting at the isolated Simpsonwood conference center in Norcross, Georgia.

Convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the meeting was held at this Methodist retreat center, nestled in wooded farmland next to the Chattahoochee River, to ensure complete secrecy. The agency had issued no public announcement of the session -- only private invitations to fifty-two attendees. There were high-level officials from the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration, the top vaccine specialist from the World Health Organization in Geneva and representatives of every major vaccine manufacturer, including GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Wyeth and Aventis Pasteur.

All of the scientific data under discussion, CDC officials repeatedly reminded the participants, was strictly "embargoed." There would be no making photocopies of documents, no taking papers with them when they left.

The federal officials and industry representatives had assembled to discuss a disturbing new study that raised alarming questions about the safety of a host of common childhood vaccines administered to infants and young children. According to a CDC epidemiologist named Tom Verstraeten, who had analyzed the agency's massive database containing the medical records of 100,000 children, a mercury-based preservative in the vaccines -- thimerosal -- appeared to be responsible for a dramatic increase in autism and a host of other neurological disorders among children. "I was actually stunned by what I saw," Verstraeten told those assembled at Simpsonwood, citing the staggering number of earlier studies that indicate a link between thimerosal and speech delays, attention-deficit disorder, hyperactivity and autism. Since 1991, when the CDC and the FDA had recommended that three additional vaccines laced with the preservative be given to extremely young infants -- in one case, within hours of birth -- the estimated number of cases of autism had increased fifteenfold, from one in every 2,500 children to one in 166 children.

Even for scientists and doctors accustomed to confronting issues of life and death, the findings were frightening. "You can play with this all you want," Dr. Bill Weil, a consultant for the American Academy of Pediatrics, told the group. The results "are statistically significant." Dr. Richard Johnston, an immunologist and pediatrician from the University of Colorado whose grandson had been born early on the morning of the meeting's first day, was even more alarmed. "My gut feeling?" he said. "Forgive this personal comment -- I do not want my grandson to get a thimerosal-containing vaccine until we know better what is going on."

But instead of taking immediate steps to alert the public and rid the vaccine supply of thimerosal, the officials and executives at Simpsonwood spent most of the next two days discussing how to cover up the damaging data. According to transcripts obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, many at the meeting were concerned about how the damaging revelations about thimerosal would affect the vaccine industry's bottom line.

"We are in a bad position from the standpoint of defending any lawsuits," said Dr. Robert Brent, a pediatrician at the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Delaware. "This will be a resource to our very busy plaintiff attorneys in this country." Dr. Bob Chen, head of vaccine safety for the CDC, expressed relief that "given the sensitivity of the information, we have been able to keep it out of the hands of, let's say, less responsible hands."

Dr. John Clements, vaccines advisor at the World Health Organization, declared that "perhaps this study should not have been done at all." He added that "the research results have to be handled," warning that the study "will be taken by others and will be used in other ways beyond the control of this group."

In fact, the government has proved to be far more adept at handling the damage than at protecting children's health. The CDC paid the Institute of Medicine to conduct a new study to whitewash the risks of thimerosal, ordering researchers to "rule out" the chemical's link to autism.

It withheld Verstraeten's findings, even though they had been slated for immediate publication, and told other scientists that his original data had been "lost" and could not be replicated. And to thwart the Freedom of Information Act, it handed its giant database of vaccine records over to a private company, declaring it off-limits to researchers. By the time Verstraeten finally published his study in 2003, he had gone to work for GlaxoSmithKline and reworked his data to bury the link between thimerosal and autism.

Vaccine manufacturers had already begun to phase thimerosal out of injections given to American infants -- but they continued to sell off their mercury-based supplies of vaccines until last year. The CDC and FDA gave them a hand, buying up the tainted vaccines for export to developing countries and allowing drug companies to continue using the preservative in some American vaccines -- including several pediatric flu shots as well as tetanus boosters routinely given to eleven-year-olds.

The drug companies are also getting help from powerful lawmakers in Washington. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who has received $873,000 in contributions from the pharmaceutical industry, has been working to immunize vaccine makers from liability in 4,200 lawsuits that have been filed by the parents of injured children. On five separate occasions, Frist has tried to seal all of the government's vaccine-related documents -- including the Simpsonwood transcripts -- and shield Eli Lilly, the developer of thimerosal, from subpoenas. In 2002, the day after Frist quietly slipped a rider known as the "Eli Lilly Protection Act" into a homeland security bill, the company contributed $10,000 to his campaign and bought 5,000 copies of his book on bioterrorism. The measure was repealed by Congress in 2003 -- but earlier this year, Frist slipped another provision into an anti-terrorism bill that would deny compensation to children suffering from vaccine-related brain disorders.

