Another Recall

Heinz has announced another recall of a jarred baby food, this time Sweet Potato and Beef Medley.  Recommended for 8 months and up.  Looking at the pictures, it looks like a puree but is probably lumpier.

My first thought is "Ewww.  Who buys this for their baby?".  Oh, wait...I probably did.  Although I could cook a nice sweet potato, I never got smooth pureed meats.

My next thought is "Food before one is just for fun; breast milk is the primary source of nutrition."  Well, we're supposed to say "Breast milk or formula" but statistics say more babies are formula fed at this age then breastfed.  But if we're trying to make breastfeeding "normal", then people shouldn't be adding "or formula".  It's already assumed, so let's leave it out.

However, formula is expensive and many parents want to get  their kids on "solids" as quickly as possible.  Current recommendations are no solids before six months, and then basically anything except raw honey, and if you have allergies in the family, avoid the allergens.  This is not to replace breast milk though.  It's in addition to.

A current "trend" is baby lead weaning.  It's not weaning in the sense of taking two weeks to get your baby off the breast or bottle.  It's more like baby lead "introduction" to solids.  The idea is that you can offer bite sized pieces of real, human food that you would eat, and if your baby is ready, they will eat it.  If they're not ready, they won't eat it.

Think back.  Waaaaayy back.  Back before the commercialization of parenting.  What did mothers do?  Take a piece of their food, squish it, flake it, chew it, etc and give it to their baby.  They didn't have the option of pureed chicken or dried cereal in a box.  Why have we fallen prey to the big companies that make us think we're wrong if we don't serve rice flakes or veal Parmesan that looks like something the cat barfed up?

I'm in some Frugal Parenting groups on Facebook.  These are geared more to giving away unneeded items, but every day people ask questions about parenting, and not always with a frugal mindset.  Like, "What age can I start cereal, baby is 3 months old now".  As well as waiting till six months for the biological reasoning of stomach enzymes, I suggest that waiting till six months is also frugal because you can skip cereals and serve real foods.  And you'll also save money on cleaning baby clothes LOL.

Yet so many parents are insistent their baby needs infant cereal!  Pablum was created by the Hospital for Sick Children during the Great Depression for babies that were malnourished.  It's less than 100 years old, a tiny speck in the millions of years of human evolution.  Is your baby malnourished?  Even if so, there are much better options.  Rice, in particular is a crappy food, without much actual nutrition, and it has great negative socio-economic and environmental impacts on tender cultures around the world.  These cereals are "fortified" so parents think that's a good thing.  What that means is that the natural minerals and vitamins were stripped away during processing (this IS a processed food!) and (lab made versions) were added back in.  The %RDA listed is not accurate because these minerals and vitamins are harder to absorb.

It's OKAY to skip baby cereal, and jarred foods, and those pouches.  Don't be a media push over.  If your great grandma didn't use it, you can survive without it too.  Somethings might just make life easier, but it's not a "need".  But is also okay to give cereal!  I would stay away from rice and wheat though.  Why start your baby out on a carb heavy diet when we know it's not healthy for adults?  A little homemade oatmeal is nice though (once in a while).

 Does this look like a happy baby?  Not really.  I waited till six months to give Megan cereal (compared to just before 4 months with child #1).  Although I knew it wasn't necessary, I fell for it anyway.  However, I was in a real learning phase around then, thanks to the boom of parenting forums and the Internet.  If I could do it over, I would.

Compare this to two months later, and eating "real" food!

What baby wouldn't rather gnaw on a cob of corn then have spoonfuls of mush forcibly put into their mouths?

Tragic

The earthquake in Nepal is tragic.  It's hard to prepare for something like that when you're barely surviving day to day.  Earthquakes and tornadoes tend to create total destruction, so even if you have a 72hr kit, you might not be able to access it, and well, it's only going to last 72 hours.

On one hand, I subscribe to the socialist Canadian view.  Help for everyone, for the good of the country.  We're all people, we all need help at some point.  What goes around, comes around.

On the other hand, I cringe when I hear that the Canadian government is contributing $5 Million dollars to the relief efforts.

"Our biggest concern for them right now is going to be access to clean water and sanitation, we know that water and food is running out."

(This quote was just grabbed from a news sidebar).

What about all the people in Canada who don't have easy access to quality food and water?  Anyone remember the  Attawapiskat First Nation crisis?  What about the children here who rely on school breakfast programs for the best meal of their day?  What about the people living in Toronto Public Housing?  Where's the money from our own government to help them?  

