Willa Ann's first steps!!

November 29th, 2008 Willa Ann took two baby steps from the coffee table to my knee. So proud of my Bitty Bee!!!

November 08 Update

Oh my chirrens is growin up so fas!

 This past weekend I was blessed to be on my own with both children for a couple of days while Bradley participated in a law student non-profit's efforts to assist Katrina victims with home title transfer. I've been on my own for a day at a time before, which just wasn't enough time to get into a flow with them--it was just holding it together until we could return to the "you feed him while I play with her," or "I'll go paint with him while you give her a bath." I am thankful to say that it was one of the best weekends I've ever had as a mother. YES, I'm pretty exhausted, and YES another mother I know told me I looked tired at Storytime on Saturday, YES I was counting the minutes until my sweet hubby came back up our driveway---but I went to work missing my babies more than ever yesterday, and for that pain I am most thankful. Hard to explain other than to ask if the thought of the expression or some gesture belonging to somebody you miss has ever brought a smile to your face along with the wince to your heart. That smile and the pinch of love are glorious gifts--that's what I'm talking about.

Anywho--before my bar-tee runs out on my laptop, I'd better get to talking about the babies, which is why you are all here anyway.

Best story from the weekend about Charlie Mac: He came up to me with a (broken) handheld fan I got as a giveaway from Prilosec at work. It has a long string attached to it and it's purple. He held it out to me and implored "Will you put this on my head? I need it on my head." Well.

I wasn't about to put the string around his neck--immediate images of strangulation dancing in my brain. I shot from the hip and plopped it on his hairline, unicorn style...and hit paydirt. He put his little hand up there to hold it in place, looked at me with utmost gravity and stated "I can fly now." He demonstrated by running around the kitchen, den, dining and breakfast rooms with the sound effect of rushing air. Later, when we were going to the grocery store and he told me that he would prefer to fly there, I asked him if he could please bring his fan and help the car fly to the store. He agreed after a moment or two of consideration.

Yes Charlie Mac, I'd say you can certainly fly now.

Willa Ann, oh my sweet little baby girl. She is a hoot--the most vocal little child I have ever seen/heard. She coos and cusses and laughs and squeals, all to our delight. She is really thinking about walking already. She stands on her own for seconds at a time and really looks hard at the distance between the coffee table and sofa before deciding that she's going to have to crawl after all. She is so full of such a very strong personality that I know will serve her well in her life if she allows her kindness to have equal sway. She's a sweet baby--patting Guero on the head and saying "GuhGuh" and sharing her cheerios with him on purpose occasionally. She lives for her brother--screaming with glee when she first sees him in the morning and grabbing at him with her little bitty hands. I hope that their relationship is one that they can maintain through life's stretchy bits.

I need to take more pictures, I know. Damn unnatural government forced 8-5, 5 day a week work mandate (originated by Ford to retain more workers and therefore turn higher profit).  We got some beautiful portraits taken a few months ago, and I need to get the link to post on here. I wish we could afford to get everyone in our families prints of some, but that just ain't the case these days. Stay tuned and I'll get them up here and y'all can get the ones you want.

Willa Ann eating some peas

No longer limited to cheerios and saltines, Willa Ann has graduated to feeding herself little pieces of steamed veggies. Here we see her showcasing this new skill with peas...

Cosmo with the babies....

Can you believe how nice Senor is to the babies? Much more patient than he has ever been with us mere two leggers!

ADD/ADHD and more evidence that we don't need to medicate

Sadly, we've been piling artificial chemicals on top of artificial chemicals to treat our children for ADD/ADHD when we really just needed to STOP the chemicals in the first place. It seems like common sense now, doesn't it? Unfortunately, now we have to deal with legions of people who believe they are stupid when they aren't and are often addicted to uppers. Read on: 

From http://www.feingold.org/aap.html 

American Academy of Pediatrics
ADHD and Food Additives Revisited

---

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is the organization that recommends practice parameters for pediatricians to follow. A review published in the AAP Grand Rounds in February, 2008, has noted the adverse effects of artificial additives on the behavior of children in the general population as reported by a British study in the Lancet in September 2007. We encourage parents to print this page and share it with their pediatricians, in case they have not seen this article. [full report attached]The reviewer, Alison Schonwald, MD, FAAP, is an expert in developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Children's Hospital in Boston. Dr. Schonwald writes:

