7 Quick Takes Friday (#53)

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We finally got our new screen door installed!  Before Christmas, there was a bad windstorm and our door blew off the hinges and shattered into pieces.  We got a new screen door for Christmas but opted to save the $98 installation fee and do it ourselves.  Do it ourselves means, beg my dad.  My dad came over on Saturday and Frank and him spent nearly the entire day working on the door.

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Frank said the door would have been installed much sooner but they kept misplacing tools.  I find this humorous because we live in a matchbox and all the tools were in the front room.  Regardless, the new door is nice and it will be even better once spring gets here.  It hasn’t been up a week and Sophie B and Mary Rene are already fighting over who gets to look outside.

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They both would stand there all day if they had their wish.

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Thanks for the prayers on Monday.  A few of you emailed me privately and said you would pray as well and I really appreciate that.  Monday’s prayers were answered But I continue to ask for prayers.  This will be a long process, I am prayerful that it will, so prayers will be needed for months.

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When I was pregnant with Mary Rene, I asked the girls in my Bible Study Group for their recommendations on a pediatrician.  I took the names they gave me, did research and found the one that I really liked.  He was right by my house too which was even nicer.  Unfortunately he was not covered under our insurance so I had to go searching again.  A friend of mine recommended the pediatrician we selected and I must say, I was very pleased.  However, the whole time Frank questioned her and I found myself always sticking up for the doctor.  When Mary Rene went in for her 12 month appointment, her doctor wasn’t available so we had the other doctor.  I’ve always liked the other doctor but this particular visit went back.  He did his evaluation and then told me that Mary Rene would be getting four shots.  I asked why she needed four, and he looked me dead in the eye and said, “That’s what she is due for.”  I asked why four?  She has never had that many at once.  He picked up his file, looked me straight in the eyes again, and said this time was different and she had to get four.  As he walked away, he told me a nurse would be in right away.  My heart just stopped because of the way he treated me but I was frozen in fear and let the nurse shot Mary Rene up.  What happened?  She screamed, she ended up getting a runny nose, she ended up getting an ear infection.  I was so mad.  When her 15 month appointment came, her doctor was available.  This time she was getting less shots but I still wasn’t happy.  We left the office and I just started to get this bad feeling in my heart.  I was supposed to be my daughter’s advocate and I wasn’t doing a good job advocating.  I let these professionals walk on me because I allowed myself to think that they knew what was best for my daughter.  And it wasn’t.  Every time she got more than two shots, she would get crabby and a runny nose.  January came and so did our new insurance.  I remembered the name of the pediatrician I had wanted in the beginning, and it turned out some ladies in my La Leche League used him.  I had Frank see if he was in-network and…he was!  So on Monday, I switched pediatricians.  The problem for me is that I have learned I am all talk, and as much as I want to back down to the doctors, I couldn’t.  I had already started down the path of full vaccinations and I was too much of a coward to slow down the pace.  But with a new pediatrician I can start fresh.  Mary Rene will be going in for a 18 month check-up and my plan is to have a delayed schedule set up and show him on our first visit.  I will also have this set up ahead of time for Sweet Pea.  Starting off fresh is so much easier for me to do then stand up to authority figures.  And besides, I didn’t feel comfortable with the other doctor and I was paying him a lot of money.  Frank and I don’t have much money left at the end of the month and it came down to-spending my money wisely.  And I realized, I needed to invest my money wiser when it came to health care.  Okay, that wasn’t really a quick thought.

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I’ve been doing a lot of research this week about switching to organic products.  I mostly was thinking about genetically modified foods, such as meat and chicken.  But the further I went into my research I realized that GMO also effect milk, eggs, vegetables, fruit and even canned foods.  So if there is anyone who reads this and only eats organic, explain please.  Also, how much more does it cost?  Now that we are on a grocery budget I’m wondering if I can afford to go organic.

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Mary Rene went on a playdate Monday with her friend Elaine, who is two.  They aren’t that far apart in age but they didn’t interact too much.  Mary Rene wanted to sit on her momma’s lap the whole time while Elaine had fun running back in forth.  On Wednesday, we had a playdate with my friend Laura and her 2 month old son, Cole. 

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Mary Rene was in absolutely heaven and loved him to pieces.

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Laura was so kind and let Mary Rene hold Cole in her lap.  Mary Rene felt like such a big girl and was beaming with pride.  When we put Cole in the bouncy seat, Mary Rene kept trying to sit with him.  Poor little guy was getting squished by a 23 pound baby!

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She just kept looking at him and smiling away.  Love?  Oh, I just think she likes babies a lot-which is a good thing.  It was really cute because she kept getting really close to him and jibber jabbing away.  She had to be saying something really important to him because her face was very serious and she would not stop talking.

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On Wednesday, I was able to cross off #95 on my list: get re-certified in CPR.  Well, I didn’t get certification because the class I registered for didn’t offer it.  But I am counting it because I learned Adult, Child and Infant CPR.  It was a three hour long class and I took it with one of my co-workers, Laurie.  (She had it on her list too.)  I feel so much better now that I know infant CPR.  It is so scary to think of, and I pray I never have to use it, but I feel more confident as a parent now.

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Last, but definitely not least, today is the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade.  As my amazing OB/GYN  put it on facebook, “Lord forgive those of us who have had one of the 50+ million abortions and forgive the rest of us for not speaking up as much as we should to protect your innocent.”

