Feeding the boy

Calling all breastfeeding moms ...I'm in a little dilemma about what to do about breastfeeding after my son turns one. I am exclusively pumping, so the question of weaning is not applicable here, but I am conflicted about stopping, especially in light of all the food allergies that my son may have that I am not currently aware of. I know that he did not do well when I drank cow's milk, so I gave that up and drank soy milk whenever I needed a milk fix. But I have read so many things about soy being a leading allergen too... I don't want to stop pumping, thinking my son will do ok without my milk, and then find out otherwise. On the other hand, I am worried that the constipation my son has suffered from for the last three months may be from my diet, and I don't want him to suffer constipation anymore either. But can we feed him well enough so he gets all of his nutrients from his food (because Mommy and Daddy don't have the best eating habits right now)? Or should we switch him to formula? His one year checkup isn't for another three weeks, so I can't talk to the doctor at length at this time-and to stop breastfeeding around his birthday would mean titrating down on my pumping now. So what do I do?

What, o wise mothers out there, have you done? Any advice for the newbie?

My hubby's going back to work

My husband has been a stay at home dad for the past 11 months. He has done a great job taking care of our son, but has now decided to go back into the workforce. We are going to put our son into daycare, and while I am a little worried about how he is going to adjust, and whether or not day care will be good for him in comparison to the benefits of having a stay at home parent, most of me is excited. Mainly because I will not be the only breadwinner in the family anymore...that role is a tough one. And too, because I think my son will benefit from the socialization provided by daycare, and maybe become more independent (he is pretty attached to daddy!).

So, anyway, anybody know of any good positions for a great dad with a ton of sales experience?

Taking a step back to relax

Anyone out there hear of DailyOM (www.dailyom.com)? I recently subscribed to their emails, and I love them. I get them around 5pm every weekday, with an hour of work to go. They ground me, and help remind me that I am loved and that I need to nourish my body and soul. Their emails help me through that last hour of work, and set the tone for the remainder of my evening and the next day.

I hope you enjoy DailyOM like I do. And remember, no matter what you do in a day, or who you take care of-a son or daughter, a husband, your parents, take time to nuture your self-your whole self-mind, spirit, and body. If you don't take care of yourself, how can you find the means to take care of anyone else?

A Great Recipe

I am starting a course to become a Holistic Health Counselor in a few weeks, and have been studying the materials that were sent to students to review before class. Included in these materials was a DVD of whole food recipes. There are recipes for root vegetables, greens, sweet veggies, squashes, and all sorts of healthy things. I decided to make a butternut squash soup with ginger tonight, despite the fact that I have never had butternut squash, have never made a soup, and don't really like ginger (I'm so daring...).

The recipe was simple:

Medium Butternut Squash
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tsp grated ginger
Spices to flavor
4 cups water (approximate)

First cut the squash into similar sized pieces (after peeling it). Then put the olive oil in a large pot and heat on a high flame. Toss in the onions and wait a minute or so. Then put in the squash. Add enough water to cover the squash. Bring the water to a boil, then turn down to a low flame. Simmer for 30 minutes. You can grate the ginger into the soup when it is cooking, or add it right before you mash the squash (for a stronger ginger flavor). I added 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar, and 2 tsp of cinnamon for flavor, but the recipe did not call for it. After the 30 minutes, all you need to do is mash the squash (or mix it with a hand held mixer or use a strong wisk) and you have butternut squash soup. I was suprised at how easy it was, and how delicious it tasted. More importantly, I cooked something healthy for myself and my family...what a great feeling!

I cant't wait to learn more, and perhaps begin to cook more often from scratch, so I have more energy to do all the other things I need to do...and maybe lose some weight, meet some wonderful people, and teach my son (who will be a year old in 5 weeks!) good eating habits from the start.

For information on the nutrition program that I'll be attending in November (one weekend a month in NYC until June 2006), go to www.integrativenutrion.com. If you sign up as a friend of mine, we can both save an extra $500 on tuition...

In The Name Of Fashion

Do you know that there are daddy diaper bags, and daddy baby wipe bags, and wipe holder covers, and oh so much more in the name of fashion. I wouldn't be surprised if someone has created personalized baby wipes. It seems that every time I go online, I am assaulted by products that defy classification, products so over the top that they make me wonder exactly what this world is coming to. But people buy these things by the truckload. I know I only carry exactly what I need when I go out with my son...most times, its a plastic grocery bag with a diaper and wipes and a bottle-the essentials. Or I carry his diaper bag, stuffed to the rim with every possible toy he might need to not go into meltdown mode. So who really needs funky fabric baby wipes container covers? I guess, when I think about it, we all do. Or at least, we need things that make us feel stylish and up-to-date, and we all know that most times when you have a baby or toddler, it is hard for our clothing, hair and nails to make us feel that way.

Tuxedo Onesies

I first came across tuxedo onesies when I was starting my site in May 2005. I happened upon a site called Ktrix that had really fun punk onesies and thought they would be great to carry...so I ordered them and made a mistake in posting them to my site, thinking that the order would be fulfilled in few weeks. Well, I got three orders for them right away...and I thought, everyone else thinks these are cool too...and this will be great for her site and mine too. Well, the order was never fulfilled. I waited three weeks, then four weeks, then I called and asked when they would be arriving and was told three more weeks. Well three more weeks rolled around, and still no order...so I ordered just one of them from the site, thinking that if she couldnt fulfill my wholesale order, if they are still posted as in stock on her retail website, I will get that order and at least be able to ship something to my customer. I waited another two weeks with no word, and finally posted a complaint on paypal. I was credited my fee, but never received my order. I was very upset, and my customer was disappointed. I will never do business with Ktrix again. Something good came out of it, however. So focused on finding a tuxedo onesie for my customer, that I searched all over the internet, and finally found something close. Ante Ru's Design Center in California makes personalized tuxedo bibs. These bibs are adorable, well made, and the personlization makes them very unique. The bib is black with a faux tuxedo shirt, embroidered black buttons, a bow tie, and a hankerchief that matches the tie, on which your little boy's name resides. I have one for my son, and he is the hit of every party or dinner outing with it. Some people even forget that I brought my baby to a fancy restaurant when they see how cute he looks, and how well dressed he was for the occasion. I asked Ante Ru (aka Ruth Gilbert) if she would let me carry them on my site, and the rest is history. Ruth has even created a tuxedo onesie for my site, after I told her about my elusive search. She is a class act, as are her tuxedo creations. You can see more of her handmade goods (trick or treat bags, full size double sided bibs, etc) at www.anteru.com. Tell her Kelly sent you.