Despite increasing data supporting the efficacy of stimulants in preschoolers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) parents and providers understandably seek safe and effective interventions that require no prescription. A recent meta-analysis of 15 trials concludes that there is "accumulating evidence that neurobehavioral toxicity may characterize a variety of widely distributed chemicals." [Schab DW, et al. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2004;25:423–434] Some children may be more sensitive to the effects of these chemicals, and the authors suggest there is a need to better identify responders. In real life, practitioners faced with hyperactive preschoolers have a reasonable option to offer parents. For the child without a medical, emotional, or environmental etiology of ADHD behaviors, a trial of a preservative-free, food coloring–free diet is a reasonable intervention. (emphasis added)

And the Editors' Note which follows states:

Although quite complicated, this was a carefully conducted study in which the investigators went to great lengths to eliminate bias and to rigorously measure outcomes. The results are hard to follow and somewhat inconsistent. For many of the assessments there were small but statistically significant differences of measured behaviors in children who consumed the food additives compared with those who did not. In each case increased hyperactive behaviors were associated with consuming the additives. For those comparisons in which no statistically significant differences were found, there was a trend for more hyperactive behaviors associated with the food additive drink in virtually every assessment. Thus, the overall findings of the study are clear and require that even we skeptics, who have long doubted parental claims of the effects of various foods on the behavior of their children, admit we might have been wrong. (emphasis added)

~ The following are PDF files. If you need a PDF reader, get it here.
• Read AAP Grand Rounds article
• Read Lancet study, full text
• Read Behavior, Learning and Health: The Dietary Connection 2007
• Read Excerpt from Dr. Ben Feingold's speech to American Academy of Pediatrics
• For information about the low-additive Feingold diet, visit ADHDdiet.org

HAIRCUT!

Charlie Mac was a total angel during his haircut. His daddy got his haircut at the same time and started right before him so Charlie Mac was all about following suit. The pictures of the process are trapped in the camera right now, but I will be getting them out later when I get home. In the meantime, feast your eyes on this:

Yeah, I know--just when you thought he couldn't get any cuter... ;-)
My aunt told him he looked very handsome with his haircut. I asked him "What do you say?" His reply? Do you think it was "Thank you" like he had been taught to say when somebody compliments him? No, not exactly. He just walked on over to her and stated: "And precious."

Hahahahaha my Iddle.

baby fashion

OK, anyone that knows me knows that, while I've definitely got my own style, I've never been very into "fashion" per se. I was told that when I had a baby girl that I would go insane over dressing her. I didn't really believe it. However, you might notice that a post back I went wild and bought a hat within moments of seeing it for the first time. This is not like me. I usually pine over an item for a while before I actually go get it, if I ever get it. Now--I've spent hours today trying to find a "Lady Flower long sleeve dress by Zutano  sized for 12-18 months anywhere in the world. They are out of stock EVERYWHERE. And I'm dying for Willa Ann to wear that dress with pink tights and these shoes . DYING. And a chocolate colored hat . I think I'm going to have to settle for the lady flower swing top over a long sleeve top and leggings. But it won't be the same. Does this sound like me??

And while I'm at it, I am having a conniption fit over these shoes . I am building the rest of the outfit in my head--right now I'm thinking chocolate corduroy dress with a cranberry mock turtle neck, but it's just a sketch at this point. 

Yep, I've gone insane and I just don't care. Weeeee!

new hat for Willa Ann

I just received this hat I got for Willa Ann. I think you will agree that it's just about the cutest thing ever. I believe that we will have to put a soft cotton hat on under it until she grows more hair because it's just a little scratchy. Then maybe I'll be able to get her to keep it on for more than 30 seconds.....

The Haircut

Didn't happen. The shop was closed! And this is a very good thing because last night we had a moment of inspiration. Since this is the last year that we'll be able to pick his costume--we think he may go as a "founding father" this year.  We need to get him a little tricorn hat, etc. and pull it into a low ponytail. We the people, people! Awesome.

Chillin in the courtyard

The other day Charlie Mac carried his little owl chair with his cup of juice and box of raisens outside and commenced to chill with the best of them. He sat like this, taking an occasional sip or tip of his raisen box, for about 15 minutes before he busted us taking his picture. I tell ya, this little guy has it down!