I know there is a lot of wastage in Canadian programs.  Attawapiskat was ordered to repay a large amount of the money the government gave them.  Many people claim there is wide spread abuse of the social assistance program.  I know people in the system, and it's not easy to get, and to stay on.  For a small number, perhaps it is easier than "getting a real job", but that's not a huge number.  You hear complaints about someone on welfare having their nails done or using a newer cell phone.  Sometimes you'll find out that the cell phone is their home phone, their computer, their TV, their only contact with modern technology.  It's pretty hard to get by without access to the Internet these days, or not having a phone number.  Sometimes someone else is paying for it.  Whatever.  I do think financial awareness classes should be mandatory.  However.

I think it's awesome Canada can send some money to Nepal.  It's "only" 17 cents per person of Canada.  Just imagine, though, what that $5 million could do to help Canadian people.  But we're all people.  Is helping those that have barely anything to start with, more important than helping those that payed into that money and could help generate more revenue for the government?  Imagine if hospitals didn't have to charge for parking just so they can buy new beds or a CT scanner.  Imagine if you didn't even have a hospital to go to.  Imagine if post secondary education was a little more affordable for all Canadians.  Imagine if you were fortunate to get educated through grade 8.  

I don't want this $5 Million to supply bottled water and nutritionless rice.  I hope Nepal has some plans in place.  Katmandu was a growing hub of business, I hope it can recover and improve. I really do hope that.  I just can't help thinking of those, though, that are squashing cockroaches in a TPH apartment, with leaky windows and no hot water, at the same time.

Americanized Birth

Oh, America.  You've given us lots of awesome stuff, and some not so awesome.  Two of the saddest things have to be the infatuation with food, and the medicalization of birth.

I was watching "Outrageous Births:  Tales from the Crib" on TLC.  While a few of the stories are truly outrageous, so many are actually more like how birth should be happening.  The problem though, is that people have become so far removed from "normal" birth, that what is normal is now considered "outrageous".

A woman was getting induced, two days past her due date because she was "overdue" and worried about the size since her last baby had been born a week early and was 7lb 14oz, and she didn't want to have a big baby!  Due dates are estimates.  The doctor uses a standardized due date "wheel" that is based on a 28 day cycle, with ovulation happening on day 14.  Not that many women actually have this cycle!  So the due date is actually considered an estimate.  Doctors generally consider a 2 week period on either side of the due date to be "normal".

The average newborn weight is 7lb12oz-7lb14oz.  At the end of pregnancy, a baby typically puts on 1/2lb per week.  So, even if her first baby was early by a week, he would have been 8lb6oz by the due date.  Not a "large" baby by any means.

The next few things really made me shake my head though.  She gets checked, and it is determined she is 5cm.  That means she's in active labour.  Yet, the nurse says "Let's start the induction with pitocin to get this labour going."  If the nurse doesn't understand the point of an induction, what hope does the patient have?

Okay, there was the small issue of a tornado heading towards the hospital. But the mom got an epidural and was unable to assist in her move to safety...they knew about the tornado when they gave the epidural.  I don't know why they thought they needed to speed up the birth to "beat the tornado" since they don't have any control over either.

Anyway.  Ladies.  If your nurse says you're 5cm and they're going to induce you, ask for a new nurse.

Say Wha?!

I was just channel surfing and paused on TLC, during an episode of "My 600lb Life".  The patient was in to the visit the doctor for a pre-surgery approval appointment, and has had five months to lose some weight before being approved.  She hadn't lost any weight and had to explain herself to the doctor.  She claimed she was doing everything she was told, "I'm eating low carb, like you said.  I even started making wheat bread myself so I could stick with it".  You could almost hear the doctor giving himself an imaginary head slap.  Her support person also looked dumbfounded and they both told her that wheat bread is still bread and is not low carb.  She truly looked surprised.

Oh, people.  Really?

Rob Goes Carseat Shopping

I thought I had moved all the "not knitting" posts from my knitting blog, but I found this gem from Jan 18, 2007:

THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2007

Rear Facing Carseats

I'm cleaning out my emails, LOL.
Megan is still rear-facing. At first, it was because she was not even 19lbs on her birthday. But staying rear facing for as long as possible can be a life saver. When Huey was less than a year, he was a chubby Buddha baby. Seriously! You'd never know it now, but he was a porker, LOL. The carseat said it went to 20lbs. The general rules out there back then said "20lbs or 1 year" when you turn them around. So we turned him around--which did help with his screaming :) Even though I usually think for myself in most aspects of parenting, I didn't have many options then--a few carseats went to 22lbs rear facing, but that was it. Now, carseats can go up to 30 or 35lbs rear facing!