"The lawsuits are of such magnitude that they could put vaccine producers out of business and limit our capacity to deal with a biological attack by terrorists," says Dean Rosen, health policy adviser to Frist.
For more, go here

Hurry! Go online and vote for Maddy!

2008-04-02T17:34:00.004-04:00

www.heritage.com/contests

She's number 17 and is up for cutest kid in Dearborn. If she loses, I'm canceling my subscription to the Press and Guide, and we know that hurts the whole industry.

(Ha. Ha. Just kidding about the subscription cancellation. But I'm serious about voting.)

Curly?

2008-04-02T16:29:00.002-04:00

Does this look like the same baby? When we give her a bath, she gets crazy curly hair like her dad. And then we "pet" her head all day to soothe her, etc. and her hair gets straight.

We're still waiting to see whether she really is a curlie-q. (Patrick looks at the curly hair, thinks of his own trials and tribulations with his and says: "Poor baby." I think it's quite cute, though.)

Close up

2008-04-02T15:59:00.001-04:00

M won't nap if I set her down today. We're just walking around in her sling.

Sometimes...

2008-03-28T12:22:00.001-04:00

You gotta set the baby down when doing the laundry. ; )

Niiiiiiiiice!

2008-03-27T21:09:00.002-04:00

I used to take the following medication for my crazy allergy to cold. The doc said I could take it during the pregnancy, but I decided not to...just in case.

Thank goodness, eh?

From the Guardian...
FDA probes suicide risk in Merck's Singulair

By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators are probing a possible connection between Merck & Co Inc's blockbuster Singulair asthma drug and suicidal behavior in adults and children, the Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday.

The FDA said it is reviewing the issue after receiving reports of mood and behavior changes, suicidal thinking and suicide in patients who took the drug, which is used to treat stuffy nose, sneezing and other allergy symptoms, as well as asthma.

No definite link to the drug has been established and the agency did not say how many post-marketing reports it had received. Merck declined to say how many reports had been submitted, but said they involved both adults and children.

While Merck earlier noted the behavioral risk on Singulair's drug label, the FDA said it asked the company to evaluate its data for more information. The agency said its review would take up to nine months to complete.

Hee hee!

2008-03-25T20:37:00.000-04:00

The big feet on these outfits crack me up!

Grrrrrrr!

2008-03-23T21:16:00.002-04:00

The NY Times has a story about how the freebie baby formula offered at hospitals actually reduces the number of women who breastfeed.

Apparently, that seemingly generous offer by the formula companies just preys on the poor, desperate moms who are at the end of their ropes with breastfeeding. Let's face it: breastfeeding can be really difficult and confusing in the beginning. I can see why many moms give up.

The hospital staff also tried to seduce me with free formula. I took it (just in case I couldn't physically breastfeed) but told my mom to hide it. Thank goodness I never caved!

Here's the story...

Formula Freebies Cut Breastfeeding Time
The benefits of breast milk are well known, and national health programs encourage

But hospitals actually undermine efforts to encourage breastfeeding by including free formula in the care packages they give mothers and babies as they leave the hospital, according to a study last month in The American Journal of Public Health.
Researchers surveyed about 3,900 Oregon women who had babies in 2000 and 2001. Among those who were breastfeeding when they left the hospital, more than two-thirds said they had received hospital care packages containing formula.

But the care packages had a dramatic impact on patterns of breastfeeding. Women who received the packs were 39 percent more likely to stop exclusive breastfeeding at 10 weeks or sooner than those who didn’t receive free formula, according to the report.

“The distribution of these packs to new mothers at hospitals is part of a longstanding marketing campaign by infant formula manufacturers and implies hospital and staff endorsement of infant formula,'’ wrote the study authors. “Commercial hospital discharge pack distribution should be reconsidered in light of its negative impact on exclusive breastfeeding.'’

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, although about 74 percent of American women try breastfeeding, only 11 percent end up breastfeeding exclusively for at least six months.

