tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839413630623850301.post1723354257365481876..comments2023-11-03T09:34:09.373-04:00Comments on Building Cathedrals:: A Means to an EndJuris Materhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01717212659724234395noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839413630623850301.post-75587537742499831592008-06-06T20:59:00.000-04:002008-06-06T20:59:00.000-04:00Hello everyone,I have two kids with severe develop...Hello everyone,<BR/><BR/>I have two kids with severe developmental disabilities caused by a very rare genetic disorder. When my 8-year old was born, he had feeding difficulties: my husband spent the first six weeks of George's life feeding him with a syringe and feeding tube, while I used the breast pump every two hours. We were never able to successfully breastfeed, and he still has feeding issues. (He takes 80% of his nutrition from Pediasure from a bottle.) By the time he switched to cow's milk at ten months, I had four extra months worth of breast milk in our freezer. I still say that my two greatest accomplishments were graduate school and producing 14 months worth of breast milk in 10 months.<BR/><BR/>When George's sister was born three years later, she was diagnosed with the same disorder. (He wasn't fully diagnosed until six weeks before she was born.) My husband followed the same feeding procedure with her for the first six weeks as well. Anna doesn't have the same difficulties as George, and I was able to breastfeed her. I was so thankful for the experience, and that I didn't have to pump so much. (I hated the stupid thing.) <BR/><BR/>What made the difference was a woman in the pediatrician's office who happened to mention to me, "Did you know that many babies with Down's Syndrome can successfully breastfeed even after they've been on the bottle?" (I think that woman must have been one of God's angels; I never saw her again. She'll be richly rewarded for that comment, I'm sure.) It never occured to me that you could do that, reintroduce a baby to the breast after being on the bottle. I also figured that since George's disorder caused him to learn things 20 times slower than normal, it stood to reason that it take at least that long to teach Anna to breastfeed. Well, it didn't, and we were able to figure it out in about one month.<BR/><BR/>Of course, it doesn't mean that I wasn't able to bond with George. In some ways, I'm closer to him. He's a snuggler, which I love, while his sister is more over-the-top about her affection. I do wish, though, that I knew as much with him as I did with her.<BR/><BR/>Just goes to show what a difference a little bit of tenacity and a well-placed angel will do.Christine W. Meyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08856377804220418724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839413630623850301.post-45042011647633084582008-06-04T17:03:00.000-04:002008-06-04T17:03:00.000-04:00Wonderful thoughts, Mary Alice. I wish I had a ta...Wonderful thoughts, Mary Alice. I wish I had a tape recorder of your thoughts on hand throughout the day for reference. You are such a wise mother and woman! Thank you!B-Mamahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08889509365971309400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839413630623850301.post-15949324239076183712008-06-04T12:25:00.000-04:002008-06-04T12:25:00.000-04:00Mary Alice - check out kangarookorner.com, and get...Mary Alice - check out kangarookorner.com, and get a pouch, not a sling. They're great for side carrying for a long, long time, and don't have all the extra fabric of a Moby (which I've owned) or a regular sling. I'm almost 6 feet tall and have used mine with two kids all the time. Love it. <BR/><BR/>Lovely post; I really get a lot out of this blog.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839413630623850301.post-62423232687876669412008-06-04T08:43:00.000-04:002008-06-04T08:43:00.000-04:00Thanks for all the baby carrier advice -- very hel...Thanks for all the baby carrier advice -- very helpful!H. Lillianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08265263739858509270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839413630623850301.post-46727321027859576022008-06-03T17:18:00.000-04:002008-06-03T17:18:00.000-04:00"I am looking for a really simple sling for side c..."I am looking for a really simple sling for side carrying that would fit well for a tall woman"<BR/><BR/>I use the basic <BR/><A HREF="http://www.mayawrap.com/viewItem.asp?ItemID=100003&UnitCde=1&Desc=Lightly%20Padded%20Sling&Search=N" REL="nofollow">maya wrap sling</A><BR/> which is easy to use for a side carry with once Lion can sit with support. It comes sized for different heights...I'm *not* tall so I got the small and there was still a ton of extra fabric. When used with the shoulder cap, it was much easier on my back than a bjorn. <BR/><BR/>Also, the birth centers in our area sell locally made slings, which I wish I had known 3 years ago. They are cheaper and cuter than the one I have! You may look into that...texas mommyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10789317984697185260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839413630623850301.post-50587880159507330942008-06-03T16:53:00.000-04:002008-06-03T16:53:00.000-04:00They can't face out at first, but once they can ho...They can't face out at first, but once they can hold their head up they look to the side and can see everything. I had this concern