I was directed to this post on Essential Baby. It's a petition I feel very strongly in supporting... for the principle behind it. It's also a truly heartwrenching story of appalling treatment of a Little Boy, Kaden, and his Family...
I support it for Kaden and his Family, and for all Families.
From my point of view, it's about recognition - not just for the child and the parents but for siblings too, formal recognition of our Baby... To have all of our children 'counted' formally, just as they already are counted in our heart and memory. For all their precious names to be listed together, for no one's name to be 'missing'...
Currently in WA an informal 'Recognition of Life' certificate is offered - why not a true Birth Certificate? Why a lesser substitute? I want no materials entitlements to flow from a Birth Certificate for Brenna - There is no logical reason to not allow her a Birth Certificate - not one. A 'no strings attached' Birth Certificate that offers the decency of recognising Life. The legislature can take care of any 'issues' people feel it might raise. Just allow parents the choice.
Links: The Kaden Bill Petition - Kaden's Story (contains photos)
(links posted with permission)
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
When asked what she wished for most...
After reading a story at school, about a man and his wish, the children were asked to draw the egg from the story, then write about what they wished for most, or, what they thought the man in the story might have wished for most... When I met her after school she said, 'This is something for the whole family...'
Sunday, February 24, 2008
This Coming Tuesday...
This coming Tuesday, I should be 38 weeks...Brenna should be still growing, fully ready to come and be birthed... what's that word people use..? Surreal... that's the one - and it is and will be for endless time to come I think. I miss her massively.
Not sure what plans we'll make for the two days either side of her EDD... since Brooke, Jake and Zeke were all born two days either side of their EDD, I'm guessing that's my 'gestating time' and while I know it's an EDD, it's all I have really, in terms of guesstimating when Brenna would have been born had she grown to term.
She has her Birthday, and we will always celebrate that
No one can take away the heartache... but no one can take away our love and memories either...
We will always have our Brenna...
xo We Love & Miss You baby Girl...
Mummy.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Brenna's Bear...
I have found it really hard to take 'Family Photos' when visually, someone is missing... Brenna isn't 'in' the photos, not in the standard sense anyway and it just feels and looks so incomplete to me... absence can really stand out... So I decided that for Family
photos, especially with the children, that Brenna's bear would stand in for her... and today I took quite a few photos, that I would be able to put on the web, and this is one of them... I can just imagine a tiny set of newborn feet where the Bear feet are... I would be 35 weeks today...
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Nappying Bums and how it's changed...
Well, I seem to tell this often so thought I'd stick it here!
More and more people are changing back to reusable nappies. Since there's no soaking and no pins involved in modern cloth nappies, and no folding if you don't want to, the options are so good that there's something to suit almost every baby, every parent and every lifestyle... I am a cloth advocate, and have used cloth in one form or another since our first baby. So here's a brief run down on our nappying journey!
I was 21, Brooke was my first baby, Michael worked 13 hours days 6 days a week, I had no licence and really no support network close by. However I didn't even 'see' this... because I was stoked, I was a MUM at LAST and cloth was just well, what else would you use? lol it was part of having babies for me! I grew up with cloth - disposables were for 'other' people is kinda how it was when I was a kid. All the children I baby-sat for were in cloth. So cloth I did - flannel flats+pins/terry flats, and Fluffies covers.
then Jake was born when I was about 23 and I had two in nappies, flats and I think we had graduated from the twin tub then ;) It was good really bc both were in the same fold so I didn't have sizes for each. I think we had a mix of Fluffies covers and the old PVC pilchers.
