Natural Healing

With the recent recall of my favorite teething tablets, it truly is the case that nothing (not even the natural stuff) is always 100% safe. Of course the moment the recall happened, thousands and thousands of parents went on-line and to brick and mortars to buy up each and every single container of these miracle pills (natural parenting people, go figure). In fact, many natural parenting parents view the recall as nothing more than the FDA trying to come down on natural remedies for the sake of big pharmas. The "problem" with the pills, according to some, is the inconsistent amounts of belladonna--many docs believe this is nothing to be concerned about.

Side note: Eating 6 bottles may cause a problem. Imagine 1 bottle of Tylenol.

Still I have to admit that I have used them less, if only because Dalia seems less upset by her teething pains. Oh, and because of my recent purchase!

After reading, researching, talking, debating, and doing some general thinking about other teething/discomfort remedies, we decided to purchase a baltic amber teething necklace for Dalia. The jeweler, Inspired by Finn, is an entrepreneur who showcases her products at HyenaCart, one of my favorite on-line shopping destinations.

Read up on amber as a natural healing remedy:

http://hyenacart.com/inspiredbyfinn/index.php?c=63&p=14913

http://www.viewpoints.com/No-Brand-Amber-teething-necklace-review-00b92

http://www.mamapedia.com/article/amber-teething-necklaces

Side note number 2: the above is a quick google search and not my serious research!

Does it work? Who knows.

I will have to let you know, though it may be the placebos talking :)

Dalia eats beans

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Teeth

And I thought labor was hard!

Teething is really a crazy thing. One moment our child is blissfully happy, smashing B's Wacky Balls with the yellow, squeaking hammer (their website is really cute, check it out). The next moment our little munchkin has tears rolling down her face. So long as mommy and daddy are holding her (for the most part) she is fine. The moment darkness rolls around and that little b-word (bedtime) starts emerging from our lips, she is a totally different child. Unhappy, to say the least!

So Dalia has four teeth so far. Right now she is getting four more--all at the same time. Imagine that! And while these nights are difficult, I really cherish the time she needs us in the middle of the night. Soon this stage will pass and she will be telling us to go away. We relish it while we can :)

Dalia is also very interested in walking. She always wants us to hold her hands so she can practice. She doesn't like sitting down and she really doesn't like diaper changes. I can barely get the diaper around her little white round tushy before she is off! Sometimes I don't get that far and her little tushy goes racing down the hallway. Well there goes those last few pounds holding me back from my favorite pair of pants. Maybe they will see the light of day in 2010 after all.

Crafty Stuff

So many of you know I am a serious crafter. I like knitting, scrap booking, cooking, sewing, and anything artsy. Some of my favorite websites (Hyena Cart and Etsy) sell hand made, eclectic, and artsy things. I love supporting small business and individuals so if you do, too, please visit the sites!

I am currently working on a project of my own: mod-inspired barrette holders for girls. These are hand crafted items where parents can store hair accessories for their little munchkies.

This is my first attempt so it is not good, but take a look:

All of the edges are hand sewn.

See this one showing the barretts:

AND... the whole thing:

I know it isn't the most beautiful thing in the world, but I am just getting started with these.

I will be posting updates as I make more. I am going to do some vintage inspired ones using organic prints and combine both styles using a variety of textures. Stay tuned! And moms of little girls, you will be getting one on the house!

Recall

Another recall!

Check out the Fisher Price website to see if any of your items are on the list!

What is in that Vaccine?!

Gelatin

Fetal Bovine Serum (derived from aborted baby calfs)

Human Diploid Cell (derived from human fetuses in a laboratory setting)

Chick Embryos

These are current ingredients in the MMR vaccine.

Formaldehyde? Yep, that is in the IPV vaccine.

Some kids are exposed to 40 pricks and prods before they turn 2!

Don't believe me? Think this can't be true? Contact your local pharmacy and ask for the ingredient list and then go further and ask your pediatrician for the information on the specific maker of the IPV vaccine they use. Call that company for a full listing of every single ingredient.

