So, do we have the party here? Do we have it at the park without a shelter, and just take a card table for cutting the cake on? I hadn't planned on a meal, mainly I had planned to do cake and ice cream and drinks at a park (near the play equipment) so the kids would have something to do (and I won't have to clean my house! Ha!) I mean, she's going to be two. We don't need to get all crazy about things, right? No pony rides necessary... If we go to the park where the train is, and buy enough tickets for all the kids to go a couple of times (how cute would that picture be, all the kids hanging off of the train?), that's all she needs.
We certainly don't want to get into one of those situations where we're trying to out-do ourselves year after year, and then find that there's nowhere left to go.
But all the shelters close to the playground at that park are already reserved. There is plenty of wide open space, though. We could just stake a claim on the grass, put up our cake, have everyone bring camp chairs, and watch the kids go nuts. What do you think? Sound like a plan, or should I just suck it up and do it at the house?
By the way, if you're reading this and you know us, you're invited. :) I'll put up the details as they become available.
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In other news, I was incorrect in the video when I said Claire was 11 pounds 8 ounces - she was weighed today at the doctor's office and they called it 12 pounds 10 ounces. She's 4 months old, and apparently you're supposed to double your birthweight by 4 months, so he's "a little" concerned (she'd be 14#6 if she had hit that mark). Am I the only person who thinks that all the problems with childhood obesity may be related to these ridiculous recommendations for babies (including the whole "whole milk until you're two" thing, which we're doing, grudgingly)? I mean, she's a perfectly healthy kid. She is getting tons of milk - trust me on this. She's not hungry. She sleeps wonderfully. She has rolls of chub on her thighs (someday she's going to hate me for broadcasting that to the world!). So, what's the problem?
I'm just saying that it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to cram food down a kid's throat for X number of years, and try to get them to gain weight, and then to turn around when they're heavy and put them on a diet.
As long as she's clearly happy and comfortable, I'm going to trust that my body is giving her what she needs, and if she wants to weigh a bit less than she's "supposed" to, I'm not going to freak out about it. I think freaking out about breastfeeding caused many of the problems we faced the first time around.
Then he tells me that we should start solids. At four months. Now, I love our doctor, so don't get me wrong, but I am not starting solids. She still has a tongue thrust reflex. She doesn't sit up yet. She isn't ready for food - she'll choke. I'm not giving it to her. In one breath he says, "Go ahead and start food," but in the next he says, "She really only needs breast milk until she's one, the food is just for practice..." Then he says that maybe she'll gain the weight she should once we start solids. I didn't point out that breastmilk is more calorically dense than anything we're going to feed her (unless we lose our minds and share our cheesecake with her or something). Breastmilk has 20 calories per ounce, and is 50% fat! I'm pretty sure that rice cereal and pureed peas are not going to pack on the pounds the way Mommy's milk will!
Am I the only person who thinks that maybe all the allergy problems kids have these days may be related to these stupid recommendations for babies? I'm not a doctor or anything, but it seems pretty interesting, to me. I read someplace that the intestine in a newborn actually has larger pores to absorb nutrients through than an adults (they called it an "open gut") and that's why you don't want to give them food too early - because things will get in through those holes that aren't supposed to - proteins that the baby may be allergic to (or develop an allergy to). But what do I know? I'm just a mom. These are things that I really don't want to debate while Mary Grace is sticking things in her mouth that the last kid through that exam room had in his mouth, and he probably had bubonic plague or something, so I just smile and nod and then come home and do what I want.
(I just remembered that I gave Kathy at the doctor's office the address of my blog today, so um, yeah. Hi Kathy. Shhhh!)
4 comments:
Have it at the park. I have a temporary shelter/tent like thing if you think you would use it. It's like 15x11 (big enough to cover a table anyway). The kids won't know the difference. It's just an adult comfort thing. I don't think they'll be under the shelter for more than 10 nanoseconds anyway.
Jen
Cow's milk is designed to take a 60 pound calf and turn it into a 2000 pound cow/bull in two years. What does that tell you about cow's milk? The only difference between whole milk and skim is the fat. Why do they need all that fat? Particularly if they are still nursing, there really is no reason. It's all a plot by the Milk Board to put those mustaches on all of us.
Sigh.
Every baby is different! Most doctors recommend starting solids around 4-6 months. And that's just it! It's a recommendation, you have to do what is right for your own child. If Claire is showing the signs that she's interested in your food and can sit up assisted, try out a little bit of rice cereal. If she's not up to it, wait a month or so and try again. The kid will let you know when they are ready.
Katelynn was on solid food at 4 months, but she was showing all the signs, making chewing motions, the tongue thrust reflex was going away, staring at you while you ate. Another friend of mine didn't start solids with her little girl until she was 6 months old. That little girl is just fine. She's just over a year old and she does seem a little small to me, but she's healthy. She's within her weight range for her age.
I'd say always take your doctor's advice seriously, but at the end of the day, you know your baby a heck of a lot better than he does.
Oh I'm way with you on the food thing. I get so disheartened when I see all the overweight kids in our community. Those charts were made in the 1950's when formula was all the rage, there are supposed to be separate charts for breastfed babies. Two of my four children did not start solids until after 13 months, they just were not ready and I was not going to force them. If she is meeting all of her other milestones (the ones that tell you her brain is growing as opposed to her body) then you are good! Stay strong and go with your instinct.
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