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Exciting :)

Parenting is a scary thing. Not because it's impossible, but simply because it's challenging.  Also, (and more importantly) I think it's because there is so much Love involved.  It's hard to love someone as much as a parent loves her child.  That is, the natural, over-flowing, unconditional Love that a parent has for her child makes her vulnerable to all the ups and downs in that child's life and in their relationship as parent-child.

There are many other fears that come with parenting, too.  There are so many unknowns, so many things you have to "discover for yourself."  What parent hasn't called his own parent at 3 in the morning, exhausted, saying: "I don't know what to do"? These fears are not prohibitive, of course, but they loom on the horizon of any expectant parent.

So, thinking about adoption is a little scary, too.  Not because I think I can't be a parent, but because all my parenting knowledge up to this point has been from biological parents who raised biological children.  I'm not saying this is an "easier" or "better" way, it's just that I have little experience with parenting a non-biological child.  I've done my fair share of babysitting of course (nieces and nephews, siblings-in-law, high school babysitting jobs), and as much as I love the kids, it's not parenting.  I mean, you can always give that kid back when the 'rents come home, right? :)

I confess one of my fears when we were first thinking about adoption was "What about breastfeeding?"  Breastfeeding has been shown to provide far more than merely nourishment for infants--there is an irreplaceable bond between the mother and child who breastfeed.  I recall those moments when the screaming (but not hungry) baby can't be comforted by anyone but its mother (who can only comfort him by nursing).

But guess what!  I just discovered that women who have never been pregnant (i.e., me) can induce lactation by natural (i.e. no hormonal supplementing) means!  I may not be able to produce a full supply of milk, but any breast milk for baby is better than none, and the bond would still be there. And there are ways of "breastfeeding" using formula (or donated breast milk).  Possibilities abound.

One of the things I think of most, when imagining motherhood, is holding my baby close to my chest, watching him nurse, feeling our skin touch and knowing the closeness that comes with such contact.  I think about him looking up at me and smiling, and about those quiet moments in the morning, or the middle of the night, as I pull him close to me and sooth him to sleep. I think about being that one person who can comfort him when no one else can.

And it's beautiful :)

More info, if you're curious:
http://www.llli.org/FAQ/adopt.html

http://www.asklenore.info/breastfeeding/induced_lactation/faq.html

Frozen Socks

So far today, I'm feeling a lot better than I was yesterday evening *cheers and applause*   Since feeling better has persisted into the evening, I'd like to believe that I'm actually better. (We'll see tomorrow, though)

What did I do? Let's see:

1. Let Taylor love me. Ahh, always the best medicine! 
2. Rest. Though I didn't get into bed till 10:30 (see below for why), I slept until 8:30 this morning.  Sleep is the best thing for getting better.  ['Course, this becomes a problem when one is too sick to sleep well. Yuck.]
3. Homeopathic remedies, including: neti pot; hot shower; lots of fluids (spicy soup, too); vitamin C, D, concentrated garlic, and fish oil; hot tea. 
4. The "cold wet sock treatment."  Yes, this is also a homeopathic remedy. And yes, it does sound rather bizarre. I didn't even remember about this until I was already in bed (at 10 pm) but I'm glad I got up to do it. Bizarre, yes, but kinda fun. Here's how you do it: 

You'll need one pair of cotton socks and one pair of wool socks.  Prepare a nice hot water bath for your feet (add some tea tree oil or eucalyptus to clear your sinuses a bit).  You want it really warm, but not so hot as to scald you.  Before you soak your feet, drench the cotton socks in cold water and squeeze them out well. Put them in the freezer (yes).

Soak your feet for at least 10 minutes. You want your feet to be very warm and cozy.  When you're done soaking, dry your feet off very well and get your cotton socks out of the freezer and (here's the worst part) put them on!  Immediately put on the (dry) wool socks and bundle yourself up and go to bed under warm covers.  In the morning the socks should be dry and you should be feeling better.

The idea is to trick your body into heating itself up and killing whatever-it-is that's making you sick.  I don't recommend this treatment if you already have a fever.  Also with this treatment, the sooner you do it, the better.

Our (naturopathic) doctor told us this is what doctors used to tell their patients all the time "back in the day," before the advent of widely-available antibiotics and medications.  And it seemed to work for me this time (hooray!).

Of course, it could have been the special chocolate we got today

(because Sundays are always special)

More Prehistoric Fun

This article about a 110 year old dinosaur descendant was pretty cool :) It's always fascinated me that animals can live for hundreds of years. Sea turtles are pretty nifty too.

Uber Jaws!

Ok, so I've always been a bit of a dinosaur geek. When I was in first grade, I was telling people I wanted to be a paleontologist :) While I've never actualized that goal, I still find prehistoric creatures fascinating. Here is an article on the megalodon, an ancient shark that, from its jaw size, dwarfs even the largest great whites. Click on the pictures for a larger view.

Artist's rendering of megalodon and modern-day ship

A megalodon tooth

Great Article

This story about a woman who helps young girls who are failing in school to succeed is awesome!

Good Article..

I hope this school is able to keep going. All the children with autism that I've known are wonderful children and become beautiful adults. Here's to the love families can provide.