UPDATE: I’m having a problem with the photo gallery thingy.. so for now just use this link to see what’s new.

Such a long winter it’s been!  The days are getting longer. We’re thankful for that. Ada continues to be the big pot of joy around here. She’s walking full speed… Running really. She’s putting all of her energy into being mobile with a giant head of hair. She’s pretty quiet as far as talking goes’ she’s pretty happy with just a few words and lots of strange noises. That’s alright with us. I like her squeaks.

So there are plenty of new pictures and a few videos around. Enjoy!

Ada played you a song on this special day. Click on the picture below.

Lots of love,
Ada

Ada is now an expert crawler and continues her role as worlds happiest baby. Maybe. Things are great… and I won’t bore  you with the details. Instead, head right to the gallery for new photos and videos.

-Jason

That’s right, it’s been snowing all day up here in the arctic. Ada tried out her snowsuit and resembled a perfect bright orange marshmallow. Jason has made a new bird blog theme to welcome in the winter weather, what do you think?

Our camera is not working for the moment but here are a few pictures from our trip to Boston back in September. Pictures a

re courtesy of Allison and I guess that’s why we don’t have any photos of her to put up, she was behind the camera the whole time. It was a good visit. In the meantime, I’ll get that camera working and take some video of Nibs’s brand new cognitive skills.

Much love, Denise

Yesterday I was at a street fair with some friends in Montpelier. While nursing Ada an older man approached me and told me that I shouldn’t be “doing that” in public. It’s the first time I’ve been scolded for nursing and it wasn’t a pleasant experience. Luckily Vermont is one of the 42 states that has laws in place to protect nursing mothers and I forcefully told him so. It’s HE and people like him, who should not be warping the innocent act of breastfeeding into a pornographic one.

Vt. Acts, Act 117 (2002) state that breastfeeding should be encouraged in the interest of enhancing maternal, child and family health. The law provides that a mother may breastfeed her child in any place of public accommodation in which the mother and child would otherwise have a legal right to be.

At a time when the many health benefits of breastfeeding need hardly be defended, women are still being shamed into feeding their children in bathroom stalls or worse, stopping all together. Apparently it is a national goal to increase the proportion of mothers who breastfeed their babies in the early postpartum period to 75 percent by the year 2010 (http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/breast50.htm), and I’m writing now to assist in my own small way with that goal.

JOIN ME IN SUPPORTING THE BREASTFEEDING PROMOTION ACT!  Sign the Statement of Support for breastfeeding moms everywhere now: “Healthcare professionals inform us that breastfeeding is the best possible way to ensure that babies thrive.  In turn, we must ensure that breastfeeding mothers are able to breastfeed, and given the time and environment to pump at work or during other professional obligations.” Congress and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) need to hear that breastfeeding must be supported for all moms, and that we support the Breastfeeding Promotion Act which is currently before Congress.
*Click here to sign the Statement of Support for breastfeeding moms.
When a subsidiary of Delta Airlines kicked a woman off an airplane for breastfeeding, we sent them a petition with more than 20,000 MomsRising signatures, and shortly afterward the airline apologized and instituted a new training program for their employees. STAND WITH MOTHERS ACROSS THE NATION!  Frankly, we all lose when we don’t support mothers–businesses lose excellent employees, infants lose important nutrients, and women lose needed jobs. No mom should have to choose between keeping her job and feeding her baby and protecting her own health. All too often women aren’t able to breastfeed their babies even though the American Academy of Pediatrics tells us it’s one of the most important things we can do for a child’s health. Let’s send a strong message together that it’s time to “walk the talk” for healthy infants and mothers.

Much Love, D

Check out the pictures of the new bench. It is a baby safety measure made by Pepe himself. It’s gorgeous and now we won’t have any babies falling off the edge to the lower level.

Things here are going well. Ada’s working on her 4th tooth and on dancing, one of her new skills.

Goodnight and don’t forget to watch the presidential debates tonight!! Fri. 9 PM

Love D

For grandmothers everywhere. Grandfathers, too.

Everything here continues to be great. Ada is almost 18lbs now, is crawling, laughing all day, has 4 teeth, eats like a fruit bat, and generally is pretty awesome.

I think there are some delicious crawling videos to follow.

Jason

The show is seeking out midwife horror stories and it seems important to balance out the information. The goal here is to swamp Dr. Phil with stories about great homebirth experiences and for the midwives to write and tell their stories.

Midwife Erin Ryan writes “I am very annoyed that he has specifically asked for the bad stories. Midwives certainly do not need this kind of press. Pregnant mamas do not need more fear instilled in them.  What a shame that he is doing this disservice to women.”

Please go to the link and fill out his form and send your story in. It may not do any good, but we can only try. Thanks and please forward this to any other relevant lists you are on.

http://www.drphil.com/plugger/respond/?plugID=12524

Thanks and Much Love, Denise