I think it was about 90:10 cloth/disposable for Brooke and about 80:20 cloth:disposable for Jake BUT had I known what I know now I would have corrected the myth tellers, ignored the ... stuff... I'd been told :rolleyes: and been 100% cloth. The biggest myths I got were 'they'll sleep better at night' which wasn't neccesarily true because almost without fail the night time disposable would leak and we'd have wet sheets, wet PJ's and whatever else was close by - and if not that, always a wet tummy... and the next biggest myth after that was that cloth was as bad for the environment as disposables, once you factor in washing and detergent. In my gut I was sure that HAD to be wrong but couldn't find the info to back me up... that was to come! (Especially 'that' study)
While pregnant with Zeke I found modern cloth (MCN) and was rapt once I sussed out the different types - and it was a bit baffling at first but easy once I got there. I made all my own for about $70 tops (3 doz), out of old towels, bunny rugs etc using a modified version of the PooPockets pattern (will add links to mods) and bought some covers. My Mum and Nanna also caught the sewing MCN bug and made nappies for Zeke. The nappies were one-size-fits-most, which they did on him from birth (7lb 13oz), Snappi closure and with gussets. We didn't have one poo-splosion for at least the first 6mths of runny breastfed poo, and after that he began solids so there wasn't any more runny stuff.
Never looked back, and never a disposable in the house - day time, night time, out and about and four weeks camping on the road, studying, any holidays well MCN was just 'normal' and no hassle at all. No soaking, no pins etc, fit under normal clothes - no down side really. Plenty of pics of some of the nappies I made later on and as gifts, here. Of course you don't have to sew a stitch to have good nappies.
We had the same plan for Brenna, although I was making with bamboo and hemp this time (coz I like 'em and they're better for absorbency and eco-wise).
Plan for #5 is the same, another cloth bum, 100%. eta well of course #5, Master Quinn is here and we did the same - fitted+cover, Snappi closure gives the most versatile fit + poo containment. My nappies were majority home made with some second hand scores. Some were sized and many of the ones I made, were OSFM or more correctly, made in say a small or medium with a fold down front, which could be Snappi'd.
BAMBOO for absorbency. People will say you don't need it for a NB, but if they fall asleep you don't want them sleeping in a puddle and if they happen to actually sleep LOL like Quinn did early on (which was a first for me!), for 3-4hours at a time, they need a nappy that will go the distance (and/or if you're doing school and kindy pickups and drop off etc in and out of the car).
Should there be a #6 I would consider also using our OSFM Rumparooz as they have internal gussets and would be good competition for NB poo. Fitted+cover is a staple though, for the first 6mths at least.
Any questions re water/eco, keeping bums dry, what sort and how many, no-leaks hints, babies with skin conditions and sensitivities etc and all the rest including the most popular cloth myths, a GREAT place to start is OzClothNappies - anything you ever wanted to know.
Plus through Nappycino you can read and ask as many qs as you like, plus can meet up with other cloth Mums in your state. Theres Large Family Mums there, working/studing Mums, Mums to Multiples etc from every nook of the parenting world. You can do cloth on tank water, while camping - anywhere really. I've also started to look into EC'ing... which we kinda did part time with Zeke, and which has been done for yonks and still is done in many cultures.
If you're still wanting to go with flats, I'd suggest perhaps some no sew easy peasy fleece liners, and some of the PUL covers - not PVC. I can also show you a no pins fold for the flannel ones when they're little. there's also a GREAT page for different folds info.
For the newborn/early days:
Bottom line I think so long as you have sufficient number of nappies that it's no stress if you don't get to wash for a few days &
enough nappies so it doesn't matter if Bub pees and poos like a trooper &
enough covers, with gussets preferably, then you'll be fine :D
change area set up, easy access, easy to use day and night.
Once it's habit, it just is and just becomes normal just like any other thing you do.
Anyway, thassit for now, I know there's stuff I've missed out but will add that as I come across it in my Gallery page, which for now is AWOL lol.
More and more people are changing back to reusable nappies. Since there's no soaking and no pins involved in modern cloth nappies, and no folding if you don't want to, the options are so good that there's something to suit almost every baby, every parent and every lifestyle... I am a cloth advocate, and have used cloth in one form or another since our first baby. So here's a brief run down on our nappying journey!
