The Babysitter Paradox

My husband and I have waited for the day that we could go out and would not have to find a babysitter. I knew that my patience would pay off and eventually my children would be old enough to take care of themselves. The only thing I did not consider is that when Sophia was old enough to watch her siblings, she would also be in demand from our friends.

When we had Sophia and Zachary and lived in Davenport, we would take turns with other couples; watching their children so we could all got out once in a while without having the expense of a date anda babysitter. But when we moved to Greeley we knew no one, so we no longer had that luxury. We spent so much money during the week on childcare that the last thing I wanted to do was pay a sitter on the weekend. I reminded myself that one day soon Sophia would be old enough to watch the kids so we could go out.

Sophia received her babysitting certification a couple of years ago. She has even watched the kids during the day while we were at work but we have never had her watch the kids so we could go out for dinner or a movie.

Well, we have had a gift card for the Bonefish Grill for a year-and-a-half, plus movie vouchers given to us by friends so we really did not have a good excuse for not going out. Except that I wasn’t sure if Sophia could handle the kids in the evening.

This week, I finally decided that Erik and I should go out for dinner so I was going to let Sophia take care of her siblings. On Saturday morning, I received a text from a friend asking if Sophia was available to watch her son that evening. Sophia has been anxious to get the chance to watch somebody else’s child and not her siblings. Besides, everybody pays better than her Mom. I told my friend Sophia could watch her son and Erik and I postponed our dinner plans. Again.

I have now realized that I have probably missed my chance to use Sophia as a babysitter for her siblings. I am just going to have to wait patiently for Zach to turn 13 or until Emma is old enough to be in charge. (That is at least 3 more years, but she may be a little safer option than Zach.)

Luckily, I prefer the movies from Redbox and would rather be wearing my pajamas eating dinner than having to get dressed up and fix my hair.

Why I am a Pediatric Chiropractor

I know the thought of going to a Chiropractor can be very scary for some people, and bringing a child to one is almost unthinkable. Some of the bias that people may have, I believe, comes from a misunderstanding or a bad experience. I specialize in pediatric chiropractic and I assure you that chiropractic care is very different in our office for an infant than an adult.

I decided to specialize in the pediatric and prenatal field of chiropractic after I experienced first-hand what a nightmare colic can be with our first child. Let’s just say I am surprised I ever had any more children after her, as the sleepless nights went on for almost a year. I knew there was a lot more to her sleepless nights than an upset stomach but I was too scared to ask for help. My child was not supposed to have anything wrong with her. After all, I followed most of the “healthy” rules.

I was in my first year of chiropractic school when Sophia was born. Sophia was checked by a chiropractor after birth but I was told she was fine and there was no need to bring her back unless she had a fall. I didn’t know at that time that the prolonged fussiness might have been a sign to take my child back to the chiropractor to be checked. I did have a second child, Zachary, a couple years later. His birth was very difficult and he ended up with a broken collarbone. After I left the hospital, I took Zachary to the school clinic to be checked; but this time we saw the Pediatric Chiropractor in the main clinic. The evaluation was very thorough and she discussed I should watch for that could signal discomfort and advised us when to return. In the end, Zachary was a very easy baby that slept through the night who never left me sleep-deprived.

I know that all children have different personalities and, as a first-time mom, I really was clueless to what I was doing or the things I should watch for with Sophia. However, I also know that the information and support that Dr. Marriot provided the second time around was very valuable. I believe that if Sophia had received specialized pediatric care, her colic may have been reduced significantly. So much so that, after we moved to Colorado, I decided to travel the 12 hours (one way) once a month (often with Sophia and Zachary in tow) for 3 years, to attend weekend classes in Iowa for a chiropractic postgraduate pediatric program.

What I love the most about my job is the support and hope I can offer Moms – and, of course, the hugs I receive daily from the children! When I am checking a child, I look for misalignments in their spine that may be causing pressure on the nerves. This pressure can interrupt how the body is responding or functioning, resulting in health problems. It is really that simple. All I treat are the subluxations or misalignments in the spine, allowing the body to take care of everything else. With children, especially infants, I also evaluate the bones of the skull. The adjustments performed are very gentle.

If you have any questions about pediatric chiropractic you can visit our website at www.weldfamilyclinic.com and watch the video we have posted with a pediatric adjustment.

Prepping for Christmas Before Thanksgiving Can Save Sanity

My husband is adamant that Christmas celebration or preparation does not occur until after you have eaten your pie on Thanksgiving. This includes decorating, baking, Christmas cards and shopping. He wouldn’t even enjoy the Christmas beer he bought until the pie sat in his stomach for 2 hours!

