7.27.2010

life with 3 little boys



is always an adventure...

discovering new bugs

thanking my lucky stars that no one sliced their hands on the
giant 
mirror they shattered in the alley by the dumpster

smelling diaper cream and turning around to see Drew's hair, face, arms and legs covered in it

walking out the door to go to church and hearing Brad ask if I have keys?
shaking my head no, and realizing we are locked out...
then breaking in through the kitchen window
(thanks joshy for being just the right size to fit through the window!)

the endless drawing on surfaces other than paper...walls especially

monster sounds and climbing on furniture acting like monkeys

putting Drewbie down for a nap only to find him out of bed 2 seconds later saying,
"it's fweaky in hewe"

finding half-eaten strawberries, apples and peaches all over the house, 
courtesy of DREW 

hearing about pee-pees, weiners, privates, nuts, and weinees numerous times a day

wondering how such a small body can produce so much gas?
(thanks Joshy...)

3-D paper creations taped to the underside of the top bunk
(jakob is crafty!)

reading stories called "The Battle of Good and Evel" and being 
grateful that "good" always wins in these stories... 

bruising your heel from stepping on another magnetic marble...OUCH!

my favorite parts of the day are when I hear them laughing, 
feel their hugs
and see them smiling. 




I wouldn't have it
any
other
way.






7.18.2010

a special guy


There are so many pictures and things to blog about...but I've been meaning to post these pics for a while now...so here they are!

My husband is a wonderful daddy...he has a fierce love for his family and is dedicated to protecting and taking care of us always. We are so blessed to have him!!!

7.13.2010

Falling Whistles and Paul Hawken's Speech

I came across Falling Whistles via a friend's post on FB this morning, and felt my heart being pulled toward this cause.

Please take a few minutes to check out their site to learn more about it.

After reading the info on the site, I then went to the FW blog, where I came across Paul Hawken's commencement speech to the Class of 2009 at the University of Portland.

I don't know that I agree with 100% of what he said, but many of his words inspire me and make me want to DO something good for this world...and I hope that by sharing this, others will be inspired also.

So, here's a quote from the speech that I liked...

"Hope only makes sense when it doesn’t make sense to be hopeful."

Click HERE to read the speech in it's entirety.

7.10.2010

Ember

While perusing one of my favorite photographer's blogs, I came across a shoot he did for Ember, a company who partners with women in Uganda to make jewelery with recycled paper and plastic.  

I thought this was a beautiful idea, and had to share with all of you.  Love the jewelry.  Love the cause.

Check it out for yourself!



This jewelery can be found locally at HSS on Main Street and Aesthetyx which is located in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency, Huntington Beach.

7.08.2010

Adult Pertussis Vaccine - GET IT!

The following is taken from an interview with Natalie Norton by UPI (United Press International). View the actual article here.

Mother: babies need not die of pertussis

It started as a little cough. Just to be on the safe side, the parents of 2-month-old Gavin Norton took him to a pediatrician who diagnosed the beginning stages of respiratory syncytial virus -- a virus that infects the lungs and breathing passages.

The pediatrician said the baby would be sick for about a week, recover for another week and then get well, but the parents were told to watch out for rapid breathing, increased heart rate and a decrease in appetite.
A couple of days later the parents
detected a more rapid heart rate and they took the infant to a hospital emergency room.

"We took Gavin to the hospital Dec. 29 and I anticipated they would give him fluids and we would take him home," Natalie Norton told United Press International. "I never expected he would be admitted and I never expected what happened next."

Gavin, still diagnosed with RSV, got worse and on Jan. 7, Gavin died of whooping cough, medically known as pertussis.

Pertussis deaths have been largely preventable because of vaccines.

"Infants are most at risk because they get their first shot against whooping cough at 2 months -- the routine diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis vaccine, or DTaP -- beginning at 2 months of age, they are not fully protected until they have received at least three doses of the vaccine, usually at 6 months," Ken August of the California Department of Public Health told UPI.

"Toddlers receive another shot at 15 months and another are age 4. We believe the immunity wanes from the vaccines or from actually having whooping cough by the time a child reaches middle-school age, but boosters are now available for teens and adults."

However, babies 6 months and younger have not completed the vaccines so they must depend on the people around them to be immunized.

Babies are most likely to catch pertussis from a member of their own family -- 80 percent of the time an infant gets pertussis from a family member and 50 percent of the time they get it from their parents.

Natalie Norton has joined the March of Dimes and Sanofi Pasteur, the maker of the vaccine, to raise awareness that parents need to get vaccinated to protect their infants from pertussis. The tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis vaccine booster for adults -- for adolescents and adults who have already developed immunity to tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis as children -- became available in 2005.

However, parents may have to ask their doctors for the Tdap booster. Natalie Norton discovered some doctors do not offer the vaccine.

"I've have four children, the oldest is age 7, then 5, 4 and Gavin would have been 1, but I was never told about the adult booster vaccine -- never, ever, did anyone tell me about the vaccine," Natalie Norton said.
"Gavin was born in October of last year and at that time we were worried about the H1N1 flu and because of that I hardly ever took him out in public."

Natalie and Richie Norton, live in Oahu, Hawaii, and after the birth of their fourth son, Gavin, last October, they decided to celebrate Christmas with their family in Utah, but before they left, Natalie Norton took Gavin to the pediatrician to make sure he was strong and healthy enough for the trip and the doctor gave the baby a clean bill of health.

On Dec. 26, Gavin's cough began. Pertussis often begins in what appears to be a cold, with a runny nose, a mild cough and minimal fever. However, after two weeks, a more severe cough can develop and these paroxysms of rapid coughing can cause shortness of breath and the need to quickly inhale, creating the characteristic "whooping noise." These fits of coughing and gasping can result in vomiting and dehydration. A chronic cough can develop and can last for several more weeks.

Complications can develop, such as pneumonia, seizures and periods of not breathing. Adults tend to have milder symptoms, with younger patients more at risk of severe disease and complications.

"My children were vaccinated for the flu and I always vaccinated my children, but my obstetrician, my son's pediatrician and my primary care physician never told me about the Tdap vaccine booster," Norton said.
"I have heard from other parents who tell me that they have asked their doctor for the Tdap vaccine and the doctors say the risk isn't high enough -- the risk is high enough if one child dies from this vicious disease and that has already been my child -- parents need to have the courage to ask their doctor for the adult Tdap booster and not to take no for answer -- no more children need to die."

Last week, the state of California announced it is having an epidemic of whooping cough and five children have died. County health departments throughout California are providing the vaccine.

Several other states also have reported a spike in cases compared to last year.

"Everyone ages 11 through 64 should get the Tdap booster vaccine to help protect themselves and reduce the risk of spreading pertussis to babies," Thomas Skinner, a spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta told UPI.

More information on pertussis is at: www.SoundsofPertussis.com.