I was 21, Brooke was my first baby, Michael worked 13 hours days 6 days a week, I had no licence and really no support network close by. However I didn't even 'see' this... because I was stoked, I was a MUM at LAST and cloth was just well, what else would you use? lol it was part of having babies for me! I grew up with cloth - disposables were for 'other' people is kinda how it was when I was a kid. All the children I baby-sat for were in cloth. So cloth I did - flannel flats+pins/terry flats, and Fluffies covers.
then Jake was born when I was about 23 and I had two in nappies, flats and I think we had graduated from the twin tub then ;) It was good really bc both were in the same fold so I didn't have sizes for each. I think we had a mix of Fluffies covers and the old PVC pilchers.
I think it was about 90:10 cloth/disposable for Brooke and about 80:20 cloth:disposable for Jake BUT had I known what I know now I would have corrected the myth tellers, ignored the ... stuff... I'd been told :rolleyes: and been 100% cloth. The biggest myths I got were 'they'll sleep better at night' which wasn't neccesarily true because almost without fail the night time disposable would leak and we'd have wet sheets, wet PJ's and whatever else was close by - and if not that, always a wet tummy... and the next biggest myth after that was that cloth was as bad for the environment as disposables, once you factor in washing and detergent. In my gut I was sure that HAD to be wrong but couldn't find the info to back me up... that was to come! (Especially 'that' study)
While pregnant with Zeke I found modern cloth (MCN) and was rapt once I sussed out the different types - and it was a bit baffling at first but easy once I got there. I made all my own for about $70 tops (3 doz), out of old towels, bunny rugs etc using a modified version of the PooPockets pattern (will add links to mods) and bought some covers. My Mum and Nanna also caught the sewing MCN bug and made nappies for Zeke. The nappies were one-size-fits-most, which they did on him from birth (7lb 13oz), Snappi closure and with gussets. We didn't have one poo-splosion for at least the first 6mths of runny breastfed poo, and after that he began solids so there wasn't any more runny stuff.
Never looked back, and never a disposable in the house - day time, night time, out and about and four weeks camping on the road, studying, any holidays well MCN was just 'normal' and no hassle at all. No soaking, no pins etc, fit under normal clothes - no down side really. Plenty of pics of some of the nappies I made later on and as gifts, here. Of course you don't have to sew a stitch to have good nappies.
We had the same plan for Brenna, although I was making with bamboo and hemp this time (coz I like 'em and they're better for absorbency and eco-wise).
Plan for #5 is the same, another cloth bum, 100%. eta well of course #5, Master Quinn is here and we did the same - fitted+cover, Snappi closure gives the most versatile fit + poo containment. My nappies were majority home made with some second hand scores. Some were sized and many of the ones I made, were OSFM or more correctly, made in say a small or medium with a fold down front, which could be Snappi'd.
BAMBOO for absorbency. People will say you don't need it for a NB, but if they fall asleep you don't want them sleeping in a puddle and if they happen to actually sleep LOL like Quinn did early on (which was a first for me!), for 3-4hours at a time, they need a nappy that will go the distance (and/or if you're doing school and kindy pickups and drop off etc in and out of the car).
Should there be a #6 I would consider also using our OSFM Rumparooz as they have internal gussets and would be good competition for NB poo. Fitted+cover is a staple though, for the first 6mths at least.
Any questions re water/eco, keeping bums dry, what sort and how many, no-leaks hints, babies with skin conditions and sensitivities etc and all the rest including the most popular cloth myths, a GREAT place to start is OzClothNappies - anything you ever wanted to know.
Plus through Nappycino you can read and ask as many qs as you like, plus can meet up with other cloth Mums in your state. Theres Large Family Mums there, working/studing Mums, Mums to Multiples etc from every nook of the parenting world. You can do cloth on tank water, while camping - anywhere really. I've also started to look into EC'ing... which we kinda did part time with Zeke, and which has been done for yonks and still is done in many cultures.