too...and it is no longer an issue now that my baby is a bit older. All of my children have enjoyed facing out with my old carrier...it was one of my favorite features of my old carrier. The Ergo, however, is so much more comfortable, and the baby is able to see a lot just by turning his/her head to the side.Right Said Redhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03000769740954672341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839413630623850301.post-34403910676565844802008-06-03T16:51:00.000-04:002008-06-03T16:51:00.000-04:00Tx Mommy,First, I would like to just call you Tex ...Tx Mommy,<BR/><BR/>First, I would like to just call you Tex ;-)<BR/><BR/>Second, someday you should type up a post about your post-partum experience and attempts at nursing Dash and Jack-Jack. I think a lot of women could relate to your struggles. <BR/><BR/>And BTW, I'm always impressed with how you pump and give your kiddos breastmilk for so long! But then again, I find a lot of things about your mothering impressive ;-)Right Said Redhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03000769740954672341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839413630623850301.post-67821516346999290362008-06-03T16:48:00.000-04:002008-06-03T16:48:00.000-04:00Thanks for the info on the Ergo. I'm just wonderi...Thanks for the info on the Ergo. I'm just wondering, after reading the info on their website that is adamently opposed to outward-facing carriers: what if your baby LIKES facing out and seeing the world? Doesn't the baby get bored staring at your chest? My mom tells me all the time how, as a baby, I constantly wanted to see and experience new things and would get fussy if I didn't have a lot of visual stimulation. I would think babies like that would hate the Ergo. Maybe I need to wait to find out what kind of personality my baby has before choosing what type of carrier to invest in?H. Lillianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08265263739858509270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839413630623850301.post-1666960084556028852008-06-03T15:40:00.000-04:002008-06-03T15:40:00.000-04:00Love the Ergo, great support! I also own a baby B...Love the Ergo, great support! I also own a baby Bjourn and the Ergo is much more comfortable on my back and shoulders. It is pricey, but worth it!Right Said Redhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03000769740954672341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839413630623850301.post-48608915315408343192008-06-03T15:37:00.000-04:002008-06-03T15:37:00.000-04:00Red,Look up www.slinglings.com. They have many ma...Red,<BR/><BR/>Look up www.slinglings.com. They have many many sizes of slings, and they give you instruction on how to measure as well as have a guide for you to input you height, weight, bra size, shoulder to hip measurement, etc to ensure proper fit. It has videos of the different positions, and the fabrics are beautiful! I have a 3 month old, and I love it. I did not use a sling with my first, and I wish I had. Good luck!<BR/><BR/>A.AR and J Mamahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01576294677668505361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839413630623850301.post-49248759571882943882008-06-03T15:07:00.000-04:002008-06-03T15:07:00.000-04:00I bought a Moby with this last baby of mine and I ...I bought a Moby with this last baby of mine and I used it when she was tiny, but not since. It might be good for a taller person, though, because it's so flexible. <BR/><BR/>I loved this post. I have been really really struggling with being a good mother lately, I have a newborn and my three year old has just been found to be on the autism spectrum, which we long suspected but are still freaked out about. I feel so complainy and sad so often, I had to just do something about it. I had an epiphany of sorts the other week and I thought - this is my vocation - it's God's idea that I am a wife and mother, so I better start acting like it. I figure it was Mother Teresa's vocation to serve the sick and hungry and I never saw her saying "BOY these people are poor! I didn't sign up for THIS!" It has really helped my attitude, as does finding blogs like this and reading posts like this in particular. I want to make a family here on earth and I want to be with them in the next world and that is bigger than any complaints I have about my baby napping badly or my son freaking me out about one thing or another. So thanks, this is really beautiful and so helpful for me to read at this time.Joannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00585179358306590340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839413630623850301.post-87366815075357694822008-06-03T15:03:00.000-04:002008-06-03T15:03:00.000-04:00Beautiful. This post echoes within me the convers...Beautiful. This post echoes within me the conversation that you and I have had many a time about mothering guilt and pressure.<BR/><BR/>You have eloquently stated what our purpose as parents is here and I think it relates to our purpose as fellow mothers. Our jobs to <I> each other </I> is to offer support, advice when it is asked for, and love, understanding, laughter, and shoulders to cry on.<BR/><BR/> It is easy when faced with so many parenting choices to become immersed in the rightness of one dogma, to need to justify it over all other philosophies. But our role as fellow mothers is to support without judgment of each other, to allow for differences of philosophy.