Posts Tagged ‘liter’
Breast Is Best . . . Or is it?
The other most common question I seem to get asked since I have had Will is whether or not I am breastfeeding. Well, here’s the story of both Madison and Will on this topic.
Madison’s Breastfeeding tale
Madison would never latch on. I met with lactation consultants and everything, and she would not latch on. We had decided that breastfeeding was the way to go. We continued to try and breastfeed when we brought her home. However, she started to become very jaundice. When we brought her in the doctor, we had a blood test done, and her billyrubin (sp?) count was 14.7. Once that number hits 15, they have to have a billy blanket. I was given 3 choices: keep trying to breastfeed and she’d probably end up in the hospital, give her formula, or go buy a breast pump.
We did the later of the three. I ended up pumping for 4 months with her. I quit when I started resenting pumping. I have to think it works, because Madison hardly ever gets sick. She never has had an ear infection. She’s had a few colds and the flu, but that’s it.
Will’s Breastfeeding tale
Well, we are running into some of the same problems with Will. Once we get him latched on, he will eat. However, we have had major problems getting him to latch. Last Sunday, we made the decision after trying to get him to latch for an hour and half at 3 am, that this is not working. I would literally feel myself tense up when I had to feed him, since we were having some many problems. Needless to say, we decided that I should again pump. He will get all the benefits of breast milk, and somebody other than me can feed him. Again, not a perfect solution, but it is the best we can come up with. He also started becoming jaundice, but when we brought him in last Monday, it was already going away.
Where do we go from here?
Honestly, I don’t know. I am not sure if I can do this for 4 months again. However, I have been pumping and freezing what I can. For those of you who have pumped before, how much should I be freezing in each bag? I have been only doing 2 oz in each bag. I do know once you thaw it, you have to use it, so my theory was to do small amounts. However, I now have a ton of bags in my freezer.
Let me know your thoughts!
Children’s Programming
Children’s programming is not what it use to be. I remember being a child and your only choice was Sesame Street. Nowadays, you have stations like Noggin and Nick Jr. who are dedicated to children’s program. My daughter does not even really like Sesame Street. Some of Madison’s favorite shows include Upside Down Show and Wonder Pets. I actually TIVO these two shows for her, so we can watch them any time we want.
The Upside Down show has Shane and David, and we get to watch their daily adventures. We have been to the art museum, the movies, and the airport among several other places with them. The part Madison loves the most about this show is the imaginary remote. She often plays with her imaginary remote even when we are not watching the show. Honestly, I find the show pretty corny, but my husband giggles right along with Madison (not sure what that says). There are several learning goals with this show:
Imaginative Play
- boosts creativity by modeling pretend play
- fosters a humorous approach to problem-solving
- models a think-outside-the-box attitude
Language and Early Literacy Skills
- introduces new vocabulary in surprising and funny ways
- reinforces phonological awareness with use of alliteration, rhyming, and other kinds of language play
Cognitive Skills
- reinforces logical thinking skills such as making predictions and noticing connections
- models using abstract thinking and imagination to find new ways of looking at a problem
- demonstrates and explores relational concepts (high/low, inside/outside, light/dark)
Social and Emotional Development
- models cooperation and negotiation
- models accommodating and supporting the needs of others
At least she is learning when she is watching this. I do have to admit that my favorite imaginary remote button has to be the Irish dancing button.
The other show she enjoys is Wonder Pets. This show is about three classroom pets named Linny (he’s the guinea pig), Ming-Ming (the duck), and Tuck (the turtle). The show is about how these three animals turn into superhereos to save other animals in trouble. This is one of my favorite shows. It is cute and even holds my attention. The learning goals that are supported by this show are:
Cognitive Skills
Language and Early Literacy
- introduces new vocabulary
- reinforces phonological awareness with its use of sung dialogue, rhythms, alliteration, and songs
Music
- exposes viewers to a wide range of musical styles and formats
- helps make connections between musical styles and world cultures
Social and Emotional Development
- promotes appreciation of and orientation towards teamwork
- models cooperation with others
- reinforces the value of listening to others’ ideas
- models an attitude of helping
There are a few other show I like too, but these are Madison two main shows that we do not miss. These shows are not too annoying, and I like that she is learning something by watching them.
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The Upside Down Show
Madison’s new favorite show of all time is The Upside Down Show. It is on Noggin and stars Shane and David. Each show is about a place or a thing that they have never done before. They also encourage the at home viewers to use their imaginary remote to control what is going on. As an adult, I find this show very corny. On the other hand, Bill sits there and giggles with Madison. After the show is over, Madison walks around trying to control things with her remote. It is amazing,but there are a ton of learning goals supported by The Upside Down Show:
Imaginative Play
- boosts creativity by modeling pretend play
- fosters a humorous approach to problem-solving
- models a think-outside-the-box attitude
Language and Early Literacy Skills
- introduces new vocabulary in surprising and funny ways
- reinforces phonological awareness with use of alliteration, rhyming, and other kinds of language play
Cognitive Skills
- reinforces logical thinking skills such as making predictions and noticing connections
- models using abstract thinking and imagination to find new ways of looking at a problem
- demonstrates and explores relational concepts (high/low, inside/outside, light/dark)
Social and Emotional Development
- models cooperation and negotiation
- models accommodating and supporting the needs of other
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