12 Responses to “7 Quick Takes Friday (#53)”

  1. Katie Says:

    We do try to purchase as much organic products as we can afford…unfortunately it is expensive!!! Good Luck! : )

  2. Samantha Says:

    I buy almost everything organic, but it can be expensive. Here is a list to help you out on fruits and veggies:

    Check here for a list of fruits and vegetables ranks in order of most or least pesticide load: http://foodnews.org/

    Check this site for a rated list of organic milk and other organic dairy products. http://cornucopia.org/dairysurvey/index.html

    Buy Organic
    1. peaches
    2. apples
    3. pears
    4. squash
    5. green beans
    6. grapes
    7. strawberries
    8. raspberries
    9. potatoes
    10. tomatoes
    11. nectarines
    12. bell peppers
    13. celery

    Buy Non-organic
    1. Avocado - Their thick skins that protect the fruit from pesticide build-up.
    2. Bananas - The banana peel isn’t eaten and its where the pesticide stays.
    3. Pineapple - It has a rough and spiny skin that protects it from pests and pesticide residue
    4. Kiwi - Its fuzzy skin acts as a barrier to pesticides, but be sure to still give them a rinse before use
    5. Mango - Another fruit that has thick skin that protects it from pesticides, but you still want to rinse before use.
    6. Papaya - Pesticide residue stays on papaya skin, but give them a rinse before using.
    7. Asparagus - This vegetable faces fewer threats from pests, therefore needing less pesticide
    8. Broccoli - Conventional broccoli crops face fewer pest threats, like asparagus, so they require less pesticide use.
    9. Cabbage - Like asparagus and broccoli, it doesn’t need a lot of pesticides while it is growing.
    10. Onions - As many others listed they don’t see as many pest threats, which means less pesticide use.

    I know this is a long reply, but there is a lot to learn about all of this. Of course I buy what’s on sale and I shop at farmer’s markest because their stuff is cheaper. Buy fresh vegetables and fruits in season, apparently they have less pesticides because they don’t require ans much storage and shipping. Trim tops and the very outer portions of celery, lettuce, cabbages, and other leafy vegetables. This part contains most of the pesticide residues. Wait until just before preparation to wash or immerse your produce in clean water. This keeps your produce fresh longer.

    As for GMO products this is one of the reasons I buy mostly organic. It seems you can never tell what they will mess with next. Here are the major ones though:

    1. soybeans
    2. corn
    3. cotton (cottonseed oil)
    4. papaya
    5. rapeseed (canola oil)
    6. sugar cane
    7. sugar beet
    8. sweet corn
    9. rice

  3. Amy Says:

    Looks like Mary Rene will be a great big sis! Love the FB quote from your ob.

  4. Jenny Says:

    What an awesome OBGYN you must have!!

  5. Carrie Spear Says:

    When Autumn was a tiny baby, lots of little girls would always come up and give her attention. Even now that she is 14 months… heheh. COngrats on the CPR recertification.

  6. Melissa Says:

    I have started reading the book “The UnHealthy Truth” (can’t remember the author), but man is it an eye opener! I highly suggest you read this one. A food allergy mom wrote this book when she was trying to figure out why her child was allergic. She unearthed a great deal of info that most US consumers are oblivious to. Samantha gave you a great list. I also make sure I buy organic spinich, lettuce and other leafy greens as they have pretty much no barrier against pesticides. As far as price, yes it can get expensive, but in the long run I view the health benefits as a better investment. Schnucks and Dierbergs both have some pretty decent organic selections. For example, I buy a 5lbs bag of organic apples for like $5. I get a decent amount of apples that are tasty and healthy. I also frequent Trader Joes (reasonable prices) and Whole Foods (pricier, but good variety on meats and other stuff). All my dairy is rBGH free and I just buy it wherever I see the sales. It is very do-able and I swear I do feel a difference in the way I feel and I think the stuff just tastes better.

    Do you mind sharing the name of your new ped? I am thrilled you are able to get in with him and are sticking up for yourself and your children. I always say follow that mommy instinct! I love our ped, but with her just having a new baby I always worry she will quit on me!

  7. Melissa Says:

    PS: I am sending you am email about “The Dirty Dozen” (foods).

  8. Jane (Scrappy-Gram) Says:

    I’m praying for you, Trena!
    Happy Celebration of LIFE Day! Thumbs up for the FB quote.

  9. The Third Prayer Says:

    THanks everyone for all the food suggestions. It was very helpful!

    Melissa-

    His name is Richard Knight and his office is in Florissant. It is very close to our house which is great. I’ll make sure to write a review after my first visit with him!

  10. Katie Says:

    Hi Trena!
    We had fun on the playdate Monday and hope to do many more. (one of these days you need to come for lunch though)
    I think it is great that you are starting fresh with a new pediatrician. Like I said Elaine has had 3 other pediatricians and I found one I love, but I have to drive a distance to see him. You will know what is right by your feelings.
    As far as organic goes, we try to buy it, but it is so expensive and we sometimes can only budget groceries at $50 a week for three of us, so a lot of things get cut out. When Elaine first started eating foods, I always gave her organic. Now, not as much, but one day I plan to go all organic.
    I would love to take a CPR class, would you mind telling me where you took your course!?
    Have a great weekend.

  11. Rae Says:

    I got mad reading about that pediatrician. I share your feeling about fighting with doctors so will certainly have to make sure to choose someone who is understanding and I don’t feel the need to fight with.

  12. The Third Prayer » Blog Archive » The Vaccine Debate: Part I Says:

    [...] I mentioned awhile back, I had a bad experience with Mary Rene’s former pediatrician regarding her shots.   The doctor was doing his job but the tone of voice and attitude were not [...]

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