Remembering the old days

2008-03-23T14:36:00.001-04:00

Whoo hoo. Shopping at Home Depot!

The color of success!

2008-03-21T16:04:00.002-04:00

After several thwarted attempts, I actually used my green bags at Kroger -- and on one of the busiest shopping days of the year!!! The bagger didn't know what to do with them so I helped her bag.

And I even got a "bag credit" for using them -- five cents a sack.

Big Baby

2008-03-21T11:14:00.003-04:00

M. had her second doctor's visit yesterday, and she weighed (whoo hoo!) ten pounds!

Or, as my dad said, "As big as a sack of potatoes but more than a gallon of milk."

Madeleine, the explorer

2008-03-17T12:46:00.004-04:00

I come up with some crazy stories when M. is awake and active. (Parents, I've learned, do some really sil-leeeeee things to keep their babies occupied. Right, parents? You know what I'm talking about.)

Today's story was how M. and I were two explorers in the Galapagos. We discovered this new species -- a cross between a blue-footed Booby (which is a real bird), a caterpillar and a rattlesnake. I, of course, was afraid of it, but M. is fearless so she pulled it from the underbrush to study its bones and fascinating blue feet. (You can see said caterpillar-rattlesnake-blue-footed bird hiding in the brush in the above photo.)

Naturally, thanks to M.'s ingenuity, we become famous in this first explorer series. There's much more to the story, but I'll have to tell you some other time. We've got more exploring to do.

First stroller ride!

2008-03-13T17:09:00.000-04:00

Boo hoo!

2008-03-13T15:11:00.001-04:00

M was bigtime disappointed in the 'cuse yesterday!

Go green!

2008-03-13T13:21:00.000-04:00

These are our new grocery bags. To learn more, go to www.greenbag.info, or to purchase, go to treecitydiapers.com

The art of multi-tasking

2008-03-11T12:15:00.001-04:00

We read the New Yorker aloud while we feed!

Ready Set Bumbo!

2008-03-10T13:44:00.000-04:00

I sooooooo wish we had thought of this!

Date night!

2008-03-08T21:11:00.001-05:00

Patrick and I tried a new wine bar in the D.

Tulips from the hubby!

2008-03-08T16:41:00.000-05:00

Hopefully it's a sign of spring!

Poor Addy!

2008-03-08T11:35:00.002-05:00

We took back the changing table (which became a default bed for the cats) so Addy adopted the new cable box as his next sleeping quarters.

Two things caused us to move the cable box: 1) I started to worry about the box giving the poor little guy cancer since he slept on it about 14 hours a day (must've been warm and cozy) and 2) he and the box took a giant tumble off the TV stand one day. I don't know how it happened, but I looked up one afternoon and saw what looked like a blurry black and white avalanche as the cable box cascaded over the edge of the TV stand, and four little white cat paws scrambled to grasp on to anything locked down.

Now Addy sleeps in a standard cardboard box on the TV stand. No worries. He seems to be fine.

:)

Maddie's got the hiccups...again!

2008-03-08T11:33:00.002-05:00

In this video debut, Madeleine shows her tremendous hiccuping abilities while my parents try to coax her to show her other skills. Watch and be amazed!

First class...

2008-03-06T13:33:00.005-05:00

M. and I had our first class together. This one is a four-week class on infant massage. Some of the benefits are that the massage techniques help a baby sleep and also work to conquer indigestion and fussiness. My mom and I tried some of the leg massages on Madeleine after we got home, and she seemed to love it.

My favorite part is the bonding. I loved rubbing the balls of her little feet, toes and leg muscles and watching her grow calmer with each stroke. Massage also takes our skin-to-skin contact beyond the rapid-fire diaper changes (and the tender -- yet busy -- moments of breastfeeding) and allows us both to just enjoy each other's touch. During the brief massages, I have time to marvel at her growth and process all the little changes taking place on her wee body -- the increasing pudginess in her cheeks and neck, the growth of her eyelashes, the extended time her eyes seem to be able to focus, the new cooing sounds she makes. And what a joy to feel her soft newborn skin in my hands!

An added bonus is that the massages calm me, too, to take a few minutes to connect with my baby during these days that turn out to be incredibly busy and quite tiring.

Next week: tummy massages.

