Weekend reading….

Posted on January 25, 2013 by llpitlwp

Snow…snow…snow

HPV Vaccine is All About Cancer Prevention « Shot of Prevention.

Look, I know this is a difficult vaccine for people on many, many levels. Even those who completely believe in the science of vaccination sometimes hesitate when asked to immunize their pure and innocent angel against a disease that is so strongly related to sexual activity. I get that. But the fact is that children do grow up. And they do have sex. And as a mother if I know that vaccinating my children when they are still my little babies will give them the best chance at avoiding cancer when they are adults, then I will.

CDC – Journey of Your Child’s Vaccine Infographic – Parents – Vaccines.

If you ever wondered how a vaccine is actually developed for use, this infographic from the CDC explains it all.

A picture says so much more to me when reading info like this…

‘Tiger Mom’ Study Says Both Amy Chua And Her Critics Have A Point | CSH Greenwich Middle School Parent Blog.

Now, a new study suggests both Chua and her critics have a point. It’s not that Western parents or Eastern parents have all the answers, this research suggests, but that the culture of families matters a great deal in how kids will perceive their parents’ motivational style.

Moms can be #LouderThanGuns

Posted on January 24, 2013 by llpitlwp

#LouderThanGuns

Ever since the Newtown tragedy, I have been reading about gun control and the arguments that have ensued.

Today, I am joining a group of moms, who are #LouderthanGuns because after becoming a blogger as a grandmother, I really believe that the power behind moms is a phenomenon that is underrated.

We can make a huge difference in whether or not some type of gun control gets passed in the near future and I believe that in our own way, we must join this cause if gun control is going to happen in a timely manner.

Moms have to be #LouderThanGuns if we are to effect any type of gun control in the wake of this horrendous tragedy.

No one should have to suffer the loss of a family member to gun violence.

After Sandy Hook, I wrote a post...Coping with life and death… about my feelings and reactions to this horrible event.

As a mother, grandmother, nurse and social worker, I have helped many people in different stages of grief and at times, I have grieved along with them. The loss of a child is one of the saddest losses of all…no child should pre-decease their parent.

My heart goes out to the families in Newtown. We must not forget these innocent angels so please consider joining #LouderthanGuns and work towards gun control.

Toast Tuesday…

Posted on January 22, 2013 by llpitlwp

Yesterday, I was introduced to another blog that could become another of my favorites!

Pasta Night

I love food and enjoy cooking.

These days easy and healthy recipes are a must in our house.

Pasta Carbonara

So, I am introducing all of you to mom a la mode. I hope you enjoy her as much as I do.

We’re big fans of keeping at least one day a week meatless in the mom a la mode household. And even bigger fans of a

family-friendly, one-pot meal. So when my friend and fellow blogger, Triple Threat Mommy asked me to do a guest post on her blog, I knew I wanted to share this … Continue reading »

via mom a la mode.

Weekend Reading….

Posted on January 18, 2013 by llpitlwp

Winter Freeze!

Here are a few of my favorite reads for this week…I hope you have a relaxing weekend! Enjoy…

What To Do When Toddlers Say NO | Janet Lansbury.

He’s feeling his independence. Don’t let it rattle you in the least. In fact, welcome his differing opinion and acknowledge it.

HealthyChildren.org – Car Seats: Information for Families for 2012.

One of the most important jobs you have as a parent is keeping your child safe when riding in a vehicle. Each year thousands of young children are killed or injured in car crashes. Proper use of car seats helps keep children safe. But with so many different car seats on the market, it’s no wonder many parents find this overwhelming.

Guest Post: A Parent’s Experience with Childhood Apraxia of Speech | Science of Mom

“Don’t worry, she’ll catch up.”

I heard that sentence from so many parents around Anna’s second birthday. We were worried about her speech; she was talking all the time but we could barely understand her while kids her age and younger spoke clearly. “Don’t worry she’ll catch up,” people would say. I said the same thing to myself. I figured it would just happen. Her speech was like an out-of-focus photograph. Sooner or later, I thought, it would snap into focus.

Flu or Cold??? or just sick?

Posted on January 10, 2013 by llpitlwp

This is “flu” season and you can become very sick …it is epidemic in some cities. Even if you have had a flu shot you can come down with Influenza symptoms that were not covered by the “flu vaccine”.

Here in Chicago, some of the hospitals are having to turn people away from their emergency rooms and send them on to another hospital for care due to so many cases of flu.

