katie allison granju

a great idea for single mamas May 13, 2008

I was a single parent for about 4 years before I met Jon. I had a lot more help than many people - grandparents, my sister, good friends - but still, getting everybody fed and bathed each night, and the house clean and my job done and the groceries bought - that stuff was my responsibility alone. And it was hard as hell.

Now that I have Jon to parent with me, I look back and wonder how in the world I did it. I honestly don’t know.

So I find this idea - a service that matches single mamas with other single mamas - pretty great. Intentional communities are something I’ve long been interested in, and sharing parenting with other adults makes for happier, healthier parents and kids.

new boots May 12, 2008

J. breaks in her new riding boots

i heart my baby

LINK

Targeting mothers

Apparently, many employers aren’t too keen on hiring women with children:

…there are 22 states where the employer is not legally supposed to ask about marital status. That said, wedding rings are a common giveaway. The biggest deal is kids, though. A recent study found mothers were 79 percent less likely to be offered a job given equally qualified job applicants. The New York Times reported on maternal profiling as a new term this year, and frankly, that is important. Naming this practice identifies the challenge.

another duggar baby on the way May 9, 2008

I only wish my home ran half as smoothly as the Duggars’ seems to run.

I admit to quite a fascination with how these superfamilies manage things… and now the Duggars are expecting baby #18.

i love this dad blog May 8, 2008

He doesn’t post that often, but I totally love Zygote Daddy. Look how much his baby boy has slimmed down since late infancy.

Charleybug is a very juicy, chubby 9 month old. I wonder if she’ll shoot up and slim down? My other 3 were on the small-to-very-small side, so this fatbaby thing is new to me (as is the superblonde hair…)

If you eat junk, your kid will eat junk

No, your child does not have a natural predilection for chicken fingers and fries. If the kid has never eaten that junk, and you don’t eat it in her presence, your toddler will think green beans and corn are quite tasty:

As both groups of mothers reported eating green beans and green vegetables only infrequently, there was no difference in the amount of green beans eaten by breast-fed and formula-fed infants the first time the vegetables were offered. But when both groups had repeated opportunities to taste green beans over eight days, their willingness to eat the vegetable increased intake by almost 300 percent.

As the mother of a 16 year old ( as well as a 12 year old, a 10 year old and a 9 month old), I can tell you that you should take advantage of all opportunities you have in early childhood to instill good habits in your child, because after a certain point, those opportunities become fewer fewer.

I have many shortcomings as a parent, but I can assure you that all 4 of mine ate/eat 90% healthy stuff before the world intruded. I took/take advantage of the period of their lives where I am the food dictator.

As a result, even now, mine love a good avocado or ear of corn because that’s the food they were given by me (and their Granju grandparents - gotta give huge credit there) as babies and young children.

My sister’s kids are the same way. At ages 9 years, 6 years and 8 months, they are vegetarians who love tofu and oranges. Why? Because THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE FED.

Kids can’t drive themselves for ice cream and french fries. You don’t need to drive them either. Again, as the mother of a teen, I can assure you that the day will come very soon when they will have access to “food” like that on their own (especially in school cafeterias. don’t get me started). Take advantage of your captive audience and load them up on broccoli, brown rice and yogurt, and you will have given your kids a gift for (and of) life.

You can help develop healthy, yummy tastebuds in your kids.

Have all the chords in music been found? John Mayer says no

How John Mayer writes his “songs”

(Warning - some salty language in this one)

A difficult decision

H. is wondering whether or not to try for a vbac (vaginal birth after c-section), a decision I will also face, should we have another baby.

My OB asked me at my first visit what I wanted to do (I actually think she said “Do you just want to schedule another c-section?”). I told her no; that I was undecided and wanted to just wait and see how things go which she said was fine by her. I have, of course, done some reading on the subject (both pro and con) and I have talked with two women who attempted VBACs both of which I met in my prenatal yoga class, are over 35 and I respect immensely as we have similar parenting and life styles. The first woman I talked with is European and hired a midwife, a doula and had her best friend (an absolute gorgeous Brazilian woman I might add) on hand. She labored a very long time during which she squatted, used the birthing bar, had massage, did meditation and finally when she was physically exhausted her doula had to call it and she ended up with a second c-section. When I asked her opinion she was adamant in her advice: Have a c-section. She blames the long labor and strain from pushing for her incredibly slow and painful recovery. A year later she still feels like she is not back to normal and cannot walk for more than 30 minutes or so without having to sit down and take a break. The second woman I talked to actually had a successful VBAC with a midwife at home. She also labored a long time. Her advice? Have a c-section. She too blames the birth on her very slow and painful recovery. She also feels like a year later she is not back to normal. Don’t get me wrong. She also goes on and on about the birth of her second daughter being the ‘most amazing physical experience of her life’ and recommended that I ‘try to give birth vaginally’ but also thinks if the birth is not progressing quickly I should opt for the knife.

What would you do? What have you done?

I have to say that after having had three uncomplicated births, followed by this last c-section, I still can’t quite get my head around the fact that I had to have one at all. It went easily and well, and the recovery was very easy, but still, surgery is risky, and there really isn’t anything like pushing your baby into the world all by yourself.

baby sleepage May 7, 2008

no depression

LINK

hot. breastfeeding. babes. May 6, 2008

Now if that post title doesn’t get me some traffic, I dunno what will.

I ran across this slick-looking new breastfeeding promotion site, Best for Babes, featuring a fabulous looking supermodel nursing in the nude (again, I see my hitmeeter going ZING!), but I cannot quite figure out what this organization actually does. It seems to have lots of sorta famous folks from the worlds of entertainment and pediatrics on its board - some of whom I know from my own writing - so it must do something good.

Anybody hip to these folks’ work? What is their deal? And will I look that good while nursing if I sit in that provocative position while a fan blows my hair back and I stare doe-eyed into the camera?

Eh. Probably not.

so true

A most excellent reminder from Julie:

“If there is something that we wish to change in our children, we should first examine it and see whether it is not something that could better be changed in ourselves.”

-Carl Jung (1875-1961)

the blog is my living history document May 5, 2008

LINK

big and little

My two blue eyed children grab 2o extra minutes of sleep this morning before it’s time to rise and shine (E. wandered into our room and climbed into our bed as Jon and I were getting up for the day).