Growing, growing, growing

I took Camille to the doctor a week ago for her 18 month well visit and vaccinations. She is getting so BIG! People always tell me she is tall, but I didn't realize just how tall in comparison to other kids her age.

These were the stats:

33 1/2 inches tall (95th percentile!)

25.4 pounds (fully clothed, so somewhere between 50th and 75th percentile)

I don't remember what her head circumference was, but it was about average.

I am just amazed at how tall she is. It sounds like she will be just like me. I sprouted up really fast, but stopped growing when I was 13. I'm glad she is a healthy kid.

Cinder Block Cuisine

Just thought I would let everyone know I have started contributing to a cooking blog. Everyone who contributes is one of my neighbors/in my ward. I just posted a really good recipe that is a quick, easy, and healthy dinner. Feel free to check it out.

cinderblockcuisine.blogspot.com

Count Your Blessings

I have had a rough week with Camille. We have been having battles with naps and sleeping at night. She got three shots yesterday too, which made her cranky. She has been driving me crazy all week. So, I thought I would take a minute to list some of the things I am grateful so that I can remember how truly blessed I am. Because that's exactly it. I have truly been blessed more than I ever could have imagined.

Things I am thankful for:

1.) my amazing husband Mike

2.) my spunky daughter Camille

3.) we don't pay for Mike's schooling (which is a big blessing since it is out-of-state grad school tuition)

4.) we are debt-free

5.) we haven't had snow in a few weeks

6.) Camille is napping as I type this

7.) we have plenty of food to eat

8.) we have a place to live (with some bonuses like all utilities included, fast maintenance, and great neighbors)

9.) I see my husband more than any other woman I know

10.) I have a college degree

11.) Mike will be done with grad school in 4 months!

12.) we have a dishwasher and a washing machine (2 essential appliances in my book)

13.) we are healthy

14.) we have clothes to wear

15.) we have lots of family and friends who care about us

These are just a few of the many, many things I have been blessed with and that I am thankful for. I know very few people read our blog. But if you do, take a moment now to reflect on the things you are grateful for. I'm feeling a lot better already.

One Silly Little Girl

That's what Camille is...one silly little girl. I was coloring with her this afternoon when she started sticking her tongue out over and over. About a minute later, my lips and cheek were slobbery. Yes, Camille licked my lips and then about 2 seconds later licked my cheek. It was gross, but funny at the same time. We both couldn't stop laughing. Remember how I said we were coloring? Well, about a minute after the licking incident Camille started trying to shove crayons in my mouth. (Unsuccessfully, I might add.) What a silly kid.

Up to No Good

This happened a week or two ago, even though I'm only just now posting it. Camille and I were eating some Goldfish crackers right out of the box. A BIG box, I might add. She was doing a good job taking and eating one at a time, so I thought it wouldn't be a big deal to leave her for a minute. Well, that was a mistake. When I came back, this is what I found.....

Yes, that is the rest of the box of Goldfish. Did I mention it was a BIG box? Luckily it wasn't full. Something tells me Camille stopped taking them out of the box one at a time. I don't know, just a hunch. Good thing we have some nice hand-me-down couches too. That made it easy to laugh. And made me extra thankful that we don't have nice furniture. Gotta love curious one-year-olds.

Book Review: "Basic Economics" by Thomas Sowell

I recently finished the book "Basic Economics" by Thomas Sowell. I originally got this for Christmas 2008. Because of the economic problems we were facing then (and which continue today) I wanted to learn more about economics. Let me say, I was not disappointed in my choice of books.

Overall, I loved the fact that he writes in a very clear and understandable manner. He always has historical examples to support/illustrate his claims. Which is very helpful. My one complaint is that he doesn't cite his sources through out the book. He waits for the end and then lists sources with the facts by chapter.

Take away points:

What is Economics? - The allocation of scarce resources with alternative uses. The collective knowledge of all is much greater than the combined knowledge of a few central planners. Which is why a free market economy where prices and the buyers ultimately decide how resources are allocated is the best economic system.