From askdrsears.com

WHY MASSAGE
Besides the fact that it is just plain fun to touch your baby, infant massage helps babies grow and develop better. Other cultures highly value touch to help babies grow. In some Eastern societies a mother is reprimanded if she doesn't give her baby a daily massage. One of the most exciting areas of research is the connection between touch and growth. Touched babies thrive, and here's why.

Touch stimulates growth-promoting substances
Healthcare providers have long known that babies who are touched a lot grow better, and now there is research to back up this observation. There seems to be a biological connection between stroking, massaging, and grooming infants and their growth. Touch stimulates growth-promoting hormones and increases the enzymes that make the cells of the vital organs more responsive to the growth-promoting effects of these hormones. For example, premature infants in a "grower nursery," where they can gain needed weight, showed 47 percent more weight gain when they received extra touch.

Animal researchers have recognized the connection between a mother animal's licking her offspring and how well her babies grow. When newborn pups were deprived of their mother's frequent licking (equivalent to infant massage), the level of growth hormone decreased, and the pups stopped growing. Even injecting growth hormone into the untouched pups would not cause them to grow. Only when the mother animal's touching and licking were restarted did the pups resume their growth.

...Touch promotes brain growth
Not only is touch good for the body, it's good for the mind. Studies show that newborns receiving extra touch display enhanced neurological development. Why this smart connection? Researchers believe that touch promotes the growth of myelin, the insulating material around nerves that makes nerve impulses travel faster.

Touch improves digestion
Babies receiving extra touch show enhanced secretion of digestive hormones. Researchers believe that this is another reason that touched infants grow better. It seems that touch makes the babies' digestive system more efficient. Babies with colic caused by the irritable colon syndrome may have less trouble in the colon when massaged frequently.

Touch improves behavior
Research shows babies receiving extra touch become better organized. They sleep better at night, fuss less during the day, and relate better to caregivers' interactions. Touch settles babies. Massage can be a wonderful tool for helping your baby go to sleep at night.

Touch promotes baby's self-esteem
Being on the receiving end of loving hands helps babies develop a feel for their body parts by learning which areas of the body are most sensitive and which need relaxing. Being touched gives value to a person, like an adult feeling "touched" by the remarks of a friend.

Touch helps parents
A daily massage helps you to get in touch with your whole baby, to read her body language, and to learn her cues. Giving your baby the right touch is just one more step up the ladder of learning about your baby. Infant massage is especially valuable for the parent and infant who had a slow start – for example, when separated by a medical complication. Massage helps parent and baby reconnect. For the slow-start mother who doesn't feel naturally "motherly" toward her newborn, massage is the extra spark to ignite the fire. Likewise for the slow-to-warm-up baby, massage helps break down the barrier so that the uncuddly baby begins to enjoy being touched – and the parents get used to touching their baby.

Several employed mothers in our practice use an evening infant massage as a tool to help them reconnect with their baby after being away for the day. This special touch enables them to tune into baby and tune out their work as they reenter home life.

For dads who are novices at caring for babies, massage is a hands-on course in baby handling. Also, it's important for baby to get used to dad's touch as well as mom's. Babies thrive on different strokes.

High-need babies have tense muscles that need help relaxing. Every baby needs lots of touching. High-need babies need more (of course!). There is no touch more soothing than that of skin on skin, although for some babies, skin- to-skin contact can actually be stimulating, so you have to proceed with caution. Infants who spend time in neonatal intensive care units after birth tend to have a high need for pleasant touch, since so much of the touching they experienced in the hospital was painful. Some very sensitive high-need babies – dubbed "uncuddly babies" – actually pull away from being touched because they find it threatening or overstimulating. In this case, a routine of careful, gentle touches can gradually accustom this baby to being handled and will help him eventually enjoy touching.

For more, go here...

Never too early...

2008-03-06T13:21:00.000-05:00

... To start the college fund. This bank from my cousin is a great start. Patrick plunked the first quarter in yesterday.

Day or night?

2008-03-05T15:34:00.001-05:00

M. sleeps when she feels like it. That's that!

Hey, 4 a.m... long time no see.

2008-03-03T16:48:00.002-05:00

M. is still a night owl on half the nights. That means I am reacquainting myself with hours of the night I haven't seen regularly since college.

Hello, 3:30 a.m. How ya been?

Hey, 4:30. Who invited you?

Umm, 6 a.m., I don't think I asked you over. Go away.