The preparation for the holidays can become very overwhelming for me. There are Christmas cards to send and decorating to be done (both at home and the office), baking to be done and delivered to the neighbors, Christmas presents to be bought and some that have to be shipped to our families in Iowa and Arizona. We have Christmas concerts to attend and lights to be viewed. I write a list of what needs to be done along with specific dates that task will be achieved. Honestly, there are a few years were I begin to dread the holidays and do not enjoy them at all because of everything “I need to do”! Every year I tell myself “it’s okay if you send cards late” (which I actually did one year for sanity reasons), “you don’t have to give cookies to the neighbors this year” and “don’t worry about presents for the grandparents” - but every year I bake the cookies and send the cards and the presents.

Christmas Day in itself is always a stress free day, especially the years we stay home and do not have to travel. We sleep late, maybe take a shower, eat soup for lunch and dinner and watch movies all day. So why is the time before Christmas so nerve-racking?

This year I gave myself a gift; I started my Christmas task list earlier! I ordered the cards at the beginning of November and started addressing them on Thanksgiving. I bought the presents for my husband’s parents in October and even bought a few for the children. Sophia and I decided to forget the cut-out frosted sugar cookies (which put me in tears every year as I have difficulty rolling out the dough) and bake something a little simpler for the neighbors.

My husband may not be a fan of starting Christmas before Thanksgiving, but if it means a few less tears from his wife, it may be worth breaking the rules. Happy Holidays and don’t be afraid to cut a job from your list when things get too stressful!

10 Tips to Avoid the Holiday Bulge

Thanksgiving marks the start of our holiday season (or it used to) and the start of holiday overeating! As we near the end of the year, you may start to think, “What does it matter if I gain a few extra pounds now? I can start the healthy habits January 1st.” What if you actually made just a few changes now to avoid the holiday bulge and form healthy habits before the calendar turns?

Here are my top 10 tips for avoiding the holiday bulge and getting a head start on the New Year:

1. Drink more water. The goal is to drink ½ your body weight in ounces of water or at least 8 – 8oz glasses of water per day.
2. Stop eating at least 2 hours before bed. This is the recommendation of most health research; however if you just can’t do that, some new studies suggest that eating a protein snack before bed might boost your metabolism. Regardless, definitely avoid ice cream!
3. Eat the highest calorie foods earlier in the day. A big meal at lunch is a better option than a large dinner. 
4. Eat a minimum of 6 servings of vegetables a day. Color in your diet is important and vegetables are essential. Remember, 1 serving equals 1 cup - not one baby carrot!
5. Eat more protein and fewer carbohydrates (such as breads, cookies, crackers, etc). Protein keeps you full longer by sustaining your blood sugar while the body burns through the carbohydrates quicker, causing blood sugar swings.
6. Limit your alcohol consumption. Alcohol often leads to the munchies.
7. Supplement with a whole food multi-vitamin. Too many of us have gaps in our nutritional plan that need to be filled with supplements. A lot of times when we cannot seem to get full and are always craving something, our body is looking for a particular vitamin that is lacking in our diet.
8. Take Vitamin D daily. Recent studies have shown that supplementing with vitamin D while reducing calorie intake accelerates weight loss. It is also a significant immune booster – nobody wants to be sick during the holidays!
9. Exercise! A minimum of 20 minutes of cardio 5 days a week keeps the metabolism going. If you currently workout more than that, you need to stay at the same activity level to keep off the extra pounds
10. SLEEP! If you can’t sleep, you can’t heal. Our bodies require 7-9 hours of restful sleep at night to allow the growth hormone to kick in and repair our cells from the stress of the day. Not only does loss of sleep stimulate appetite, but it also increases cravings for high-fat and high-carbohydrate foods.

Flu shot or not?

It is the time of the year where some of us have to decide, flu shot or no flu shot.  There are those that know without a doubt, “yes” while others opt out.  There are still those, however, that try to weigh the pros and cons of receiving the flu shot.  I am not writing this blog to decide that option for you, but instead, give you some of the reasons I use in making my decision.

Last year our family (4 out of 6) did get the actual flu, not the intestinal kind, but high fever and body aches.  We were all out for 24 hours and then took another 24 hours to regain our energy.  We did survive and were “no worse for wear” after the episode.  I know the fact that we keep our health as a priority; exercise, diet, and vitamins, got us through the illness without complications.

Originally, the flu vaccine was intended for the elderly, infants, immune compromised and healthcare professionals.  As the popularity grew, so did the demand for the vaccine and soon “everybody” was doing it.  Getting the flu vaccine does not guarantee you will not get the flu.  The vaccine is designed for the most popular flu virus the year before, plus 2 other strains, but it does not mean that will be the “bug” for this year.  I have a family member that gets the flu vaccine every year and happens to get the flu “every year”.  Now she does believe her symptoms are reduced by having the vaccine.

