Monkey see, Monkey do....Please

"If a multinational company developed a product that was a nutritionally balanced and delicious food, a wonder drug that both prevented and treated disease, cost almost nothing to produce and could be delivered in quantities controlled by the consumer's needs, the very announcement of their find would send their shares rocketing to the top of the stock market.  The scientists who developed the product would win prizes and the wealth and influence of everyone involved would increase dramatically.  Women have been producing such a miraculous substance, breastmilk, since the beginning of human existence."

~Gabrielle Palmer

Did you know that human beings are the only species that feeds its young milk from other animals?  Every mammal is intended to produce milk for their young, in order to help him or her to continue growing and developing into a mature adult.  The milk we all produce is specifically designed for each individual and their specific needs.  For example, your first child may have been born right in the middle of flu season.  Therefore, your antibodies to fight flu with be at raised levels  in order to protect her health and build her immune system.  However, baby number two may be born during the spring time and an increase in antibodies to fight the flu would not be that beneficial for her.  This is purposeful.  It gives your infant the sustenance and nutrition they need specifically.  

Yes, even elephants!

     The same is true for cows, goats, horses, sheep, dogs, cats, dolphins and even elephants.  Their babies are born with some growing and developing to do as well.  And mothers milk is the perfect food to help them on their way.  However, most other mammals develop a little faster than we humans do, and may require a little different nutrition.  After all, they are expected to stand up and walk in 24 hours, we just want our little ones to wake up!!  It is far more likely that your baby will need antibodies to fight the flu more than they will need them to fight bovine diarrhea.  Likewise, they need the nutrition in mother's milk to help them grow and develop on their schedule, not that designed for babies of other mammals.

Many formula companies use protein from cows milk to make their product.  Now, I am not slamming formula, I am just bringing attention to some things that seem to have been overlooked.  In all actuality, formula was created with the best of intentions.  There were instances when mother and baby weren't able to breastfeed.  If mother wasn't able to make milk, or sometimes not make it through delivery, families were left holding babies with no food source. Even then people wanted these little ones to have something designed to meet their needs more than that of other animals.  The plan, was to take breast milk to the lab, break it down to its basic parts, and duplicate it to create a formula for these infants.  Scientists were trying to come up with something that would sustain these infants and keep them alive.  They were not trying to provide an alternative to breastfeeding so we could maintain the level of convenience we busy mothers have grown accustomed to.  The pros of this plan is that we now had that thing that would help baby to survive the first year.  The cons, however, were that this nutritional substitute could not then and can not now compare to breast milk.  Some ingredients found in breast milk cannot be duplicated and therefore formula is simply missing a lot of the good stuff that our babies need. In fact, while formulas contain a lot of the same things as breast milk like:

Water 

Hang in there!

Protein

Carbohydrates

DHA/ARA

Fat

Vitamins

Minerals

Some formulas even contain prebiotics and/or probiotics

Breast milk contains ALL of the above plus:

Anti-Parasites

Anti-Allergies

Hormones

Disease fighting stem cells

Enzymes

Growth Factors

Anti-Cancer (HAMLET)

Antibodies

Baby needs all of the above ingredients mixed each day, every hour into a recipe designed to sustain their specific health needs.  And Mama, you were designed to make just that!  So hang in there baby, and know you are giving your baby the best that you could give them, to keep them happy, healthy, and whole.

   

Traci

Growing a Family: What the garden has taught me about happy, healthy and whole.

As winter began to fade and my surroundings started to turn green again, I turned to my husband and said, "I think this year, I would like to grow a garden." He said, in his typically Wesley fashion, "As you wish". I cannot brag on him enough for how generously he takes care of me, but as sweet as "as you wish" sounds, he jumped into gardening knowing it wouldn't be a simple task.  See when I decide to grow a garden that really means Stephen has some work to do.We have been blending our rather large family for about 2 1/2 years now and with that comes compromise, struggle, and stress.  But, like all things in parenting, marriage, and gardening we work together and things always turn out just fine.


