Not So Natural Childbirth

Yet again this kid has thrown me for a loop.   First, the surprise of finding out I was pregnant, then the orneriness of not letting me find out the sex in the ultrasound, now this. OK, message received.  You're #4 and you're making your mark.  I get it!

For all 4 pregnancies I have tested positive for Group B Strep.  I went to the Center for Disease Control (which, thanks to The Walking Dead, will forever make me think of zombies!) and got a few GBS facts.

• In the U.S., group B strep is the leading cause of meningitis (infection of the fluid and lining around the brain) and sepsis (infection of the blood) in a newborn’s first week of life (early-onset disease).
• A pregnant woman who tests positive for group B strep and gets antibiotics during labor has only a 1 in 4,000 chance of delivering a baby with group B strep disease, compared to a 1 in 200 chance if she does not get antibiotics during labor.
• Most early-onset group B strep disease in newborns can be prevented by giving pregnant women antibiotics (medicine) through the vein (IV) during labor.
• Newborns are at increased risk for a group B strep infection if their mother tests positive for group B strep during pregnancy.
• The antibiotics used to prevent early-onset group B strep disease in newborns only help during labor — they can’t be taken before labor, because the bacteria can grow back quickly.

The Honest Company

I got an email from a friend yesterday telling me about Jessica Alba's baby products.  She was sure I'd heard of them, but actually, they were new to me.  So I went to the website and checked it out.  It's pretty cool!  It turns out that it's more that just baby products, although there are a lot of those too. 

It was founded by actress Jessica Alba and Christopher Gavigan, former CEO of Healthy Child Healthy World.  Their goal was to create products that are safer for our families.  I read a little bit of their blog (which can be found on their website and some pretty cool posts!) and noticed that they just received their B Corporation Certification.  Never heard of it?  Me neither, but, "the “B” stands for benefit, which represents a new breed of businesses that harness their power and resources for public good. This designation is much like a Fair Trade or LEED certification and signals that we are committed to making a profound social difference, safeguarding people and the planet, and meeting higher standards of transparency, performance, and accountability."  This is always a plus in looking for greener products!

Using my limited research skills, I typed The Honest Company into The Environmental Working Group's Cosmetic Database to see how they scored.  Only 7 of their products were listed, but their scores ranged from 0-2..FANTASTIC!  So I was interested in checking it out further. 

An Arguement for Keeping Kids Busy

This week is Akron Zoo week in our house.  Caden is going to zoo camp for 3 days, then Ellie is going for one.  My kids love to go to the zoo and I do too, but I was afraid this might be a little much, but it's not.  I took Vince to zoo camp a few weeks ago and I wasn't too impressed.  It seemed, like most toddler programs, to be a little over his head.  So  I was really worried about sending Caden.  He doesn't usually do very well at these things, behaviorally speaking.  He got in trouble both days he was at Science Camp at the McKinley Museum so I was very hesitant to drive the 30 hour up to Akron and back for 3 days for him to hate going and misbehave.  But he LOVES it!

"The Worst Farm Bill in Decades"

I don't really do politics, but as you know, food legislation is something that really concerns me.  I found a quick clip from the Environmental Working Group's spokesperson about the new farm bill and why it's bad.

Summer Nights

Last nigh Ellie had a stomach ache and fell asleep on the couch before dinner, Vince fell asleep while eating (very pathetic, but Evan and I got a kick out of watching him put a blueberry in his mouth, chew while his eyes slowly closed, then snapping awake to put another blueberry in his mouth.) so it was just Caden after dinner.  (As a side note, I don't know WHAT happened with my kids today to make them so tired...I wish I could replicate it!)  My mom bought Ellie some shoes she found at Babies R Us, both the same brand, both the same size, but one was too big and the other too small, so we were returning them.  I wanted to get a baby book and a boy coming home outfit...just in case.  So Caden and I were off to Babies R Us. 

Last Day for The Almond Breeze Almond Milk Giveaway!

I have two comments and 3 coupons for free Almond Breeze Almond Milk.  Today will be the last day to enter the contest...which pretty much means if ANYONE else is interested at all, just post and you'll get that last Almond Breeze certificate!  Here's a fun summer recipe using almond milk.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

This is for Lindsay (Mohn) Poehlmann, who not only shared my link to my blog on Facebook yesterday, but also shares that annoying double "n" at the end of our last names!  She said she likes my blog for recipes, which I realized I haven't posted in awhile.  SO, here's the recipe that I made last night for dinner.  I got it A LONG time ago from Dr Andrew Weil's website.  I'm cutting and pasting from his site here, but I'll also attach the link.  I got a quite a few good recipes from him.