I’ve been looking for affordable natural toys for the kids. We want to cut back on the amount of plastic toys we have since most of them are not recyclable and so many require batteries. There are some products that you really can’t avoid that are plastic, such as strollers, unless you want to stick with baby carriers. That gets harder with multiple children though, especially for extended outings. Strollers and playpens can be used through several children and passed on to family or friends. Most of our plastic toys, however, may not be as long lasting since Matty can be pretty rough with his toys.

I really like Melissa & Doug toys but they can be pretty pricey. I try to buy them from Kid to Kid since they always have a large selection of that particular brand.

Three Sisters offers wooden or waldorf toys that are all natural and most of them are well priced and affordable. Some of them are a little expensive, like the castles and dollhouses, but you are getting a great product for your money.

Peapods is another good option. Their prices very as well but a lot of it is very reasonable and it’s a mommy owned store which is very cool. They also offer toys made from recycled materials.

Hazlenut Kids is an awesome website. They have all kinds of natural toys and crafts for children of all ages. They even have some really cute room decor. The prices are good and even the shipping is inexpensive.

Willow Tree Toys seems a bit more expensive. However if you feel like splurging they have some adorable items and some of them are fair trade which makes this online store very appealing to me.

As a proud christian, a woman, and a mother I find it impossible to be anything other than pro-life. I believe with all my heart that EVERY child is a gift from God, no matter what the circumstances. I do not hate people who have had abortions or people who are pro-choice. I do however hate the act of shedding  innocent blood. It pains me to imagine the kind of fear and uncertainty that would drive a woman to kill her own child and then call it ‘exercising her rights’ as a woman. We’re teaching our children that they need not be responsible for their actions because these unplanned pregnancies are easily remedied with guiltless murder. This topic has been weighing heavily on my heart recently so I will be posting information, stories and links to hopefully open some eyes to the horrors and tragedies that go unnoticed and unpunished.

What the FOCA?! (Freedom of Choice Act) is an edgy advocasy campaign that I came across this morning while researching. I thought it was very funny and creative. They have some great info on their website and have taken a fresh approach to the debate.

Most of you have probably heard of the Freedom of Choice Act. If passed this law will eliminate all restrictions on abortions.

It will remove the ban on;

• Partial birth abortions
• The Hyde Amendment (your tax dollars will be funding abortions)
• Parental consent and notification laws
• The ban on waiting periods
• The ban on informed consent
• Health and safety regulations for abortion clinics
• Bans on abortion after viability
• Limits on public funding for elective abortions
• Limits on the use of public facilities
• Legal protections for Catholic and other religiously-affiliated hospitals who, while providing care to millions of poor and uninsured Americans, refuse to allow abortions within their facilities

I hope that all parties responsible, including our new president,  for passing this amendment will have a change of heart and come to their senses.

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This info came from

http://www.badchange.com/?page_id=90

The big catchphrase regarding partial birth abortion (and oftent times all abortion) is “the mother’s health”. Obama claims to be in favor of a ban on late term (partial birth) abortions, but supports the common “exception for the mother’s health” clause. Scientific and medical research disprove the theory of a mother’s physical health ever benefiting from a late term abortion vs. simply giving birth. Babies are born premature all the time. The phrase “late term” specifically applies to “viable” babies, which are defined as being fully capable of surviving outside the womb.

Some text from the Freedom of Choice Act, Section 4:

(b) Prohibition of Interference- A government may not–
(1) deny or interfere with a woman’s right to choose–
(A) to bear a child;
(B) to terminate a pregnancy prior to viability; or
(C) to terminate a pregnancy after viability where termination is necessary to protect the life OR HEALTH of the woman;

Again, in order to perform a partial birth abortion, a viable baby is born 90% with only his or her head still inside the birth canal. Ask yourself this. If the baby can survive if born, how does aborting this baby (and actually forcefully preventing the baby from being completely born) save the life of the mother in any way?

“Health of the mother” has been stretched to mean things as selfish as the mother’s mental or emotional health due to potential embarrassment or stress that comes with an unwanted pregnancy and birth.

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This website has some really good information and stories too.

Mila has been having intestinal problems since late December. She had blood in her poop the day after Christmas and a few times since then. I took her to her pediatrician (we use an alternative pediatrician) and she said it was possibly a milk allergy and acid reflux (she spits up A LOT and was not gaining weight). So she wrote up an order to have a barium swallow done. I called to make the appointment and found out that the patients have to have an empty stomach for a certain amount of time before the procedure. I can understand why that is necessary but I couldn’t bring myself to not feed my two month old just for a test, so I cancelled the appt.

We tried Reglan but she became constipated and even fussier after a day or two. At that time she was 3 months old and 9.12 pounds. Our doctor recommended that we see a specialist so we tried to get an appt with Dr. Vartabedian ( he wrote Colic Solved) but he didn’t have anything available until June so we went with another doctor in his practice.

Our appt with the specialist was last Wednesday. Mila weighed a whopping 11 lbs so she’s still on the really small side. The bloody poop is caused inflammation of the colon due to allergies (Colitis). The doctor prescribed Prevacid for the reflux (GERD) and recommended Nutramegin formula to help both the colitis and the GERD . Since we’re breastfeeding I decided against giving her the formula so I’m on a restricted diet. I can’t eat soy, nuts, strawberries, dairy, or eggs. I thought the eggs and dairy would be the hardest to avoid but it’s the soy that’s killing me. It’s in everything!
The doctor sent us home with some cards that we smear her poop on. We are supposed to do 3 samples on 3 different days about a week after I started the restricted diet and then bring in the samples and they’ll check the stool for blood to see how much the diet is helping her intestines to heal from the colitis.
She’s still crying in pain several times a day and sometimes while she’s sleeping. She seems to be spitting up less frequently though. I’m looking for probiotics and natural alternatives to the Prevacid so if anyone knows of something please let us know!