CVS Minute Clinics can offer you the flu shot if you have not already had one…it is not too late!

CVS Minute Clinics are in many states throughout the country.

Here in Chicagoland, they are clinically affiliated with Advocate Healthcare and are staffed with nurse practitioners and or physician assistants…there may be a Minute Clinic that is convenient to you.

You do not need an appointment and your insurance may cover your visit…if you do not have insurance Minute Clinics accept several forms of payment including credit cards.

If you find yourself in need of vaccinations, a physical, wellness screen or treatment for common family illnesses, you might consider CVS Minute Clinic…if there is one available near you. Their website can also give you information and perhaps answer any questions you might have before you visit a Minute Clinic.

MinuteClinic walk-in medical clinics are staffed by nurse practitioners and physician assistants who provide treatment for common family illnesses and injuries, administer vaccinations, conduct physicals and wellness screenings, and offer monitoring for chronic conditions.

Our practitioners can:

Diagnose, treat and write prescriptions for common family illnesses such as strep throat, bladder infections, pink eye and infections of the ears, nose and throat

Provide common vaccinations for flu, pneumonia, pertussis, and hepatitis, among others

Treat minor wounds, abrasions, joint sprains and skin conditions such as poison ivy, ringworm and acne

Provide a wide range of wellness services, including sports and camp physicals, smoking cessation and TB testing

Offer routine lab tests, instant results and education for those with diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or asthma

Most services are available for those age 18 months and older, but ages for specific services may vary. To see services available and age restrictions in Massachusetts, click here.

Please check the individual service, and read the following “what to know” sections before your visit.

http://www.minuteclinic.com/flu/

Symptoms	Cold	Flu
fever	rare	usually present
chills	uncommon	fairly common
tiredness	mild	moderate to severe
onset of symptoms	appear gradually	can appear within 3-6 hours
coughing	hacking, productive cough	dry, unproductive cough
sneezing	common	uncommon
stuffy nose	common	uncommon
runny nose	sometimes	common
sore throat	common	uncommon
general aches/pain	slight	common, often severe
chest discomfort	mild-moderate	often severe
headache	uncommon	uncommon

Disclosure:

I was not compensated in any way for this post…all opinions are my own.

Of course, if you are seriously injured or ill you would want to call 911 or visit your nearest Emergency Room.

Links:

http://babygooroo.com/2010/12/common-illnesses-flu/

A New Year … Bring it…

Posted on January 8, 2013 by llpitlwp

Welcome 2013…the last few weeks of 2012 have been hectic ones, complicated by the flu, which stopped at our house and has lingered right into the New Year!

Our holidays were wonderful, although we had to make a few schedule adjustments due to “influenza”. For our sake and the sake of our friends we stayed home most of the time not attending a favorite Christmas Eve family party.

For many years, we have been welcomed at the home of dear friends on Christmas Eve. When we first began to attend the festivities, our own children were teenagers…we all enjoyed the little kids that surrounded us and their excitement poured out to every adult when Santa and Mrs. Santa arrived.

Over the past 16 + years, we have only missed one or two Christmas Eves with the family that adopted us long ago, here in Chicagoland. Sadly, this year was one of those years.

We are now grandparents and our friends are now grandparents and great grand parents…so it was with sorrow that we decided to stay home to keep the “flu” confined to ourselves.

I had even planned ahead and contacted “Borrow Baby Couture” for a special little girl’s dress for the Christmas Eve meeting with Santa.

I was so excited when the Chloe dress arrived and I quickly opened the box when I realized it was from “Borrow Baby“.

Borrow Baby Couture

The dress was gorgeous, spectacular and sparkly …just what I wanted…even prettier than the picture on the “Borrow Baby Couture” web page. Truly fit for a “little princess”.

Chloe Dress from Borrow Baby Couture

But, Christmas Eve arrived and our family was literally down for the count and the beautiful dress remained in the beautiful box. Christmas Day, we all stayed close to home enjoying the holiday spirit among ourselves and a few other close family members, who were brave enough to come into our home.

So, I have packed the pretty princess dress in its box, already to ship back to “Borrow Baby Couture”.

Easy return to “Borrow Baby Couture”

Admittedly, I am disappointed that the sparkly dress never made it far from its box…but Borrow Baby is still tops on my list when it comes to baby couture.

The convenience is unbeatable and the selection of dresses from infant to 4 years old is exquisite.