History has shown that business greats of the past and present have gotten there, not because of a "silver spoon in hand" when they are born, but because of true hard work and caring about their customers needs. Also adapting to changing times.

Free market economics is not a zero-sum game, aka - it is not the case that for one person to gain, another person must lose. In fact, it is quite the opposite. It is only when the free market is not in place that people lose when others gain. For example, lets say minimum wage is raised from $4 to $6. If I'm an employer that could afford to spend $8 an hour on new employees, before I could have hired two people. Now I can only hire one. Even if I find two people who would love to work for $4 an hour, I'm forced to only hire one, and someone loses out.

And there is much, much more.

This book is full of wonderful insights and historically proven economic theories, etc. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone.

Camille's hair

Most of you know Camille had a lot of hair when she was born. She also never lost it like I hear some babies do. It has just kept growing, which is nice since she is a girl.

Her hair is long enough for pig tails now! In fact, these pig tails only have half of her hair in them. (The other half is hanging down, which you can't really see from the picture.) Crazy!

Oh, and she hasn't ever had a haircut. I think she will get her first one this spring. We will decide exactly when later.

One Step Closer

....to being done with school. Not me. I graduated in December (almost 18 months after having Camille)! But today is the first day of the last semester for Mike! He will graduate with a Master's degree in May! Just thought I would share because it sure makes me happy thinking about it. And about how blessed we are.

Potty Training

Well, we have started potty training Camille. Actually, we started letting her sit on the toilet about a month ago. But she finally went on the potty for the first time a couple days ago. And she went a second time this morning! I'm hoping that she keeps wanting to use the potty and makes progress fast. We got lucky with her wanting to learn so early. I think this is because we always keep the bathroom door shut and don't let her play in there. Before potty training, Camille was pretty much only allowed in the bathroom for baths. Obviously we did this so that she wouldn't drown or play in the toilet, play with the toilet brush or plunger, etc. Well, I think it has made going potty a novelty. Whether that's what makes Camille want to use the potty or not, I'm just thankful. We have had a difficult time with Camille in some other areas, so it is nice to have this coming more easily. I just wanted to announce the good news.

Review of "Birth After Cesarean: The Medical Facts" by: Bruce L. Flamm, M.D.

I apologize for not posting this as soon as said I would. I've been busy with finals, traveling, and Christmas. But I still felt strongly about getting this posted because I hope this can help someone else who has had a cesarean section. Feel free to share it with others.

Note: In case you were wondering (based on the cover of the book), I am not pregnant.

I read this book and have done lots of other research because I want to be prepared when we do have another child.

First of all, I would like to point out that the copyright date of this book is 1990. Since this book was published almost twenty years ago, it is important that anyone who reads it realizes that some of the information is outdated. Most of the information contained in this book still applies, even after two decades. However, it is imperative that the reader does further research that is more recent. I will address some of the facts that have changed based on more recent studies.

One thing that really made me want to read this book was the author. For one thing, he is male. Almost every other book on the topic of vaginal birth after cesarean is written by a women. Because this book was written by a man, I believe a lot of the bias is removed. Since he is a man, he obviously has never had a cesarean section, let alone been pregnant or given birth. Consequently, he is able to make more rational analyses of the facts than women who are angry that they have had a c-section.
I also like that Dr. Flamm wrote the book with real authority. Not only is he a medical doctor, but he is an Obstetrician/Gynecologist who has done A LOT of research on the topic of vaginal birth after cesarean. In fact, at the time of publication of this book, he was also completing the world's largest study on VBAC to date. As a result, I felt like Dr. Flamm's book was written based on real expertise rather than as a result of emotional rage.

As a side note, I can't blame some people for being upset about having had a c-section. I can understand that; I just can't relate to it. In the research I have done, it seems like the majority is written by angry women. Truthfully, it is a complete turn off for me. It makes me not want to read what they have to say, and it makes it diffficult to take them seriously. It is difficult to believe they are providing facts, rather than opinions...especially when they do not sight resources for their assertions. Anyway, back to my book review. (Good thing this is just my blog and not for a grade.)