What? 7:30 a.m. wants to stop by, too? Well, clearly I can't say no. Let's just get up and have a party. Break out the fancy rattles. Pop in some John Coltrane. Grab the Jazz ABC book so we can do this right.

I am also reacquainting myself with naps which, being the busybody that I am, I kind of hate. But as they say: sleep when baby sleeps.

Something new, however, is sleeping in until 1 p.m. (like today) after M. finally goes to sleep or my parents take her upstairs for a few hours. (Living with the folks has its perks.)

Watching a husband become a father...

2008-03-01T16:36:00.003-05:00

Wow!

I love my husband -- that's a given, but it's something totally different and phenomenal to love your husband as a father.

I am amazed by the tender moments Patrick spends with the baby.

I knew from their first conversation at the hospital (when he talked to her about where we live, why Syracuse b-ball is having such a bad season, how she got her last name, and the fact that we have a puppy at home named Phoebe who is going to be her best friend) that he was going to be a great dad.

I sit in awe sometimes as I watch him nimbly change and clean cloth diapers (yes, we're still happily using cloth, you naysayers), rock and jiggle her until she's content when she's crying for seemingly no reason, warm a bottle and feed her at 3 a.m. when I'm way too tired to wake for another feeding, or just sit with her and read her the paper (see above).

Actually, I even knew when she was in the womb that he would make a great daddy. See, while I had trouble even picturing the baby, Patrick was constantly telling me about these little moments when he'd envision their future together. My favorite one was when he told me he pictured the day when they would sit together at one of those little tables with the wee chairs, having an imaginary tea party and drinking cups o' nothin'.

Ha! Cups o' nothin'. I don't want to rush any of these days, but I cannot wait until the day they are sitting down at M.'s little table drinking cups o' nothin'.

Best purchase

2008-02-29T10:14:00.006-05:00

When we bought this little travel bed for M., I thought it might be another one of those silly items that we use just a few times. After all, it's not like we're taking a vacation to Chicago or Paris any time soon.

That said, we use this constantly. She likes it better than her bassinet, and we are happy to comply with whatever helps her sleep.

:)

So disappointing!

2008-02-26T12:05:00.002-05:00

Whenever anyone asked how long I planned to work before I took maternity leave, I gave the same answer: "Until my water breaks in the newsroom."

And while that didn't happen, I did work until the evening that I began to have serious contractions. In fact, I was outside in below-freezing weather cleaning inches of snow off my car in the parking lot at work just hours before we were driving to the hospital -- car seat and hospital bag in hand. I even stayed a little late at the office that night because a story broke at 5 p.m., and I was asked to contribute. Naturally, I was glad to help. That's my job. But working until the day before you have a baby is no fun. That's a fact, and unfortunately, more women are just like me, according to the NY Times. (More below.)

Bottom line is: who can afford to do anything else? I certainly didn't want to take time off before I had the baby because that would just take away from my leave time when M. was born. Even now, I can't believe that more than two weeks have gone by, and I will only be spending 9-and-a-half additional weeks with my baby. Then I'll go to seeing her for just a few hours each night. How unnatural.

Again, it's a sign of the times. A very sad sign, in my opinion. (And this brief discussion doesn't even get into all the nuances of short-term leave and the Family Medical Leave Act, which are much less family-friendly than I originally thought.) While the story mentions that a lot of women are going back to work sooner because of the protections FMLA offers, etc., I think it's because most families just can't afford to do otherwise!

From the New York Times...

As women have children later than ever and more work outside the home, they are also working longer into pregnancy and returning to work faster than they did four decades ago, the Census Bureau said Monday.

The trend reflects a number of developments since the early 1960s, including more opportunities for pregnancy leave, paid and unpaid, and increased protections for pregnant women against job discrimination.

In the early part of that decade, 44 percent continued to work during pregnancy; that rose to 67 percent among women who gave birth to their first child between 2001 and 2003.

The share who quit work before or after giving birth dropped to 25 percent, from about 36 percent in the late 1980s. (Comparable data from the 1960s was not available.) Nearly half took paid leave. Fewer than 4 percent said they were fired from their jobs before or after giving birth.

Fully 80 percent of the women who worked during their pregnancy from 2001 to 2003 continued to do so into the last month of pregnancy, compared with 35 percent in 1961-65.

In the early part of this decade, 55 percent returned to work within six months after giving birth; that figure was 14 percent in the early 1960s...
For the rest of the story, click here.

