Happy anniversary to me!

The title says it all. Today we are married six years! In six years we have had 3 kids and lived in 2 different countries - well really two different continents to be exact. So if you are reading this, dear husband (and I know you do ever so often), a very public happy anniversary to you :) I am looking forward to sharing many more years of laughter, joy and blessings together.

The tale of the stroller

Living in Manhattan with three little children, I rely heavily on my stroller as a mode of transportation. We joke around that they are like our cars- outfitted with shocks, breaks and top of the line amenities. In truth, we have quite a few strollers (I won't say how many) but the one I use the most is the Baby Jogger City Mini Double Stroller with a buggy board attached in the back. If this sounds like greek to you, you must not have any children yet :)
Yesterday, as I was walking home from the park with my kids, I heard a funny sound and saw a wheel on the ground. I thought it looked awfully familiar and as I looked down at my stroller, I realized it was my front wheel and that it had just popped off! I quickly picked it up and ordered my kids to get out of the stroller. I didn't want to learn what happens when you push a stroller with only three working wheels. Thankfully Baby M was home so the older two could walk, although they were not happy about it. Thus began a very long walk home, punctuated by complaints and attempts to climb back into the stroller.
My doorman thought the problem was easily fixed but I did not have time to do it then, as the kids were cranky and hungry. After attempting to take the kids out with a single stroller on Sunday morning, I realized that I needed to get my other stroller fixed ASAP. I asked my doorman if he would do it and he said to bring it down so he could take a look at it. As I got in the elevator, my neighbor asked why I was taking an empty stroller downstairs. I showed him the wheel that had come off. He took a look at it and said, 'Oh, I can do that no problem." And he did. When we got downstairs, he turned the stroller on its side and within 5 minutes, had the wheel back on, good as new. I was thoroughly impressed and relieved-and I did not even have to tip him! So that's the happy ending to my story. My stroller is back in one piece and I am a happy but tired mommy.

book suggestions

I just received my copy of DONA International's quarterly magazine, and in it there was an interesting article with book recommendations for clients. It was quite an extensive list but it made me think about what books I would (and often do) recommend to clients.

Here are my top three, not ranked in any particular order:

1) The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin. A great overview of the different stages of labor and appropriate comfort measures at each stage. Simkin also explains some common complications that may come up and suggestions of how to handle them. As an aside, Simkin also has a great book called Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn that (as the title suggests) also covers the topic of pregnancy and initial newborn care.

2) Speaking of newborn care, The Nursing Mother's Companion by Kathleen Huggins is a great resource and reference book about breastfeeding. It is very thorough and goes all the way from initial latch, building up a supply and engorgement to issues related to weaning. She answers common questions and concerns that may come up such as when to introduce a bottle and what medications are safe for breastfeeding. While the book does not replace the advice of a lactation consultant, it does address many important issues and it's a great book to have on hand.

3) Lastly, a Jewish spin on childbirth- A Labor of Love by Rachel Broncher. This book, written from the perspective of an orthodox childbirth educator goes through a lot of the general material- pregnancy, childbirth, initial breastfeeding- but also injects a religious voice into the book. She discusses the religious significance of pregnancy and mothering and mentions some of the relevant Jewish laws related to childbirth.

Mrs. Broncher is a yoga instructor (full disclosure-she was my prenatal yoga teacher when I lived in Israel) and so she incorporates a lot of information about the power of breath during labor. She has a fantastic chapter about nutrition and healthy diet, as well as a supplementary audio CD of guided relaxation and deep breathing to help prepare for labor.

Obviously there are many more fabulous books, but here are some initial suggestions.

I think it is so important for women to be educated and to have all the relevant information so they can make good decisions for themselves and their baby. That is why I encourage women to read as much as possible. I would be happy to recommend other books to anyone who is interested. Let me know.

I'm still here

I've been quiet this past week. Just trying to catch up on a million things and clean for passover.
There is a lot going on with Y and his schooling. His IEP meeting is next week, so we are trying to formulate some sort of plan. We are applying to some programs and checking out a few more. It's March already and I feel like I am always a step behind, despite my best efforts to stay on top of things. Then I make the mistake of speaking to the "supermom" who has everything figured out. She has lawyers, educational consultants and has seen every program that exists in NYC. She knows how to develop an IEP and what her kid's IQ is. I feel overwhelmed and want to go hide. My husband reminds me that this woman is about 15 years older than me and has a background in law. Maybe that will be me 10 years from now, giving advice to the newbies still trying to figure out the system.
I guess it's a good thing that things have been quiet on the doula front this past month or so. But I have been getting some inquiries for May and beyond, so I am hoping things will pick up again after Passover.

Girl's Night Out

Last night my closest friend drove into the city to hang out with me and make sure I am not too lonely. We went out to dinner at a cute cafe and had a great time. Although we talk (and text and email) almost every day, it's usually in 10 minute increments that are often interrupted by children's requests, misbehaviors or tantrums. It was so nice to just spend quality uninterrupted time with a quality person and wax philosophically about the meaning of life :) Well not quite the meaning of life but things like parenting, marriage, and religious values; all the fun stuff we are continuously working on.
Every time we get together sans kids, we talk about doing it again soon. Usually it takes about six months but that's okay. We always get our act together eventually.
We are slowly heading for Friday and while the week has thankfully been smooth and uneventful, I am definitely looking forward to some adult company and the end of this solo parenting stint.

ICAN's VBAC blog carnival

ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network)is having their first ever blog carnival where they link to birth professional's blog posts on VBAC.
I know not everyone is as fascinated with VBAC as I am, but it's worth a look. There are a lot of different perspectives mentioned. Plus, yours truly is one of the contributors too.
Check it out

The Specials

Last night when I was checking out some down syndrome blogs, I came across this website for a reality series called The Specials. It's a series about 5 young adults in their early 20s with developmental delays living in their own home in England with a support staff supervising them. Basically an assisted living facility.
It is kind of cool to see them living their day to day life- doing laundry, going to school or going out to a nightclub like everyone else. What I did not like so much was that the emphasis of the series was mostly on boy-girl issues: who likes who, who wants to date who. On the one hand it is nice to validate that people with down syndrome have feelings just like anybody else and can have crushes, feel lonely, etc. On the other hand, is that the only issue these men and women are dealing with? There must be a bit more to their life, don't you think?
I'll let you see for yourself. Here is a clip of one of the episodes. It's only about 10 minutes long. I am wondering if they will continue this series for another season.

The Specials - Episode 1 from KADA Films on Vimeo.