In order, to have a successful garden, you must first prepare the ground.  The spot we decided would be the best place to plant in, had never been worked up before.  We had to disk up the ground and turn it over, before we could get a tiller in there.  We tilled it 3-4 times before it felt like someplace in which we could plant crops.  All of us worked together long hours of the day, pulling out clumps of grass and rocks, in hopes that our young plants would be able to establish a good root system.  I didn't realize the metaphor that would unfold before me over the next few months, but that preparation was also happening in our home as well.  Steve and I had already, made compromises and rules that we felt would best benefit the children and the peacefulness for our family.   We were essentially laying down the ground work for our home and their future success.  

We built trellis's so that the plants would have support. ( See where I am going with this??)    

And eventually we began to see our little ones emerge and reach for the sun.  Aren't they beautiful?

We even found a few new friends, who seemed like nice "people", but they had to go home to their own families The garden really wasn't the best environment for them, although it did take some convincing.


We learned some valuable lessons as we traveled through this gardening experience.  Like, if you throw some seeds out and cover it with a little dirt, a plant will grow.  It's really not that hard to produce a baby.  




But, as gardeners (aka parents) it is our job to make sure they have a sunny environment to grow in.  It's our job to pull the weeds and spray for bugs (bad influences) keeping their space safe so they can grow strong.  





Sometimes, you have to train them up the trellis if you don't want your cucumbers or tomatoes to grow wild and interfere with the raising of other plants in the garden.  And sometimes children need reminding that they are influencing the others around them and need to continue being a good example even when it isn't the easiest route. 

This guy got a little wild and
had some "bad influences"
getting close, but we were able to
get him back in line and save

the fruit. :)   

 Here's to you and
yours on your journey to
happy, healthy and whole. 

Traci

Because when you put in the effort, knowing it will be exhausting, knowing there will be happy days and frustrating ones, you will end up with some very flavorful fruit that you'll be proud to share with the rest of your family, community, and the world.    

Asparagus beans were a favorite this year.  

My 8-year old thinks they look like snakes. 

Congratulations!  Congratulations!  Congratulations!

Congratulations to Sandra Clinton!  She won the drawing for the May Prize Basket from the Polk County Health Center.  Sandra took home this Stork basket full of goodies.  Winning is easy.  If you are a pregnant or breastfeeding mom in the area, stop by the Polk County Health Center and fill out a drawing ticket.  If stopping by is too inconvenient, there are other ways to enter too:

- Click on the link at the top of this page.

- Click on the 'contact us' link below.

- Call me

- Text me

- Email me 

Traci Volcko, Breastfeeding Peer Counselor

Polk County Health Center

417-326-7250

417-315-2135 24hr Breastfeeding helpline

volckt@lpha.mopublic.org

There is another Breast Feeding Prize Basket, just waiting for you!  Good Luck!

CONGRATULATIONS! CONGRATS! CONGRATULATIONS! 

Congratulations to Gloria Ortega!  She won the drawing for the Octoberr Prize Basket from the Polk County Health Center.  Gloria took home this Boppy and a basket full of goodies and you can too.  Winning is easy.  If you are a pregnant or breastfeeding mom in the area, stop by the Polk County Health Center and fill out a drawing ticket.  If stopping by is too inconvenient, there are other ways to enter too:

- Click on the link at the top of this page.

- Click on the 'contact us' link below.

- Call me

- Text me

- Email me 

Traci Volcko, Breastfeeding Peer Counselor

Polk County Health Center

417-326-7250

417-315-2135 24hr Breastfeeding helpline

volckt@lpha.mopublic.org

There is another Boppy basket, just waiting for you!  Good Luck!

CONGRATULATIONS! CONGRATS! CONGRATULATIONS! 

Congratulations to Mrs. Stacey Barnoskie!  She won the drawing for the September Prize Basket from the Polk County Health Center.   Stacey took home this Boppy and a basket full of goodies and you can too.  Winning is easy.  If you are a pregnant or breastfeeding mom in the area, stop by the Polk County Health Center and fill out a drawing ticket.  If stopping by is too inconvenient, there are other ways to enter too:

- Click on the link at the top of this page.