One of the biggest reasons we choose not to receive the flu vaccine is because of the ingredients.  If you go to the CDC website you can see the list of ingredients for yourself. 

There are some natural supplements and remedies on the market that are supposed to decrease your chances in getting the flu.  I have not tried them myself, so I do not know how effective they are.  One thing I do know is that I am going to be a lot more diligent on washing my hands and purifying the air in our office (we use essential oil purification) this year.  Like I discussed in two previous blogs, “Boosting the immune system can fend off back-to-school viruses” and “Vitamins and Supplements I recommend”, can help your body’s defense system.

In the end, I think it is important for you to make the decision you are comfortable with.  Whether you get the vaccine or not, nothing is 100% guaranteed.  The internet can be a great resource of information but be discerning with the information you are reading.   Always consider your current health status and don’t be afraid to do a little investigating on your own!

Shopping with My Son

When the weather got cold a few weeks ago we decided it was time to take out the winter clothes and pack away the summer clothes.  Because of the abundance of girls in our family we rarely need to buy clothes for them except for our oldest.  Sophia and Zach seem to grow very little - or at a slower rate than most kids - or I choose to ignore they are growing! 

When we got out Zachary’s winter jacket I noticed it was a size 6/7 and the sleeves went halfway up his arms.  The jeans were not much better.  Since the children wear uniforms at school, I seem to forget about the need for weekend and play clothes.  Actually, unless they complain or whine about clothes not fitting, I forget about it altogether.

So we ventured out to get Zach new clothes and now I remember why he has so little clothes.  Zach has very little patience for the entire shopping experience.  Unlike his father, who could spend hours looking at shoes, ties and shirt for himself, Zachary would grab the item closest to him and call it good enough.  Going into the changing room to actually try on the clothes is even worse!

I am not a fan of shopping myself so I see where Zachary gets his indifference for the shopping experience.  It actually drives me crazy when the girls need to go around the entire store to see every item and touch everything.  When I go shopping, I tell the sales associate what I am looking for along with the size and try on what they choose for me.  Of course, if the first few items don’t fit (meaning I need a bigger size) I call it quits for the day and don’t buy anything.

It only took 2 stores and less than 30 minutes (counting walking between the stores) for us to complete his wardrobe.  This included a winter coat, 2 pairs of jeans (which he thought was completely unnecessary), 2 shirts and a pair of pajamas.  Now compare that to his sister where we went to 5 stores just to get one outfit for pictures.

If Zachary continues to grow at a slow rate he may be lucky enough to only go shopping every two years.  Unfortunately, I think he may start growing at a greater rate.  Since I have 3 girls, 2 of whom are very particular in their clothes, I am going to rejoice that, right now, Zach requires a small wardrobe.

Security - what is your perspective?

My seven-year-old daughter came up to me the other day to share her beautiful Lego creation.  She went on to explain it to me, “Mom I built a church.  Here are all the people inside the church praying and outside are the security guards.”  The comment made me smile, but also brought to mind a reality that I had not even considered.  My daughter saw the security guards as a normal piece of the church.  We fear for our children’s future and what the world will become, but when you think about it, didn’t our parents have that same sense of fear for us as we grew up, and likely their parents before that?

When I was growing up, our biggest fear walking to school was getting caught by the old man as we crossed through his yard.  We rarely locked the house or car doors.    At the same time, drugs were becoming a little more common and we were being taught to “Just Say No” and to recognize “Stranger Danger”.  I understand that I grew up in a small town, so this may not be typical for others in my generation, but the general idea is that I felt safe while I am sure my mom was thinking, “What has this world come to?”

I don’t allow my children to play in the front yard when I am not home.  My 12-year-old daughter is only able to walk the six blocks home from school when she is with friends and she must call me before she leaves.  Even then, I worry that she will not arrive safely.  As I sit and worry about all of this, my children remain unfazed.

I know that as children we are definitely care-free and when we become parents, our children’s safety is at the forefront of our mind.  Have you ever thought that maybe it is also in the perspective?  Our children don’t know anything different than to keep the doors locked at all times, not to play in the front yard without adult supervision and definitely not to walk across town to a friend’s house.  They see security personnel at church, school, events and the malls as providing safety and not as the possibility of a threat.   I think we can all agree that times are changing and seem very scary, but each generation grows up in the world as it is and has no reference point for the way it used to be.  When our kids grow up, they will likely encounter the same fears we – and generations of parents before us – have.