If you're still wanting to go with flats, I'd suggest perhaps some no sew easy peasy fleece liners, and some of the PUL covers - not PVC. I can also show you a no pins fold for the flannel ones when they're little. there's also a GREAT page for different folds info.
For the newborn/early days:
Bottom line I think so long as you have sufficient number of nappies that it's no stress if you don't get to wash for a few days &
enough nappies so it doesn't matter if Bub pees and poos like a trooper &
enough covers, with gussets preferably, then you'll be fine :D
change area set up, easy access, easy to use day and night.
Once it's habit, it just is and just becomes normal just like any other thing you do.
Anyway, thassit for now, I know there's stuff I've missed out but will add that as I come across it in my Gallery page, which for now is AWOL lol.
Two Finds...
I guess there's only a few types of clothes I like to wear, and I don't always come across them. I prefer Op Shopping to retail these days simply because it is more time-efficient, economical, eco-wise and they usually have what I am looking for, which is nice for a change.Having said that I did find this top retail $12 the other day which I w
as happy to pay bc I rarely find tops I like and usually stick to wearing my Advocacy Ts lol. My Dad, in his Garage Saling/Op Shopping found this for me. I am very pleased with both and when I have to wear a non-Advocacy tee I finally have a couple of shirts I like, to choose from!
Well Can't We Just Make Some Mum?
The other day, Brooke (8yrs) came across some Philly cheese in the fridge, in date, and wanted to know could we make some 'Snails'. I replied that we could but I didn't think we had puff pastry. She said well can we just make some pastry? (since her Dad makes pastry for apple pie).
I said hmmm well I think there's a reason most people don't make puff pastry... it's not as easy as shortcrust s
tyle, I don't know what it involves, but that's the impression I've always had.. well Mum she says, can you just do a search on the computer and see if there's a recipe... so we did.
Brooke decided yes she wanted to make puff pastry.
It took half of that day and half of the next morning but she did it. Before I went out (it was nearly finished) I said to her to do a 'draft cook' with a test piece and see how it turned out. Well When I got home the 'Snails' were made...
They were love-l-y! Here is the recipe Brooke used for the puff pastry. And here's the simple way to make 'Snails', a recipe we picked up from a playgroup Mum ages ago, so thankyou 'T'.
I said hmmm well I think there's a reason most people don't make puff pastry... it's not as easy as shortcrust s
tyle, I don't know what it involves, but that's the impression I've always had.. well Mum she says, can you just do a search on the computer and see if there's a recipe... so we did.Brooke decided yes she wanted to make puff pastry.
It took half of that day and half of the next morning but she did it. Before I went out (it was nearly finished) I said to her to do a 'draft cook' with a test piece and see how it turned out. Well When I got home the 'Snails' were made...
They were love-l-y! Here is the recipe Brooke used for the puff pastry. And here's the simple way to make 'Snails', a recipe we picked up from a playgroup Mum ages ago, so thankyou 'T'.
- One slab/pkt Philly Cheese
- One packet Continental brand French Onion Soup Mix
- 1 egg (which I think you can omit if you prefer)
Saturday, February 02, 2008
The Sewing Continues
Saturday 2nd February 2008Well my plan has been to finish off all the sewing I have here... and that plan has been 'there' for a while and while I have started I haven't made nearly as much progress as I would have liked. Most things are just waiting for final snapping or hems, and then off to new homes as gifts.
I'll keep some of the nappies I had made for Brenna and put them in her keepsake box, and the rest I'll loan out... once they all come back though I'm not sure what to do with them, being they are mostly NB and size small, with a few mediums here and there.
I have some nappies to finish as gifts for new babies born in the last six months like these for 'Baby R' (Sea Life set above left) as well as general sewing.
Today I bought a pair of three quarter shorts for Brooke from the Op Shop and knew they needed taking in, so I thought for once I'll do it as soon as I get home indtead of putting it in a pile to 'do later'... I'd nearly finished them and that's when the overlocker made a very strange noise and now is missing stiches here and there... so that looks like it will have to go in for a service... in the meantime I will do what sewing I can around that.