- Click on the 'contact us' link below.

- Call me

- Text me

- Email me 

Traci Volcko, Breastfeeding Peer Counselor

Polk County Health Center

417-326-7250

417-315-2135 24hr Breastfeeding helpline

volckt@lpha.mopublic.org

There is another Boppy basket, just waiting for you!  Good Luck!

Tips for Traveling With A Baby

Between the lines, expensive hotels, and even getting lost, traveling can be stressful. As most parents know, adding a baby to the mix definitely does not make anything easier. Fortunately, by following a few tips and tricks, your whole family may be able to relax and have a great time, even with a baby in tow!

1. Pack Strategically

If you just had your first child, gone are the days when you could throw a change of clothes into a small backpack and take off for the weekend. However, just because you need to bring along diapers, snacks and other kiddie supplies doesn’t mean you can’t continue packing light. In fact, since you’ll often be pushing around a stroller or carrying a baby and diaper bag it becomes even more important.

By bringing multi-use items, you can get a lot of bang for your buck out of even a small suit case. For example, a kid’s bath robe can be used as a spare towel, to wrap fragile objects, or even as a blanket on a plane or car ride. Instead of bringing an umbrella, a poncho or rain jacket can be used to wrap bottles that could leak, as a make shift changing station, or of course, as protection in the rain. Each multi-use item you pack replaces a variety of other things you may need. This can free up space for souvenirs and help keep you under the weight limits.

2. Consider Investing in a Baby Travel System

Baby travel systems can combine a car seat and stroller into one. While sometimes more expensive than the individual pieces brought separately, they can be life savers when traveling. Many US airlines allow families to check a stroller and car seat free of charge, so you can often bring the entire system with you for free, and then have your stroller and ready for when you get off the plane. In addition to being far less of a hassle than carrying all the devices separately, if your child falls asleep, you may be able to transfer them from the car seat to the stroller and back without them even waking up.

3. Child Proofing Your Hotel

If there is one thing babies and toddlers like to do, it is explore. While many parents child proof their home, hotel rooms are rarely set up for small children and you may need to take some steps to make it more kid safe.

The first thing to do is simply ask the front desk if they have any childproofing supplies. Some hotels offer electric outlet covers and more, but many do not. For this reason, it is always advisable to bring a roll of duct tape with you when you travel. This can be used to cover electrical outlets, secure buffers to sharp corners on furniture (taping a wash cloth or towel can work) and to secure electrical cords out of reach. Another thing to do is make sure that the doors and windows are secure. If you have a balcony, make sure it is locked, and by using the deadbolt and chain on the hotel door, you can add extra barriers to make an accidental escape harder for your child.

After you have taken care of those issues, you may want to try crawling around the room so you will get a kids’-eye-view of it all. You may notice new things that you missed during your initial sweep, but that your child will quickly find while crawling around.

4. Take a Photo of Your Kid Each Day Before Heading Out

Traveling is full of distractions. From figuring out public transportation systems, to crowded museums, there is often a lot going on. It is many parents’ worst nightmare for their attention to slip for a second and for the child to have disappeared when they look back. However, you can be prepared for the worst by snapping a photo of your kid each day before you head out. This way, if they do get lost, not only will you have an up to date picture, but it will also show the clothes they are wearing that day. This can make it easier to show people what your child looks like at that moment, and if you have it on your phone, you can quickly send it around to friends, family, and authorities in the area.

5. Don’t Get Over Ambitious

When traveling to a new place, there may be dozens of things you want to do, and you may only have a few days to do them. But no matter how well you prepare, a baby may still slow you down with naps, diaper changes, and more. To counter act this, if your child is on a regular nap time, you can try to schedule flights and drives around that time period. Another thing that may help is splurging on accommodations that are right next to where you want to be. For example, if you are having a beach vacation, getting a beach front hotel may allow you to take your kid down to play in the sand without also taking a stroller, diaper bag, etc. If you are visiting a city, a downtown hotel may let you see the sites you want to see, without bring your baby onto crowded rush hour subways. Logistics are often one of the most difficult parts of traveling. If you are going to do it with a baby, try to keep them simple.