I figured I would write this book review in sort of a pros and cons format. Probably the best overall thing about this book is that it is very supportive of VBACs. I love that since research shows that it is very safe. The chance of a woman's uterus rupturing during labor that has had a previous LOW TRANSVERSE cesarean section is about 0.5%. I emphasize low transverse incision because the rate of uterine rupture is higher if the incision was vertical. Further, it is not recommended (in this book by Dr. Flamm or in any other research I have found) that women who have had a vertical incision attempt VBAC.

Another positive thing about this book is that Dr. Flamm supports fetal monitoring during labor. A lot of VBAC supporters out there oppose fetal monitoring because it confines you to a bed during labor rather than allowing you to move about. Dr. Flamm acknowledges that fetal monitoring is not perfect, yet he goes on to state that it is the best indicator of uterine rupture. Because uterine rupture is very serious and can ultimately cause death in the infant and mother, an emergency c-section must be performed immediately. Dr. Flamm even referenced a study that was done before the days of fetal monitoring in which 20 women attempting VBAC had emergency c-sections due to severe abdominal pain (...it was thought that the uterus had ruptured in each case). It was discovered that only 1 out of the 20 women actually had a ruptured uterus. Thus, pain should not be used as an indicator of uterine rupture.

I also liked that Dr. Flamm discourages home birth since a lot of women who are supportive of VBAC think it is okay to deliver VBAC at home. He holds this point of view for the same reasons that he supports fetal monitoring. Although uterine rupture is very unlikely to happen, the situation can be life or death if a c-section isn't performed immediately.

I think I might have mentioned this already, but Dr. Flamm does not recommend vaginal births for women who have had the classical or vertical uterine incision. The rate of uterine rupture is higher if the scar on your uterus is vertical. It didn't surprise me that Dr. Flamm was against VBAC for these women because all the research I have done has said the same thing. So it would have surprised me if his opinion was in favor of this group attempting VBAC.

Probably one of my favorite things about this book is that it was realistic. Although Dr. Flamm is extremely supportive of VBACs, he acknowledges that there are definitely situations where c-sections are necessary. So much of the information out there (on the internet; in books; from VBAC supportive doulas, midwives, and other groups, etc.) just does not even seem logical. Just as an example, I saw in one forum online where a women put that people need to reevaluate their fears of homebirth because homebirths are the safest ones. Can anyone seriously think they are going to convince me to have a homebirth when I have a chance of my uterus rupturing?! Yeah, right! The chance of it rupturing is low, but I won't risk killing me and my child by not being in a situation where I could have another c-section immediately if it were necessary.

Dr. Flamm supports requiring IVs or heplocks for women attempting VBAC. A lot of women who support VBAC do not like being required to have an IV. Dr. Flamm makes a good point, however. In the book, he explains that a lot of the time women would be just fine without an IV, but if the situation becomes an emergency it can often be difficult to get an IV needle into the vein, such as when a patient's veins collapse.

One thing I do not like about the book is that Dr. Flamm claims it is okay for women attempting VBAC to be induced and includes the birth stories of many women attempting VBAC who were induced. He says that the rate of uterine rupture is not higher. However, more recent research has shown that the rate of uterine rupture is a little bit higher in women whose labor is induced. The rate is still very low, however. Consequently, many doctors will not induce women attempting VBAC. This is one of those claimks in the book that is out of date and one of the main reasons that I recommend the reader do further research.


Sorry this book review has a lot of my opinions in it. What can I say...I'm bias when it comes to the topic. I just want to say that my goal is not to offend anyone who supports homebirth, repeat ceseareans, or whatever. My goal is to help others who may be in my same situation by giving some facts and opinions (and telling you which is which instead of claiming it is all facts). If you've had a c-section, I would definitely recommend reading this book. It's probably the most factually based, least biased book out there on VBAC. However, don't just read it. Do more research too.