Fashion debut...

2008-02-24T15:40:00.001-05:00

Three girls and an ancient tradition

2008-02-23T16:28:00.004-05:00

To celebrate my birthday, my mum and M. took me out to lunch at Dragon Palace. It was more meaningful than an average trip to a Chinese restaurant -- even more monumental than our first trip to a restaurant with the baby. It was, in fact, the passing on of an ancient tradition among the women in my family.

See, some of my favorite memories as a child were spent over tea, egg drop soup and almond chicken at Lim's Chinese restaurant on Michigan Avenue in Dearborn. My mom, grandma and I used to trek over to Lim's on special occasions -- grandma's birthday or mother's day. Going out to eat was a big deal to me because we couldn't afford to do it very often, so I savored every last drop of bitter tea (heavily sugared) and slurped every last bit of my golden yellow egg drop soup. But the best part of the trips was the girl talk. I felt so big, sitting there with my mom and grandma as we chatted about grown-up topics and discussed whether our personalities matched the descriptions (dictated by the year we were born) printed on the colorful placemats. (I -- the year of the Tiger -- was a born leader, courageous but warm-hearted.)

Yesterday marked a new tradition with a new girl in the family. I can't wait for all the dozens of afternoons to come as M. grows into a little girl and also savors that bitter tea over important topics with mom and grandma, like whether M. likes her teachers, is enjoying her French lessons, loves Charles Bukowski (as I do), adores Mint Milano cookies (like grandma) or whether her personality really fits the description written on the colorful placemat for her Chinese zodiac sign -- the year of the rat.

From Chinese.astrology.com...
Though the Western rat is reviled as little more than a bottom-dwelling disease carrier, this animal is viewed much differently in the East. The Eastern rat is revered for its quick wits and its ability to accrue and hold on to items of value; rats are considered a symbol of good luck and wealth in both China and Japan. Clever and quick-witted, the Rat of the Chinese Zodiac is utterly disarming to boot. Possessed of excellent taste, this Sign flaunts its style at every turn. Its natural charm and sharp, funny demeanor make it an appealing friend for almost anyone. The Rat likes to know who is on its side and will treat its most loyal friends with an extra measure of protection and generosity.

Behind that sweet smile, though, Rats are keen and unapologetic promoters of their own agendas. This Sign is motivated by its own interests, which often include money; greed can become a problem if the Rat isn't careful to keep its priorities straight. This Sign's natural powers of charm and persuasion can definitely come in handy! Although they are often hoarders, Rats can be very generous to those in their pack, namely friends and family members who have proven their loyalty. Others might perceive them as quick-tempered and sharp-tongued, but never boorish. Verbal jousting is a great pleasure for the Rat, a Sign that everyone around will quickly learn either to love or to hate.

Rats enjoy being on the outside looking in, as the outside affords a view into the inner workings of a system or situation. The Rat's keen mind always seeks out new knowledge, to be stored away for future use. This ever-curious Sign also welcomes challenges as a way to stay sharp. If boredom sets in the Rat is no fun at all, but that isn't likely; this Sign knows how to keep itself entertained.

A valuable lesson for Rats is to learn to consider others above themselves, at least sometimes. If they can develop their sense of self and realize it leaves room for others in their life as well, Rats could find true happiness.

Could Addy be jealous?

2008-02-21T18:43:00.001-05:00

He has been eating this box for days.

First trip to Target

2008-02-20T15:39:00.000-05:00

Sing it!

2008-02-20T13:05:00.001-05:00

You may not be able to see it, but M is rockin' out to Bob. (Dylan, of course.)

Did I say that?

2008-02-20T11:35:00.002-05:00

Did I really say M. was developing a sleep routine?

I should have my degree from Kalamazoo College revoked. The only routine is no routine. Two nights ago, she was up on and off for a good 4 hours. We fed, sang, chatted, etc. from about 12:30-4:30 a.m. Yesterday, we went to bed at 10 p.m., and she only woke 3 times before 8 a.m. to feed and have diaper changes.

She loves to be unpredictable, I s'pose. The late nights are, of course, a crazy adjustment, but I appreciate all of them. Everyone tells me to enjoy these moments because pretty soon I won't even remember the sound of her newborn cry... or her frequent bouts of baby hiccups...or all the odd little squeaky noises she makes for no reason...or the feel of her soft, teeny bum, which fits in my palm. (Note to self: record baby cries, hiccups and squeakiness!)