Traveling with a baby can certainly be a challenge, but it can also be a fun way to bond with your new family member and expose them to the world. By packing carefully, taking steps to childproof your room, and keeping your plans and expectations in check, your whole family can have a fun and rewarding trip!

Guest Post provided by Ryan 

Superb September!! Reasons to Love Turning 40

It's my BiRtHdAy!!!!  When I was younger, the count down to my birthday, began sometime in August.  And I was very good about reminding anyone who would listen, of exactly how many more days until my birthday.  I even had one year, that I went around singing, "It's my birthday!  Me, me, me! Me, me, me!"  Sounds cute, except I think I was 19....  I don't get as excited anymore.  Maybe, I just don't want to get my hopes up.  Maybe, I am just too tired.  Maybe it's because I turned 40.  I was determined to treat this as just any other day, but my family and friends came through for me and made it wonderful, once again! 

   1.     My husband called and wished me happy birthday this morning.  He often works out of state and I have to admit, that I was a little bummed that he would be in Kansas on my birthday.  It was good to hear his voice, but even better when I found out he would be home tonight.  That is exactly what I wanted for my birthday!!                                                            

Jalapeno cheddar smoked sausage, spicy brown mustard
and cheese

2. My girls, Abbi and Alli made me breakfast in bed.  This plate full of protein proves I am raising them right.  Or maybe they are raising me, as they know how cranky I get when my blood sugar gets low.

3.  My son made me a card all by him self.

4. And my grandmothers sent me some great cards.

 5. My mother in law stopped by in person to bring me a birthday card and a birthday gift.  She did a great job!  Especially since she had already given me a scarf and this gift came with a bag full of cookies.

6. My Mom is taking me out to lunch today for my birthday.  I generally expect a gift on my children's birthdays because I actually did all of the work on the day that they were born, but today I have a different outlook.  Let's not tell Mom about that and just let her spoil me a little bit. Okay?

7.These balloons arrived around 10:00 this morning.  Until that moment, no one realized that this was my 40th birthday. (Probably because I look so young and vivacious.....or maybe because I rarely act my age).  The question is, who sent them??  The card says, "From the gang".  I am personally affiliated with so many gangs, I am not sure who to thank for the card.  My co-workers, my family, my friends, my kiddos......Or is it actually my gang?  They are very cordial ya know, but I can't tell you their name. It goes against initiation rules. Blood in ~ blood out and all that...

8. Today is payday at work!

9. My kiddos all come home today!  There are several Volcko's and a couple of Harper's that have been away too long.  I can't wait to have all my little birdies back in their nests.

10.  Tonight is Homecoming at the school.  My daughter is in the parade and marching during halftime.  How exciting.  And it was so very nice to plan a whole parade and football game just because I turned 40. Thank you Liberators!

11.  The girls at work told me I didn't have to collect blood for hemoglobin tests today.  They know how much I just hate doing hemoglobins.  It's not the blood, it's the tears.  I just really hate hurting people.

12.  My hair looks really good today.

13.  I get to share my birthday month with some really awesome people.  My nephew, two nieces, two of my daughters, my brother, and several of my friends also have September birthdays. Happy birthday, Clayton, Anna, Riley, Sydney, Olivia, Curtis, Ronda, Erin, Karen and all of the rest.

14.  When my Mom came to collect me for lunch, she delivered a beautiful wreath that my sister made.  As you look closer at the wreath you will notice that it is full of suckers and the card says,  "40 sucks".

15.  Mom and Dad also gave me some goodies.  Including a pair of pants, a mushy card and this pretty picture frame.  I can't wait to go home and put pictures in all of my new frames.

16.  All of the well wishes from friends and family through text and Facebook, have been really nice.

 Thank you all for the wonderful birthday, well wishes, gifts, smiles and giggles.

Here's to happy, healthy, and whole~

T