One of the upsides to blogging is blog-hopping. One of the downsides of blogging is blog-hopping. I think is an upside - I'm looking at a new way to sort my week. I can hardly remember what I did this morning much less days ago, the weekends go too fast, and I get wrapped up with family and what we're doing together to sit down myself and write a weekly post. I think Friday is a good day. So here's my first 7 Quick Takes Friday.
This is my last Friday in Florida. I will be leaving for Phoenix on Thursday or Friday (likely by myself with Lincoln and Bella in tow). Plane tickets are OUTRAGEOUS for Joe to come too. We're trying to manage money smarter and a $700 round trip plane ticket for Joe to come out, a 350 one way for me, and a 200 one way for Bella = VERY EXPENSIVE & OUT OF POCKET. not money smart. While it might be helpful, I'm a big girl. I'm actually a little irked about it because weeks ago we should have booked. We knew the dates of our pack-out, but one thing you can count on in the military is feet dragging for approval. Joe didn't know what kind of pass he'd be authorized (3 or 4 day, TDY, or leave) so we held off on buying them and now we're going to eat it. Joe has this crazy theory that the longer you wait the deals will appear. I think that was true before the economy went to crap, but he's ever hopeful and the tickets remain ridiculous.Lincoln is turning into a talking machine! I used to think his laugh was the best sound in the whole world (baby laughs are just amazing), but I think his sweet little voice is even better. I'm usually a bedtime stickler, but since we got back from New York and are transitioning to a 3 hours earlier timezone next week, bedtime is not as structured as it used to be. Lincoln has been crying a lot about 10-20 minutes after I put him down and when I go in there and ask him, "Lincoln? Are you OK? What do you want?" he climbs into my arms, puts his head on my shoulder, shudders, points to his rocking chair, and says: "Shing". What? "Shing". What?" "SHING!" Oh! SING. You want me to sing a song? "Uh huh. Two". What do you do except sing two songs? So sweet. New words every day. I love it.
Joe is in the final stretch of school. 5 weeks left and it's all over. It's been stressful and I can't wait until it's behind us. But, as much as he'll be done... I'm not because next up is ME. Joe has given me his GI Bill and I have begun the application process to Frontier University's Certified Nurse Midwife program. I'm very excited.
Joe and I have an addiction to confess to that's worse than you may have realized. WE LOVE SHARK TOOTH HUNTING ON VENICE BEACH! We're going back this weekend since it's our LAST weekend and Joe got Friday off. FREE DAY to do whatever we want. And that's what we want to do. We've probably got around 300 teeth by now. We're getting to the picky point now when we sift and I don't put just any tooth in my bag anymore. Joe went and rented a tank and is going to dive for Megalodon teeth. Wish him good luck. I really want him to find one.
I continue to consider the recommendation of my midwife this week advising me to get the Tetanus, Diptheria, Pertussis Vaccine (Tdap). As a nurse, I tend to be pro vaccine. As a mom, I've had Lincoln vaccinated on schedule with no adverse effects. As someone who experiences tremendous fear and anxiety of Autism (considering a larger family history of autism spectrum disorders than I knew of has come to light and B's severity in his particular case of Austim), I am very hesitant. I got the Tdap vaccine postpartum with Lincoln less than 2 years ago so I do already have coverage in myself. However, the CDC and ACOG recommends revaccination with EACH pregnancy in the 3rd trimester so that the baby gets some transplacental transfer of the new antibodies prior to birth covering them too until they can receive the vaccine themselves at 2 months. I always tell my moms to do what they feel is best, go with their gut, only they know what is best. BUT, if my gut is telling me DON'T DO IT when I'm a pro-vaccine person....?? I don't want to be THAT person who puts my baby at risk for my own fear, BUT it just makes me so nervous.
This week I went to drill for my last 2 days. Lincoln stays with Diane, our babysitter that we got off care.com. He LOVED her so much. I'm really going to miss her. I'm glad we had such a good experience finding our first babysitter. I hope to be so lucky once we've moved back. Diane rocked. I'm so sad we won't see her again. She made Lincoln a beautiful lap quilt of sea animals and a muslin moby for the new baby so we are taking pieces of her with us.
My Favorite photo of the week: This kid cracks me up!
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I have an autistic son and I was really squeamish about vaccinating my youngest (12 yrs younger than him) and tended to delay the shots. I don't know what I would have said to vaxing me during pregnancy. They keep saying they are safe, but...why don't the rumors go away? What is causing all this autism?
