Yes, I know, I am normaally bugging you with pictures of my kids but since I work at a studio I thought, "Why not get some pictures of myself?" I am the one always taking pictures in my family so we have LOTS of the kids and hubby but not so much me. Plus, Daniel has my senior picture hanging in the office and I thought he needed an update. Hey netta and Sara, do you recognize the 4th pose? Do you remember when I used to always have you take this pse of me back in the day. I can just hear me saying, "hey take a picture of me like this so it looks like I'm walking." LOL, Oh it makes me laugh just thinking about it! :)

Jacks BooBoo

I cant stop myself from laughing out loud Every time I see this picture! I know that most of you have seen this on my brothers blog but had to post it on my own. Jack was showing Daniel and I the booboo on his finger trying to convince us that he needed a band aid. He was somewhat unhappy that we got the camera out instead of a band aid hence the look on his face. How Perfect is every aspect of that picture! LMAO! I just cant enough of it. Its just so stinkin funny.

OK, on a similar topic, how cute is his hair? I just think its so cute with his long bangs. (we are trying to grow them out to match the back which isn't long) He looks like a little rugby player. :) That said, We either get people who love it or hate it and was wondering what others thought (not that that will change it, just wondering). :)

A little history....

"The bottles were designed with a integral glass tube, and a stopper. Attached to the glass tube there was a length of Indian rubber tubing, which ended with a bone mouth shield and a rubber teat. This design of bottle was impossible to keep clean and even though openly condemned by much of the medical profession of the time, continued to sell well into the 1920's. Much of this popularity was attributed to the fact that the baby could be left unattended to feed, even before the baby was old enough to hold the bottle. "

I was at work the other day and saw something that made me somewhat disturbed. It was a bottle that had a very long tube attached to it with a nipple at the end. THe child was able to eat while laying down without having to be held. I was taken back to something I had learned while doing research on the history of the bottle. One of the first bottles invented was coined "The Murder Bottle" or "The Death Bottle" because it had a tube that connected to the nipple that carried bacteria and typically caused sickness or death. I know that we obviously have better ways of cleaning and sanitizing now but it seems that people will do anything to not have to hold your child while feeding. I think if its an option then it is just too tempting. THe thing I thought was really astounding in this short article was that even after knowing the high risks mothers still chose to use this bottle into the 1920s because of the ease of being able to feed your child without holding them. What a sacrifice to have some free time! This is one of the things that when I spoke of bonding (in the comments on last post) I was referring to. A mother that nurses has no other option but to hold and cuddle their child while feeding whereas so many times (not all) with bottle feeding we get lazy and want to prop the bottle and have the child eat alone. I cant tell you how sad it makes me when I see a 3 month old feeding herself a bottle. Why are we trying ot make our kids SOOOO independent so early??? These are babies that DEPEND on our love and physical touch in order ot grow into functioning children and adults. I AM NOT saying that moms that bottle feed do not love their children!!!!!!! I think that women who choose never to attempt to breastfeed can still have that bond with their baby but I think it just takes a little more work. Babies are born with the instinct to immediately want to lay against their mother and nurse. THey have just been through a traumatic experience and lots of times they are wheeled off poked and given some unattached plastic nipple. Sounds comforting and cozy to me.

Anyway, as I have said MANY times before I think that formula is a Great invention but I think it is WAY overused. There are women who for one reason or another ( medication, medical conditions or even death) are not able to nurse and formula is something that is great to have in those situations. I just think too many woman use it because of simple convenience or because they just arent as educated and dont know. That is why I am so passionate about women being educated about this stuff and not relying solely on what their Drs say. I could go on but I will spare you all :)