Ah, but I was right about one thing: her umbilical cord fell off, and now she has a regular little belly button. The cord was missing for a while (and I secretly worried the dog ate it), but we found it. Thanks, Daddy, for tearing apart the bed.

Our baby is growing up... too fast!

2008-02-18T20:00:00.002-05:00

Madeleine had a big week.

Born at 7 pounds and 2 ounces, she lost weight a few days after birth (as babies do) and fell to 6 pounds 13 ounces. By her first visit to the doctor on her eighth day (and thanks to my outstanding breastfeeding!), she was up to 7 pounds 10 ounces.

The doctor said her little reflexes indicated great development of her central nervous system. And the cord blood banking firm said she had NINE times the necessary sample for her collection to be valid. (She's an overachiever!)

And she has already begun to change her sleeping habits. The first night she was home, she cried for five hours straight (and I cried watching her cry). Since then, knock on wood, she has begun to sleep on and off during the night with waking periods for feeding and diaper changes every 1.5 to three hours. She's apparently a night owl and has been most alert so far from about 11 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. (on and off). She leaves us tired, of course, but we can already see new sleep patterns emerging.

And you can't see it in this picture, but her umbilical cord is nearing the stage where it falls off.

Sigh.

I love her progress, but boy, the time is flying. I wish it would slow.

I've missed you, lover!

2008-02-18T17:28:00.002-05:00

I'm, of course, pretty exhausted, but I enjoy leaving the house for about one to two hours every one to two days to retain some normality. Today's field trip was to Bed Bath and Beyond so Patrick could review possible birthday presents for me. (I'm in love with this Cuisinart four-slice toaster.)

But we also took a quick detour to World Market to check out the close-out sale and decided to get a bottle of wine. I can only have a glass because of breastfeeding (and my low tolerance), but it was fun to shop for a bottle and be reminded of my previous passion for le vin!

I'll be interested to see whether my palette has changed. I used to love the Chateau St. Michelle Riesling but found it to be awfully sweet tonight. Still, it was lovely to sip a glass.

Quick supper

2008-02-16T19:15:00.002-05:00

I really don't know why humans ever got away from relying on an extended network/family to get by. I know we'd be lost without my parents' help during this period. And thank goodness they do the cooking.

That said, I like to remind myself every so often that I used to love to cook. So I whipped up some of these easy appetizers tonight that served as a quick dinner: sun-dried tomato pesto and mozzarella on small baguette slices. Drizzle with olive oil and stick them in a 350-degree oven for about 5 minutes, then top with some fresh basil. Voila!

Lovely supper for two tired parents!

This is why we call her "pea pod."

2008-02-15T13:19:00.001-05:00

2008-02-14T23:15:00.000-05:00

Mmmm!

2008-02-14T19:12:00.001-05:00

A date

2008-02-14T18:22:00.001-05:00

Oh my!

2008-02-14T18:12:00.002-05:00

Wine! I've been without it for about eight months, and I have certainly missed it. So I celebrated Valentine's Day with a lovely Trimbach Gewurztraminer during my date with my husband tonight.

Yes, I actually said Patrick and I went on a date to one of our fave restaurants -- Annam in Dearborn. My awesome parents volunteered to babysit so we could go out for a few hours. (We were so tired that we kept it to about two hours and had our first 6 p.m. dinner reservation ever. We usually make dinner reservations for about 9 p.m. and complain that more restaurants should have later dining hours. Ha ha!)

It was a terrific night. (I even resisted the urge to duck into the bathroom several times to call my folks to check on the baby.) Those few hours out gave us a chance to digest all we've been through this past week -- the surprising birth two weeks early, the extreme joy we felt first holding Madeleine, the amazing moments watching her make 15 different faces when she's waking up, the incredible exhaustion from the late-night feedings, the love we didn't know we were capable of.

We also enjoyed just talking and reminiscing about our first date...and just talkin' about whatever. We really needed to just sit down for a minute and chat. The time alone also made us recall our "other lives" of freedom -- restaurants, bars, sleeping in, spontaneous trips to Chicago, etc.

But I can honestly say, as I sit here writing this -- with little Madeleine sleeping on the couch next to me-- I'm so glad to have the life I now have.