Thursday, February 26, 2015
Hip (Hip Hooray! It's OK! ((we think))
According to KidsHealth.org, the average four year old boy is 40 lbs and about 40 inches tall. E2 is 49 lbs and according to the doctor's office, right at 47 inches tall. He has grown two and half inches in five months. If you do the math, he's growing at a rate of an eight of an inch PER WEEK.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
If I Were an Oscar Meyer Weiner
Off the top of your head, how many Ironman races will be held in the US in 2011? What about in North America? Answer will be at the bottom of the post.
* My dad's 52 birthday this year happens to fall on one of the coolest sporting events ever: Motocross des Nations. And guess where it is: Lakewood, Colorado! http://www.mxthundervalley.com/rev/?page_id=256 This event is usually held in some totally awesome European venue, and this year it's back in the 'States. I know he wants to go. I know husband wants to go. I actually kind of want to go, but not sure if Lil Dude would be into the 10 drive in a motorhome (I wonder if that thing even runs...) at 9 weeks old. I may have to just sent pops and Husband.
*Tomorrow Husband and I are taking our maternity pics. And, of course, I went in to get my nails done, and they were in such bad shape, nail lady said to soak off the acryllics, let them heal, and redo them in a couple weeks. Le Sigh, I really wanted pretty nails. I should take better care of my hands. Then there's this swollen pregnancy face thing. It just started about three days ago, but I have puffy jowels, and a swollen bridge of my nose. It doesnt help I have a honkin' zit right there, but seriously. And my feet and ankles have puffed considerably... but nothing like this lady:
I mean seriously. That's just fat feet, right?
* I have to pee.
* I'm just under 36 weeks now. So, I am giving Lil' Dude until about the 10th of July, and I'm running stairs and doing jumping jacks. He's gonna get an eviction notice soon. To help, I've started taking Evening Primrose Oil Capsules this week. Julie's doula recommended them, then they were on my list of things in birthing class to help induce or ease into labor. Here's something I found regarding the practice:
Neither will actually induce labor. While some lay midwives will argue that statement about the Evening Primrose, which is the reason it is not recommended until 36 weeks or "full term", almost all sources with experience agree that it does nothing that the body was not ready to do on its own. I will repeat this at the end of this section, to make sure you understand this, as there is a lot of confusion and misconception surrounding these two substances.
Evening primrose oil is an excellent source of prostaglandins, which we already determined readies your cervix for labor. It can be taken orally as soon as 34 weeks, and can be applied directly to the cervix at full term (36 weeks). The general recommendation is two 500mg capsules per day until week 38, at which time you increase to 3-4 per day. The entire capsule can be inserted vaginally (inserted just before bed, it will dissolve before the first time you wake to use the bathroom), or you can use the oil on your fingers for your perineal massage, then also rub on your cervix (assuming you can reach it). Applying directly to the cervix is optimal, but the beneficial ingredients are absorbed through the external skin or the stomach also.
Red raspberry leaf tea is a uterine tonic used by Native Americans for thousands of years. It tones your uterus by helping to "focus" your Braxton Hicks contractions. Think of its job as helping your uterus do more effective exercising while you are pregnant. It does not "cause" contractions and can be safely used throughout pregnancy. It is contraindicated for those having complications "just in case", however, by most doctors who do not understand its use. Many women safely use it from the moment they learn they are pregnant at six weeks until months after delivery. (It helps to tone the uterus after delivery as well, shrinking it back to size more quickly and reducing bleeding.)
Again, neither of these actually causes labor to start.
Just to clarify: I'm not sticking capsules up my hoo-ha. They are taken orally, thankyouverymuch. Still in search of: Red Raspberry Leaf Tea (Pregnancy Tea). Julie and Chrissy have both found the tea, so I'm going to get them to get me some. I went on an exploration that included Consentino's, Nature's Pantry, and Hy-Vee, all to giagantic fails.
* I may or may not have tried on my boob pump. Yes, it will suck something out. I didnt turn it up high enough to see if it would suck something out right now, but, I'm pretty sure it could. I also stuck the vaccum displayed at birthing class onto husbands arm and pumped. I think he might have a hickey the size of a peanut butter jar. I started laughing really hard because I couldnt figure out how in the hell to release the pressue. We are *that* couple in class.
Answer:
US Ironman events, including Kona: 9.
North American events: 11.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Let the Kids Ride
New Lead Ban Legislation Drastically Affects Motorcycle Industry
bayodome Wednesday, February 11th, 2009 6,658 views
Rumors and speculation have been flying around for a few days now on a law that could affect small motorcycles considerably. As of yesterday, those rumors were confirmed in the form of a new policy that falls under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). The policy is a restriction on lead found in children’s toys and products.
According to the policy, put together by the Consumer Product Safety Commision (CPSC), any product intended for children with lead at more than 600ppm is hereby banned from retail. The intention is to minimize the possibility of children ingesting trace amounts of lead that can be found in small products such as toy cars, as children have the tendency to put things in their mouths. Although the target was small products, the blanket clause states that any product, large or small, intended for children is now banned. Minibikes have traditionally been marketed towards children 12 and under, so they unfortunately fall into the larger category, despite not being toys. All motorcycles have certain amounts of lead that can be found in everything from the aluminum in various parts, to the engine cases and wiring.
What does this mean? According to a Honda spokesperson, they are advising all of their dealers to no longer sell any inventoried CRF50s, CRF70s, and CRF80s. As this point one can assume the other manufacturers are taking similar actions. Bear in mind, this is not a permanent solution and is essentially precautionary at the moment, but it could certainly have a long standing effect on the motorcycle industry as a whole. After all, many dealerships greatly depend on minibike sales in good times and bad. As the details of this ban filter in we will do our best to keep the motocross community informed.
In the meantime, to read about the CPSC policy enacted on February 10th, click here.
There is also a waiver fighting to keep motorycles from falling under this policy which can be found at http://www.tomself.com/
http://motocross.transworld.net/2009/02/11/new-lead-ban-legislation-drastically-affects-motorcycle-industry/
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-03-18-motorcycle-kids_N.htm?csp=34