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Yes! Very good news!
Dec. 21st, 2009 07:51 pmThe developmental paediatrician thinks that all of Pearl's issues will almost certainly be cured once her vitamin D levels are up to normal! She will be a healthy little girl!
Pearl and art
Nov. 6th, 2009 07:08 pmPearl was much taken by the William H Johnson portrait *Li'l Sis* (1944). See: http://www.davidrumsey.com/amico/amico669263-112710.html
She showered the page with kisses.
This is her strongest reaction to non-sculptural art.
She showered the page with kisses.
This is her strongest reaction to non-sculptural art.
I have had great trouble finding anything about this condition in books. The most useful so far is a chapter in *Why Motor Skills Matter*. There was also a chapter on late premmies, which was useful as most books either assume your child was full term or was a micro-premmie.
The librarian did find me a book which had hypotonia as a key word and inter-library loaned it. Then she told me I was on no account to read it, because when it arrived it turned out to be the story of a boy with a genetic condition (which included hypotonia as a symptom) who died. So it has been sent back, sight unseen, because I cannot handle that.
Still struggling to find useful information.
The librarian did find me a book which had hypotonia as a key word and inter-library loaned it. Then she told me I was on no account to read it, because when it arrived it turned out to be the story of a boy with a genetic condition (which included hypotonia as a symptom) who died. So it has been sent back, sight unseen, because I cannot handle that.
Still struggling to find useful information.
Family Play Day for Toddlers
Oct. 30th, 2009 06:42 pmAnyone interested in going to a family play day for toddlers on Sunday 1st November in the morning?
It has story time, teddy bear hospital, ball play and bubbles, face painting, playdough, wash dinosaurs, and amazing giant bubbles.
It has story time, teddy bear hospital, ball play and bubbles, face painting, playdough, wash dinosaurs, and amazing giant bubbles.
Polaramine?
Oct. 22nd, 2009 01:07 pmSafe while breast feeding?
I am sure I took something for hay fever last year but the chemist I saw today gave me the 'bad mother' look* and suggested a homeopathic remedy instead.
I think not. I think I'd like something that will actually stop my nose from running until it starts bleeding (which is where I am at the moment).
* Her sales pitch: 'Well, if you want to put your own comfort above your child's well being, I suppose you could use this. Providing you don't abuse it. But really you shouldn't use it at all. Any woman who really cared about her child wouldn't take any medication at all for her whole pre-pregnancy, pregnancy and breast feeding period. Because obviously you might as well be injecting heroine into your eyeballs as taking over the counter hay fever meds.'
I am sure I took something for hay fever last year but the chemist I saw today gave me the 'bad mother' look* and suggested a homeopathic remedy instead.
I think not. I think I'd like something that will actually stop my nose from running until it starts bleeding (which is where I am at the moment).
* Her sales pitch: 'Well, if you want to put your own comfort above your child's well being, I suppose you could use this. Providing you don't abuse it. But really you shouldn't use it at all. Any woman who really cared about her child wouldn't take any medication at all for her whole pre-pregnancy, pregnancy and breast feeding period. Because obviously you might as well be injecting heroine into your eyeballs as taking over the counter hay fever meds.'
Lead testing in the house
Oct. 20th, 2009 07:05 pmAs part of my detoxification of Pearl's life I have had tests done on the lead levels in the house. (Not the handheld sort which has frequent false positives and false negatives but one through a lab).
The results are:
( Read more... )
The results are:
( Read more... )
My non-toddling toddler
Oct. 18th, 2009 06:54 pmPearl gets more and more like a toddler every day. Except for the bit where she doesn't actually toddle.
She keeps running about, exploring the world. And she flashes me the most cheeky grin as she bottom-shuffles off, ignoring my calls to her to come back.
She keeps running about, exploring the world. And she flashes me the most cheeky grin as she bottom-shuffles off, ignoring my calls to her to come back.
You know how people get tortured by being sleep deprived? And they hand over false information because they want to do anything to get sleep. And then the torturers are all surprised by the fact that they got bad information.
How can this possibly surprise anyone? Have they never been tired?
How can this possibly surprise anyone? Have they never been tired?
My response to the Opt Out Revolution
Oct. 10th, 2009 07:14 pmMy very much belated response to Lisa Belkin's 2003 New York Times article on professional women leaving work to be homebodies - http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/26/magazine/26WOMEN.html?ex=1382500800&en=02f8d75eb63908e0&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND
Firstly, chatting with eight of your friends is not research. It's a coffee date.
Secondly, when you read what the women say it is more along the lines of 'I wanted to work part time but was forced out and I don't define myself as a victim so now I say that I chose this. I chose it, damnit.'
Thirdly, there's no point is saying they are happy at this point. A more accurate examination would be to come back in twenty years time when half of them have been divorced and left without any income. Possibly they will still be happy but it's ridiculous to judge at this point.