I have some night nappies to sew for a friend - M, I haven't forgotten, I'll just need to wait for the overlocker to come back...
I did contemplate making a list of personal unfinished projects but thought the length of that list might not be altogether encouraging (!), so will just take one unfinished thing at a time and when that's done, will just pick up the next thing. Also keen to finish the four Birth Sampler cross stitches I have here, one for each of the children.
Friday, February 01, 2008
On Party Food Ideas...
Ok this is going to be an 'update every other whenever' post lol - because the lists could be added to never-endingly, not just as we go places but as we come up with new ideas... and finally remember previous ones! We've been to and hosted our fair share of parties over the years, children's parties I mean, at various locations and with variations on party food...
so I thought I'd list some of the party foods we've done or seen that we liked, and pics if I have them, in case anyone is looking for ideas for birthday parties! Of course you need to ensure for yourself, that the food is age and diet appropriate.
FOOD IDEAS
so I thought I'd list some of the party foods we've done or seen that we liked, and pics if I have them, in case anyone is looking for ideas for birthday parties! Of course you need to ensure for yourself, that the food is age and diet appropriate.
FOOD IDEAS
- fruit kebabs - done on paddlepop sticks instead of pointy skewers. Put whatever types of fruit you like, and optional drizzle of melted chocolate
- popcorn - plain, buttered, salted, however you like it.
- piled-high platter of watermelon wedges
- muffins - home made in advance and frozen you can accomodate any guest with food allergies or intolerances, or life-style choices. Optional to ice/frost as cupcakes in a chosen colour or to match the party theme or with children's initials. Also optional flavours - banana, sultana, carrot cake muffins etc
- Wedges - home made if you like - sauces and sour cream for dipping
- shaped sandwiches - use favourite biscuit cutters to cut to shape to match the theme of the party, or the favourite of the Birthday Child.
- Orange 'boats', celery boats
- dips and assorted things to dip in them!
- home made sausage rolls/pasties etc - always a hit and you know what's in them - again you can freeze and gently reheat if you prefer to make in advance.
- home made slice, cake, biscuits etc - again you can customise to the party 'theme' if you have one
- for sausage sizzles I recommend (thanks Aunty R!) the mini hotdog buns especially for smaller children as they rarely eat it all!
- Honey Snaps or Honey Joys
- Weekender Biscuit
And on Other Party Ideas...
PARTY IDEAS THREADS
Party Foods - Nappycino
THANK YOU BAGS/Lolly Bag ideas
Of course, you need to take into account the age of your party guests, any food requirements and/or allergies. We also don't 'do' commercial name-brand style things.
Party Foods - Nappycino
THANK YOU BAGS/Lolly Bag ideas
Of course, you need to take into account the age of your party guests, any food requirements and/or allergies. We also don't 'do' commercial name-brand style things.
- Reusable Bags (I've found the kids love these) either make your own or buy, or use paper bags and put stickers/ribbon etc - you can have them match the theme or style of the party - your imagination is your limit and you can do anything on a budget! I've done draw string ones, with fabric to match the party and our kids still have all of those lol
- mini-notebook
- mini-pack of pencils/crayons/barrel sharpener
- glitter glue/glue stick
- mini-tub of playdough
- For DD1's Chef party, the children decorated their own cupcakes, and since it was a smaller guest list in terms of numbers, I put an organic cake mix, mini whisk, wooden spoon, notebook and some assorted lollies (gelatine free for our vegetarian guest)
- Nat Confectionary company lollies (if you're doing lollies, I like to do a few)
- Chocolate of choice
- packs of sultanas/nuts/dried fruit (taking into account food requirements/allergies)
- key ring where you can put in a favourite photo
- stickers
- biscuit cutters
- coloured beeswax (for modelling) - it comes in thin 'bars' (try Steiner style stores)
- Rainbow colour pencil (Waldorf/Steiner style)
- packet of seeds - tomato seeds are good and they love picking the fruit!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