We needed a new carseat for Megan, one that could go rear facing now, and forward facing as long as possible---until Huey meets the criteria for a regular seatbelt. I had heard a lot of good things about Britax seats, but you can't just go into Wal-Mart and pick one up. So we trodged down to Brampton to the baby safety store for a gate, last September or October, and looked at the seats. They didn't have many--most are at the Mississauga store. The Britax Roundabout was $250, and good rear facing till 33lbs, and forward facing till about 40lbs. It seemed expensive, but we'd be using it for at least 3 years I figured, and it was not that much more than other seats. But we couldn't get it that day.

So a while later, I sent Rob back down. First we looked on the website, and I saw the Marathon that was $300, and goes to 48lbs (the website says 65 lbs, but the guy in the store says Canadian guidelines say 48lbs. I think it would be hard to fit one of our skinny giraffes in it when they reach 65lbs--Huey is just over 50lbs, and I don't think he'd fit in), but he didn't want to spend $300, just for another 8lbs. He called the store, said he wanted to know which of the Roundabouts they had in stock (they come with some great fabrics!). The guy said "All of them" Which was odd, cause they only had one when we were there. So he goes with Lucy.
He comes home, walks in the door, and says "They charged me $300 for it!". I'm like, did you get the Roundabout, or the Marathon--the one you didn't want? Didn't you question why it was so much more than the website said?" No, no questions, Lucy picked out one she liked. He takes it out of the box--it is the Marathon. It is huge. Lucy could be using it still (and if we actually had the other old toddler seat, I'd put Lucy in the Marathon and Megan, rear facing, in the old seat). I said "Did you try it in the truck? That was the whole point of you going by yourself". Nope. It barely fits. It's a battle to get the other seatbelts done up. But Megan loves it. Never complains. Huey wants to keep her rear facing forever--it's very handy having older siblings, LOL.

Anyway, if you ever have any carseat questions, or need some reassurance about keeping your 12month + rear facing, check out this website. There's all kinds of neat things, including videos.
And, if you've got a SUV and need more space, check out www.littleseats.com they make 3rd row seats sized for kids!

This is copied from my knitting blog, I wrote it June 10 2008.  It was a  Meme from Catbookmom.

What's the last book you read that you thought was really super, inspiring, you'd recommend it to most anyone?
Well, I don't read much anymore....there's a Reader's Digest and a Queen's Alumni magazine in the bathroom, LOL. I was really enthused with "Could it Be B12"....so much so that I wrote a long post about it here last year. Another book I recently 'read' was "Richistan" by Robert Frank, about 'new money' in the States. Okay, the only chapter I really read was the one on how wealth is affecting parenting, LOL. At the same time, I was also reading "The Simple Life" edited by Larry Roth. The funny thing---during this time, Oprah did her show on "Free-gans". I'm very big on voluntary frugalism. I hate seeing people live not only beyond their means, but beyond their needs. Sure, perhaps I don't need that whole yarn stash in the basement, LOL, but I've only bought a little yarn this year and some of that I've already used up! Another recent book was "The Children's Blizzard" (don't have the author info anymore). About a massive blizzard on Fri Jan 13, 1888 (or was it 1889?). The book went back in time and gave histories of the Nebraska/Dakota immigrants; their lives before emmigrating, their trips over, the years before the storm, and after. Also a lot of history on the US weather service.

What food totally grosses you out, you'd never be able to touch it? Ew. Gag. *hurl*
I don't do well with squishy. Or unusual. My family was always enthusiastic to try things like frogs, eels, small game.....I like fish pretty well, but don't like any seafood. Especially oyesters, clams, mussels, octopus.....that fleshy texture.....ick.

Is there a song that makes you dance every time you hear it? Would you tap you feet and sing along to it in public?
I'm definately a closet singer. And dance? Ha. However, Barbara listed Footloose. What's hilarious is that I was recently at Winner's (I think the US version is TJ Maxx), and Footloose came on the speakers. I saw two ladies, both older than me, dancing, and one of them was unabashedly singing! But then, in the purse section, were two younger ladies, and I overheard one say "I LOVE this song! It totally reminds me of "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion"! LOL.