And finally, what a ridiculously classist approach. Who cares what decisions are made by this tiny group of women who are actually privileged enough to have a choice?
Firstly, chatting with eight of your friends is not research. It's a coffee date.
Secondly, when you read what the women say it is more along the lines of 'I wanted to work part time but was forced out and I don't define myself as a victim so now I say that I chose this. I chose it, damnit.'
Thirdly, there's no point is saying they are happy at this point. A more accurate examination would be to come back in twenty years time when half of them have been divorced and left without any income. Possibly they will still be happy but it's ridiculous to judge at this point.
And finally, what a ridiculously classist approach. Who cares what decisions are made by this tiny group of women who are actually privileged enough to have a choice?
Pearl and sleep
Oct. 7th, 2009 07:21 pmParents post about their children's sleep patterns all the time. Because your whole life revolves around it.
Pearl has returned to screaming when put in her cot - for a very long time if she is left. She stops as soon as I go in, of course, and restarts as soon as I leave.
Alas.
It makes doing anything else very, very difficult. And not sleeping makes me sad.
Pearl has returned to screaming when put in her cot - for a very long time if she is left. She stops as soon as I go in, of course, and restarts as soon as I leave.
Alas.
It makes doing anything else very, very difficult. And not sleeping makes me sad.
Greening Pearl's bottom
Oct. 1st, 2009 11:20 amI have always used cotton wipes when Pearl is wet and wipes when she is dirty. I get to throw them away and not wash poopy things.
I am in the process of swapping my brand of throw away wipes from Johnson & Johnson to Nature Care which does not have 'fragrance'. Fragrance is code for phthalates which are hormone disrupters.
I'm not in love with wiping hormone disrupters across her bottom. Though, of course, Nature Care costs about twice as much as the Johnson & Johnson.
I am in the process of swapping my brand of throw away wipes from Johnson & Johnson to Nature Care which does not have 'fragrance'. Fragrance is code for phthalates which are hormone disrupters.
I'm not in love with wiping hormone disrupters across her bottom. Though, of course, Nature Care costs about twice as much as the Johnson & Johnson.
Green change mat
Sep. 26th, 2009 06:54 pmMy change mat is made of PVC as well, so it may also have been stabilised with lead. I considered replacing it with a towel but Pearl bangs her head around so it's not a good idea not to have padding. So I just covered the change mat with the towel.
Organic sheets
Sep. 23rd, 2009 07:35 pmThe books on green nurseries suggest five major changes:
* low VOC paint on the walls (which I can't afford and I'm not repainting anyway since it was done in 2004 after the fire and also the paint has presumably done most of the off-gasing already).
* low VOC flooring (which I can't afford even though Pearl spends a lot of time on the floor).
* low VOC furniture (which I can't afford).
* organic sheets. This one I did think seriously about but decided that her second hand cot sheets have had most of the pesticides and chemicals washed out of them already. They have become detoxified by the passage of time.
* organic mattress. I am still considering this one. On one hand it costs $450. On the other hand, she spends a lot of time lying on something that is laced with all kinds of nasty chemicals. I am in a quandry.
* low VOC paint on the walls (which I can't afford and I'm not repainting anyway since it was done in 2004 after the fire and also the paint has presumably done most of the off-gasing already).
* low VOC flooring (which I can't afford even though Pearl spends a lot of time on the floor).
* low VOC furniture (which I can't afford).
* organic sheets. This one I did think seriously about but decided that her second hand cot sheets have had most of the pesticides and chemicals washed out of them already. They have become detoxified by the passage of time.
* organic mattress. I am still considering this one. On one hand it costs $450. On the other hand, she spends a lot of time lying on something that is laced with all kinds of nasty chemicals. I am in a quandry.
Celebrating Pearl
Jun. 3rd, 2009 06:39 pmHere are some things that Pearl likes now (aged twelve and a half months).
1. Being tickled on the tummy, especially if a tickle monster stalks her from across the room. She rolls about and shows her belly off, not much of a survival mechanism against tickle monsters.
2. Watching me dance. She finds it hysterical (I suspect others may have the same response when I am on the dance floor).
3. Bananas. She would eat nothing but the yellow fruit, if she had the chance. She shoves half a banana in at a time and then her mouth is so full she can't actually chew and she has to spit it out.
4. Chewing paper. She eats paper and cardboard in preference to most food (with the exception of sultanas and bananas).
5. Rolling along on the floor.
1. Being tickled on the tummy, especially if a tickle monster stalks her from across the room. She rolls about and shows her belly off, not much of a survival mechanism against tickle monsters.
2. Watching me dance. She finds it hysterical (I suspect others may have the same response when I am on the dance floor).
3. Bananas. She would eat nothing but the yellow fruit, if she had the chance. She shoves half a banana in at a time and then her mouth is so full she can't actually chew and she has to spit it out.
4. Chewing paper. She eats paper and cardboard in preference to most food (with the exception of sultanas and bananas).
5. Rolling along on the floor.