ReplyDeleteMy husband's oldest son and my son are 12 years apart too!
ReplyDeleteMy general belief is the rumors won't ever change until there is an actual determined "cause". According to the CDC, the rates of Autism are rising dramatically and the rates of vaccinations are remaining the same, so they're not directly correlated, though I'm obviously concerned for the possible contribution to "the light switch" parents often refer to (including my husband about his oldest son, though as a nurse like me he also supports vaccinations). The CDC has not done a study though that actually compares rates of Autism in kids who have been fully vaccinated and kids who have never been vaccinated. There was a study of partially vaccinated to fully vaccinated and its results weren't signifiant, which is also where the rebuffing of vaccine theory is coming from.
The problem with ASD is that there is such a spectrum with multiple causes being given a blanket diagnosis. Fragile X is a genetic cause and that's a completely genetic sex-linked generationally carried cause, other causes are exclusively from multiple genetic mutations, and even more are environmental.
This year there was the first published study that confirmed the effect pollution has on rates of autism (20% more likely if you live in an area of high pollution). There have been studies showing that increasing Folic Acid intake in preconception and first trimester of pregnancy decrease rates significantly. They've also established that the age of the father increased the rates of autism upwards of 30% because of the increase in genetic mutations of the sperm. MRI can now notice changes in the brain as early as 6 months that don't show up in pediatric well-check growth and development assessments until that 12-24 month time frame. I've been very impressed with our pediatric providers attention to evaluation of my son starting at 9 months.
I think overall if you look at the populations who don't see Autism (The Amish) there are some dramatic differences beyond the vaccine theory. They may not vaccinate, but they don't have as many pregnancy or labor interventions either. Ultrasounds have been shown to degenerate cell proteins and disrupt nerve migration- which sounds an awful lot like that could have something to do with ASD and SPD where the nervous system is not connecting and sending signals normally. (Yet look at how many unregulated 3D Ultrasound boutiques there are that offer ultrasound picture packages throughout gestation and claim to tell you the sex of the baby weeks sooner than your doctor's office can!) They eat more sustainably grown whole foods, less processed food-like products full of chemicals that could contribute the the behavioral/digestive component of Autism behaviors... like the Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 6 whatever-they-are that are known to contribute to ADHD but manufacturers in the US still put it in everything...
I swear, it's never ending, and that's what makes it all so stressful. I try to do the best I can and eat well, exercise, stay mentally healthy, and not worry about it all the time because I go nuts if I worry about putting sunscreen on... or eating boxed cereal... or moving back to Phoenix... or missing a prenatal vitamin... or taking a prenatal vitamin that's not organic and plant based from non-GMO plants. I mean jeez, I'm already crazy!
found you via conversion diary! spent a good minute looking at your header photo (so cute!) and thinking, "wow, I could not have done that balance on a swing and lean and hold a baby thing with a newborn...." :)
ReplyDeleteThe autism thing scares me too. So much. We're vaccinating because when I read all the research and still end up confused and uncertain I just decide to trust my dr. because we have one we really love. But it's heavy stuff, yeah?
My mom was our spotter for the photo! She ran in and scooped him up the second our photographer said she had it. We did one like that on our wedding day and then recreated it with our son. I'm not sure how to do it again with Baby#2!
DeleteAs fearful as I remain of Autism, I have to try to put things into perspective. I like numbers. Think of it this way: any pregnancy has a 4% chance of something being wrong - that's all inclusive. Any child has just over a 1% chance of being diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (1:88) though that percentage closer to 2% (1:56) if that child is a boy (with NO previous family history). It's scary. Very scary. But that means 98-99% of children born are not on the spectrum. I struggle to understand more about Autism and I hope that my experience becomes more positive as I learn more.
http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/facts-about-autism
Biggest things research has shown lately is that pre-conception health is vital. All women of child-bearing age should be taking a PNV with FOLIC ACID at 800mcg-1000mcg no matter what (50% of pregnancies are unplanned). Stay healthy: strep A infections in pregnancy have also been linked to neurological outcomes like Austim. And live a clean lifestyle - areas of high pollution increases risk significantly and I can only imagine that trickles into the home environment as well (smoking, VOC's, etc). And I'm highly concerned about ultrasound and the unregulated use of it in "baby boutiques" and the excessive use of it in doctor's offices.
I had to learn the hard way to give my fears to God or I go nuts.