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I have received the Borrow Baby Couture services as a gift for writing about my experience.

The Day after Christmas…

Posted on December 28, 2012 by llpitlwp

This has been hectic week and this morning there is a quiet settling over our home…

It has been many years since our last bout with “flu” during the holidays. When my own kids were very young, I recall spending two nights sleeping in the pediatric unit at our local Florida hospital while my beloved mother took care of my other child at home.

As a young mom, who was also a pediatric nurse, I simply ran with it and with the help of my family we pulled off Christmas.

When “In Flu Enza” arrived and changed our Christmas 2012 plans…I wasn’t sure I could pull off changing from Christmas dinner to Christmas “brunch”…but with the help from “family” …we were all able to prevent the “Grinch from Stealing our Christmas”.

Last night after all the excitement of the day was over…I stood on the staircase landing and looked at our Christmas tree that has adorned our living room for the past 18 years. In all its splendor it stood there, its’ glowing lights reminding me of all those who have shared Christmas with us over the years.

For a few fleeting moments, I visited Christmas Past and saw my sweet mother and uncle sitting on the sofa sharing the excitement of Christmas morning…it has been over 12 years since they sat in that spot together but it seems just yesterday…there they were ….

For a couple of years, my husband’s mom shared Christmas and Chanukah with us…she too sat on the sofa….enjoying the holiday excitement.

Christmas Present…my husband and I are now the “elders”…this morning we sat together on the same sofa watching over the Christmas excitement.

Christmas Future…I don’t know what you have in store…but bring on 2013!

Coping with life… and …death…

Posted on December 19, 2012 by llpitlwp

there has been an ongoing turmoil in my heart and head

since hearing the tragic news last Friday.

to be truly honest …

I was recovering from anesthesia when I was told about the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut…

children cut down in the “safety” of their own classroom…some watching their classmates and teacher die…horrific!

an anesthesia induced fog initially protected me from the reality of yet another

senseless shooting…

when I finally awoke and turned on the television I could not believe

rather I did not want to believe what I was hearing.

my first thought…

my granddaughter must be shielded from the news…

as the days have passed

I have prayed and touched all my family…

many thoughts have crossed my mind and continue to do so.

life events have surfaced

as they always do this time of year.

I am thinking of all of my family

especially those who are no longer with us to celebrate this holiday…

I am tearful at times…

but I always return to a feeling, instilled in me by my grandmother…

when bad things happened..

“life is still good”

I just have to remember her words…

she was a devoted mother and grandmother…

“in service to others”

the words of St. Ignatius Loyola

as a wife, mom, and grandmother…nurse and social worker

I also try to serve others…

this morning these were my thoughts….

years ago, as a young nurse, I took care of some little angels…

one…a young teenage girl with non-Hodgkins lymphoma died as her parents kept vigil.

that morning I learned that parents who lose a child cannot be consoled,,,

I thought about their painful loss as I tearfully prepared their young daughter’s body and delivered her to a cold slab in the hospital morgue.

not long after this young girl’s funeral, I met her mom in the grocery store.

I told her I was so sorry …

through tears, she thanked me for the care that I gave to her family and daughter…

and then…

she said something I have never forgotten…

“nothing you or anyone can say can ever justify my daughter’s death”

we hugged…

and went our separate ways in NYC…

Susan Stiffelman: 14 Tips for Managing Anxiety After the Shootings.

A Letter To Sandy Hook Victim, 6-Year-Old Jack Pinto, From His Best Friend (PHOTO).

Talking to Your Kids About the Newtown Tragedy | World of Psychology.

‘I Placed [My Son’s] Face In That Room’: How Parents Cope With The Newtown Shooting.

I just saw the news release from Oceanhouse Media. They have set the book app The Kissing Hand free to support the families in Newtown, CT. I did not get a chance to download the app yet, but knowing Oceanhouse Media and knowing the print book was a New York Times bestseller, it should be a good one. I want to pass it on to everyone when we all can use some reassurance of love and support!

via App Went FREE: The Kissing Hand — iGameMom.

Just a few thoughts…

Posted on December 16, 2012 by llpitlwp

No words…

Friday’s tragedy has again shaken us to the bone…I hope that you are all taking time out to spend it with your family and do mindful, meaningful activities.

The world has changed from this tragic, sad event but we can still make it a good place for others, ourselves and our family.

One Day at a Time…