In my circle of friends, vaccine talk is one topic of discussion that really gets heated. Most of my friends have opted to follow the alternate vaccination schedule recommended by Dr. Sears. For those of you who aren't familiar with Dr. Sears, take a look at his website and his famous writings on vaccines. Many people do not "jive" with Dr. Sears, but he spoke directly to us. His opinions aren't for everyone (nor should they be). This is information that we find useful and we know that some parents feel the traditional schedule suits them.

It is an individual choice.

This is simply our journey.

Even before Dalia's birth, H and I spent a long time discussing vaccines and did plenty of research. We knew that we definitely did NOT want her to receive the routine eye medication after birth. Some hospitals still use silver nitrate which can burn a baby's eyes. More often than not, hospitals are using Erythromycin instead. While it causes little physical harm to the baby, it does give the baby blurred vision for quite some time, and YES, newborn babies can see right after birth. We knew we wanted our little Dalia to see the two people who helped her make it into this world.

Dalia did not receive the HepB vaccine. We did not want to unnecessarily expose her to possible fever, lethargy, and the inability to suck with gusto in he first days on earth. This vaccine is extremely important if the mommy has HepB or if the family is residing in a part of the world where HepB is more common than not. We do plan on giving Dalia this vaccine later in life when it makes more sense for her. That time is certainly not now.

Most pediatricians recommend administering the IPV (polio) vaccine at 2 months. I gave Dalia her first dose of IPV today at her 10 month appointment. I was pressured like you wouldn't believe. It was a bad situation. This would never happen if we signed up for a practice listed on the Dr. Sears website as vaccine-friendly. Dr. Minkus does generally start the IPV series at the 10 or 12 month appointment, but he listens carefully to concerned parents and then often alters the course of action with empathy.

So what did I do upon returning home? Contact the pharmacy etc etc... I feel disappointed and angry right now. Upset and confused. It will all get better with time, but I just want to know why the orthodox practice of medicine is so stifling, secretive, and rigid.

Being a parent is hard enough, but I just can't let this go! I am a researcher (always have been, thanks mom) and the vaccine world is really unknown to most parents. We assume things are good because the doctors say so, but not all doctors say so!

Even if you give your child every single vaccine, at least research beforehand a little bit and know that the decisions you have made are right for you and your baby.

On the Move

So yesterday's post was bad timing.

We have a moving Dalia on our hands. Something tells us life will never, ever be the same!

After ten amazing months Dalia is sporting some serious red knees post an army crawling marathon day.

Let the fun begin!

Back to Blogging

Hello everyone!

Things have been crazy in the Horowitz household. We finally settled into our *temporary* abode and have just about ten months before we move *again* back to good old Chicago. God I can't wait to get back to that city. Virginia is not my favorite place and lets just leave it at that. Positive thinking! One fun thing about being in Virginia and having a hubby working at the United States Supreme Court is that Dalia gets to meet important people and had the opportunity to play "hands" with our newest Justice.

Here we are visiting daddy at work:

Dalia is a whopping TEN months old at this point. Crawling? Not really! Standing? With help! Teeth? Two! Sleeping? Sometimes! Talking? She says uh oh and dat dat dat dat dat and points--too cute! She is about 21 pounds these days (read: bigger than your average little munchkie) and very, very tall. She is adorable and just because you might not believe me I have added some new-ish photos:

We were lucky enough to have a house FULL of visitors (and toys... yes too many of those) nearly every day since we moved into the condo. Here is a favorite of mine:

Yep. My favorite (well only) sister came in for a visit and she brought her very own munchkie, Chase. We had a fabulous time! A girl like me needs serious quality sister time.

Most recently we celebrated two very special holidays: Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. These are HUGE holidays in Judaism and this was Dalia's first time celebrating them. It was so special for us! We were in NYC for the first and in Virginia for the second. We can't wait to have many more years celebrating these together.

So what does 5771 have in store for us? Hmmmmm... we aren't telling anyone just yet (kidding, seriously) but we want to do our best to be better people and to love one another even more. One thing that will happen in 5771 is Dalia's 1st (gasp) birthday. How can we be this far into parenthood already? 5771 is also the year I get to go back to Chicago. Counting down the days........

I will be posting much more regularly now that things have settled down. It is nice to be back!

xoxoxoxoxo