Tattoos: yes or no? Do you have any? Tell us! Do you think they're gross? TELL US.
I do not have any tattoos. I cannot think of anything that I want permanently penned on me, to follow me through the rest of my life. If I could come up with something representing music, or knitting, or Canada, I would do something small. But I don't know where. I don't think I'd want it visible to the public. It's almost becoming too trendy to have tats, and I'm feeling a little rebellious NOT having any!

Go through a stack or box of your old music. Stuff that you may not have heard in years. Pick one and tell us about it. Is it as good (or as bad) as you remember?
I do tend to listen to most of my music fairly frequently. I've REALLY slacked off in buying CDs though. I have quite a few that I keep only for a song or two, and I have a really ecclectic collection. One of my long-time favourites is Nanci Griffith "Little Love Affairs" but I'm also a big Mary Chapin Carpenter and Jann Arden fan. So much so, that I tried to get Rob on board with naming Megan "Arden". LOL. I love almost all my CDs, and even if I'm not a big fan of most of the album, I just can't part with any. They almost all have some sort of emotional attachment; the ones that don't do get parted with.

There, I did more than 3 questions. I don't know who to tag, because I'm slow on this one, and we all read the same blogs, LOL. So, if you haven't answered some personal questions in awhile, go to it!

Life with a Spirited Child

Aaaaargh.  It's been another one of those mornings.  Having had children with speech and language delays, sensory processing disorders, and now potentially ADD, it's hard to know when it's one of those coming through, or lack of sleep ("Sleepy Bugs") or hunger ("Hungry Monster"), or their "spirited" personality.

 Today was a good example.  She (Megan) was tired (busy weekend away at her first synchro skating competition and three late nights since then), and then couldn't find ANY socks that were her's in the clean laundry.  Well, there were her socks, but not the match for the one she wanted (I throw all the kids socks in a basket on the shelf, and when I get a chance, I match them up, or make them).  I think I've seen a match for that one sock....once.  However, there are dirty socks on the couch, on a kitchen chair, in the basement (that's a popular spot), on the stairs....finally, two matching, acceptable socks were found.

Then it was "I need something to eat!".  I don't usually make her breakfast, I'm busy making lunch which is more predictable and routine.  She settled on corn flakes, but I didn't know how much to pour.  While checking the bowl out, she saw I had put brown sugar on.  That was WRONG!  What kid doesn't want brown sugar on their corn flakes?!

Then she remembered about her e-reader.  The school is participating in "Battle of the Books" and this year, she can take part, and now the books are on e-readers.  She took in her Sony e-reader, hoping to get the book put on it, but the tech guy said he couldn't.  Last night she was reading, and came down saying she was on page 30 of 40 for the chapter but suddenly the box at the bottom came up and she didn't touch anything but now the line spacing was different and there was only 37 pages in the chapter and it wasn't where she left off.  Since it was late, I said we'd look at it in the morning.

So, in the mad rush of morning, here I am trying to get the chapter to  have 40 pages, by changing the font size and the line spacing.  I get it to 40 pages, but page 30 is not where she was.  So, I fiddle with it to make the font and spacing look like it did before, but now there's only 36 pages and page 30 is not where she was.  She was getting really agitated, and I tried to explain that those numbers really don't matter, as long as she can find where she was.  She was really headed towards a meltdown.
This is one of the things we deal with frequently, with her.  Her idea/belief that something is a certain way and no discussing it will change her mind.  Her synchro coach told the team to come to the show with their hair done a certain way.  Then she sends an email saying the team will do it together before the show.  This caused a major meltdown.
All she could say about where she was in the book was that it mentioned "Mr Brunner" so I scrolled around to find his name somewhere after where I had left off last night.  That was the spot, but it was not page 30 of 40.  Argh.  Finally, she relented and took it.

The alarm to go get coats and boots on sounded.  That's usually when she realizes she needs money/forms signed/different socks/gym shoes in a different size/secret Santa gift, etc.  Some of these things could be avoided if I'd remember to check her agenda when she gets home from school....but due to her language, that's not always easy to understand.  And I think I might have ADD too :)

Today could have been much worse, and many mornings are.  She can be difficult to understand, verbally, and that just makes it even harder.  Put it all together, and whoa.  Why is it the parents of these kids are exhausted but the kids themselves never seems to need sleep?!