<BR/><BR/>You guys are doing a great job here, what a wonderful place to showcase this mothering bond that we have with each other.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839413630623850301.post-29444977096294752922008-06-03T14:54:00.000-04:002008-06-03T14:54:00.000-04:00The first time that I reconnected with Mary Alice ...The first time that I reconnected with Mary Alice after Princeton was when Right Said Red put me in touch with her as I was struggling with guilt issues over not being able to nurse. This post is like an extended version of what she emailed me at the time, something for which I am still grateful! Her perspective (being a bit past the first-time postpartum mom stage) helped me to see taking care of my baby as part of the bigger picture..trying to raise a happy, holy family! Thank you!texas mommyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10789317984697185260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839413630623850301.post-71492304262937543632008-06-03T14:10:00.000-04:002008-06-03T14:10:00.000-04:00I am a big fan of the ergo. Red and I joke becaus...I am a big fan of the ergo. Red and I joke because the instructional DVD is all about how it supports the attachment parenting lifestyle, to which neither of us subscribe -- this is why we use it for our crunchy cred!<BR/><BR/>So, you can use the ergo for front, back or side carry. You can carry a pretty heavy child on your back (or front), I have done it with a two year old, my bjorn only got me up to a few months (I have larger children). The ergo has good back support and a hip strap, so it is like carrying camping equipment in a good backpack with the weight well distributed. You can get your baby onto your back safely by yourself, something I was not able to do easily with my Kelty backpack.<BR/><BR/>On the video, they show a nursing cover position, but this would not be discreet enough for me, so it might not be as good as a sling for that, but nursing while grocery shopping was not on my list of needs, so I can't say much about that aspect.<BR/><BR/>Also, vs. a frame backpack, I like that you can throw the Ergo into your bag or under your stroller to have when you need it.<BR/><BR/>I am obsessed with baby gear, as I had four children under 4 and lived in New York City so I needed lots of transport options. I recently had my youngest in the ergo all day long, while doing errands in the city, and it worked out really well and did not exhaust me, which is saying alot because I was also hauling around the other 4. Oh, and it was raining, and the Ergo head cover helped with that, one more advantage to the bjorn.<BR/><BR/>Mine is in brown and tan organic cotton, and I love it!<BR/><BR/>BTW, I am looking for a really simple sling for side carrying that would fit well for a tall woman, Lion is teething and wants to be held all the time, and my arms are getting tired, if anyone has suggestions.Mary Alicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05245101141100590754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839413630623850301.post-34800363163907606632008-06-03T13:59:00.000-04:002008-06-03T13:59:00.000-04:00MaryAlice,Amen. So eloquent and well said. God b...MaryAlice,<BR/><BR/>Amen. So eloquent and well said. God bless you for taking to the time to type up your thoughts and share them with all of us!Right Said Redhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03000769740954672341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839413630623850301.post-17412764441467664192008-06-03T13:56:00.000-04:002008-06-03T13:56:00.000-04:00What a beautiful post! I really love how the 6 au...What a beautiful post! I really love how the 6 authors of this blog stay away from self-righteous dogmatism about parenting <I>methods</I> and focus on what really matters in raising saints.<BR/><BR/>Practical question: this is the third time in a week I've heard/seen a plug for the Ergo carrier. What makes it special? I watched the how-to video on their website and it looks tricky, particularly the back carry. And it doesn't look like it provides a cover-up for nursing either. So what are its special advantages over, say, a Baby Bjorn?H. Lillianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08265263739858509270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839413630623850301.post-70214959775201221102008-06-03T13:36:00.000-04:002008-06-03T13:36:00.000-04:00This is so beautiful, from your heart. Thank you f...This is so beautiful, from your heart. Thank you for writing this. I guess I understand what you mean when you say parenting is not the point, that it is a means to the end. But it made me think about God's mercy and goodness, that He desires for us to find WITHIN our most binding commitments the taste of joy and unity and peace and beauty. I have a brother (six actually) who said once, You know, God didn't have to make sex! What he meant and what stays with me is how much pleasure and good we receive--once we get beyond the pain large or small of the sacrifical part--from love. So breastfeeding can be a pain and convenient but not for a million dollars would I give up those moments of real unity with my children that I have found there, nor with my husband in our love. It doesn't always happen, it's not always easy, but the reward along the way--not only at the end--can astonish us. I hope that makes sense. I am writing from my heart.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com