There are new reports stating that women between the ages of 18 to 24 are not taking enough folic acid supplements. Last week was Folic Acid Awareness week with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I think I had enough folic acid in my prenatal vitamin and I tried to eat veggies rich in folic acid. I remember my dentist telling me to take supplements, because it saved the lives of his twin girls.
There is interesting discussion going on over at Parenthacks about the safety of allowing your newborn sleep in their car seat. I know many moms (including myself) who have let their newborn snooze away in their car seat.
Our friend Dawn wrote a review about one of her new favorite toys the Fisher Price Stack & Roll Balls on her blog ‘Against the Window Pane*’.
One of my favorite bloggers, Miss Zoot, started her own parenting blog titled ‘Pregnant and Unemployed.’ I love her honesty about parenting.
Over at Parent Center Kristina Sauerwein wrote an interesting blog post titled “The booby battles: Breastfeeding vs. bottle-feeding.” In the blog post she shares her own story and describes the feelings of moms on both sides of the fence. She discusses some of the judgments that are passed between moms and asks the readers for their reasons behind choosing breast or bottle.
I decided to breastfeed Ace, because I thought it would be best for her and it would save us money. I went to a breastfeeding class and learned so much that I became a breastfeeding zealot. It wasn’t easy for Ace and I to learn. I wrote about my struggle and lessons learned in this article. I have been breastfeeding for almost nine months now and love it. I hate doing dishes, so it works for me.
I am a breastfeeding mom who has struggled with passing judgment and feeling superior. I have had to make a conscious effort to realize that everyone’s situation is different. The breast or bottle decision is a family choice. I know one mom that only pumps to feed her baby. For that family, it works.
If a friend asks for my encouragement in breastfeeding, I give it honestly and freely. However, I have had to learn to keep my mouth shut if my opinion or support is not requested. Ultimately, I have come to the conclusion that no matter how a baby is fed they are healthy and going to grow into amazing kids.
I would love hear your story. Why did you decide to breast or bottle feed? Are you happy with your decision? Have you felt judged or supported with your choice?
My husband and I try our best to use a cash envelope system to manage our grocery, dining, household, clothing, auto, and personal care budgets. When we use it, it works.
This week I had $120 in cash to spend – $40 to buy groceries to last us four days, $40 for a Costco trip, and $40 to buy some kids furniture that I wanted from Craigslist.
When I went to the grocery store I only took $40 in cash with me. Knowing that I could only spend that amount made me think about what we really needed and what could feed us for a couple of days. When I went through the check out line I was ready to overcome embarrassment and put a few items back if I was over budget. The total rang up to $34! It is such a good feeling to come in under budget. $40 for about 10 meals is do-able, but you have to fight the pizza temptation when you are faced with a mound of dishes to climb!
When I went into Costco I had $40 and a random $1.50 in cash in my purse. I had my list and my phone calculator ready. I really had to write down what each item cost and calculate the best buy for my money. It took extra time, but it was worth it. My total was $40.23. I am ashamed to admit that I spent forty bucks on paper products, only to be used and thrown away. At least the quantity will last us six months and the paper will biodegrade fast in the landfill.
I saw a table and set of 4 chairs on Craigslist that I had wanted to buy from Ikea. Buying the four chairs and table from Ikea new would have cost me $95 plus tax and gas. I bought the same items second hand and barely used for $40. Awesome.
Using self-control and taking some extra time to plan and calculate saved my family a lot of money this week.
Bonus Links:
Dave Ramsey on the Cash Envelope System
Suite101.com on the Envelope Budget System
Leave Your ATM Card at Home by Liz Pulliam Weston
How To Track an Envelope Budgeting System in Quicken
I Do Not Use Credit Cards by J.D. on GetRichSlowly.org
My three year old daughter wears little orthotic braces to help give her stability and I am often asked what they are and why she has them. It must first be stated that Darah has the cutest feet in the entire world! She has little short sausage toes and these wide, fat, squishy feet that anyone would want to “This little piggie went to market” at! She also has a sweet little sandle toe gap between her first and second little sausage toes. Ok, I’ll stop gushing about how stinking cute her feet are now and get back to the orthotics.
Darah’s ankles pronate; meaning when she stands up, they roll inward. Here’s a picture of how they roll inward while she stands. The weight is distributed in an awkward way and longterm side effects of this can be hip and back problems. Try it! Stand up and roll your ankles inward. Can you feel awkward pressure all the way up to your knees and hips?
This problem is not limited to children with Down syndrome, however a lot of children with Down syndrome have this problem because they commonly also have hypotonia and looser joints. Orthotics and shoe inserts can really help a person with ankle pronation. There are different types of orthotics. Some give more support, others give less support. My daughter has Sure Step Orthotics. These are specifically made for children who have ankle pronation or have an unbalanced or uncoordinated gait which is causing them to be delayed in their gross motor development. They are made from a very flexible plastic and are lightly cushioned. 
The plastic covers the bottom of her foot (stopping right before her toes) and covers the backs and sides of her lower ankles. When she wears converse style tennis shoes, they are completely hidden. Darah walks so much better when she is wearing them. She has to wear socks under them at all times, and cannot wear them without shoes over them (because they are slippy), so the con to orthotics is the sweaty feet they produce during the summer time. She wears them whenever she leaves the house. I let her have barefoot play at home. She will not necessarily wear these for forever, however she may need some sort of shoe insert or arch support for the rest of her life due to the severity of her pronation. This equipment is covered by our insurance. They also come in very fun patterns!
Here’s a good article by Pat Winders (the Physical Therapy God in the Down syndrome world) on gross motor development for children with Down syndrome.
Let me know if you have any questions about our experience with Darah’s orthotics! I will be happy to share any other information I have (or can dig up) for you! Also, please share your experiences with your child’s orthotics! Our readers would love to hear your stories as well!
A reader asks The Mom Crowd:
Hi, My husband (although he doesn’t know) and I have talked about having wanting another little one. I would like to have it myself, but can’t, because after my 2nd daughter was born, I had my tubes tied. I know I could have it reversed, but there was also the option of a surrogate mom. Can anyone shed some light on that subject, or know of anyone who has used a surrogate mom. Any advice would be great. Oh, I am 35, do my risks increase as my age does? Thanks Moms.
I personally do not have any experience with surrogacy, but I found these great sites that will give you more information. As I was going through the sites, I tried to find information that was not given by a Surrogacy Agency. I felt the information provided on Surrogacy Agency’s websites might be helpful, but may be partial to promote their business.
EverythingSurrogacy.com has many articles with good questions to help you decide if surrogacy is right for you, the different types of surrogacy, and the cost. One of the articles mentioned that a lot of information might be outdated. Be sure to get the newest information.
Surromomsonline.com has some general information and personal stories.
Surrogacy.com’s articles cover many topics such as medical, legal, psychology, and personal stories.
