Recently I have had a lot of people ask me for my sources of information for vaccine information and natural medicine. I decided to compile some of the info I have in one spot for people to reference when searching for answers.
Books:
Vaccine Epidemic by Louise Kuo Habakus MA, Mary Holland
Vaccine Illusion by Tetyana Obukhanych, Ph.D. in immunology
Doctor of the Future by Dan Yachter
Louder Than Words by Jenny McCarthy
Websites:
http://drtenpenny.com/default.aspx
http://www.naturalnews.com/vaccines.html
http://www.nvic.org/
http://novaxdoctors.webs.com/doctorlist.htm
http://www.novaccine.com/
http://www.know-vaccines.org/
This is a good well rounded start, but believe me there are plenty more resources!!!! The most important thing about this subject is doing your OWN research and not just taking other people's word for it. Even your doctor or pediatrician may not have very much detailed information. There is no doctor better than a parent. Do not be motivated by fear but rememeber knowledge is power. It may seem overwhelming, but just take one thing at a time and make the best decision for your family.
:) Courtney
“The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” Matthew 9:38
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I WAS IN PRISON DOCUMENTARY
Baby Boundaries
I don't know about everyone else, but when it comes to my job as a parent I take it very seriously. Almost too seriously. I get stressed out about the dumbest things, and want to make the absolute BEST decisions for my kids at all times. I spend hours researching random stuff, looking for fun crafts, shopping for the healthiest food, reading parenting books and looking for answers to every question that pops into my head. It gets to a point where I become overwhelmed and if a kid is sad or mad or bored for any reason I feel like I am failing as a parent. I know that may sound ridiculous, but being a parent is my most important job and I want to give my all.
In the last couple days I came to the realization that in order to be the best possible parent I can't be stressed or overwhelmed. I need balance. For me this balance comes in the form of setting boundaries with my kids. I have put together a little list of things that I think are important in order for parents to keep their sanity. Everyone knows, if mama ain't happy, nobody is happy.
1. When going to the bathroom close and LOCK the door- What a concept, huh? I promise you, they will survive out there.
2. Consistent bedtimes- Putting kids to bed early is not only beneficial to them, but you will be amazed how nice it is to have some "you" time.
3. Quiet time- During the day when you are going to lose your mind, send everyone to their room (or playpen) for at least 30 minutes so you can catch your breath.
4. Demand a regular date night!- My husband can tell when I need a night out because I get super cranky. It is a wonderful thing to get dolled up and spend time with the one you love.
5. Take a shower!!- I make a point of taking a shower and doing a little makeup every single day. After all, I am a woman too, not just a mom.
6. Make this list longer!- Don't be afraid to put yourself first once in a while. Set boundaries with your kids and stick to them.
While your world does revolve around your kids most of the time, it is important not to lose sight of who you are and what you love! Make time for hobbies and friends, and the end result will be a more fulfilled parent who can live up to their fullest potential!
In the last couple days I came to the realization that in order to be the best possible parent I can't be stressed or overwhelmed. I need balance. For me this balance comes in the form of setting boundaries with my kids. I have put together a little list of things that I think are important in order for parents to keep their sanity. Everyone knows, if mama ain't happy, nobody is happy.
1. When going to the bathroom close and LOCK the door- What a concept, huh? I promise you, they will survive out there.
2. Consistent bedtimes- Putting kids to bed early is not only beneficial to them, but you will be amazed how nice it is to have some "you" time.
3. Quiet time- During the day when you are going to lose your mind, send everyone to their room (or playpen) for at least 30 minutes so you can catch your breath.
4. Demand a regular date night!- My husband can tell when I need a night out because I get super cranky. It is a wonderful thing to get dolled up and spend time with the one you love.
5. Take a shower!!- I make a point of taking a shower and doing a little makeup every single day. After all, I am a woman too, not just a mom.
6. Make this list longer!- Don't be afraid to put yourself first once in a while. Set boundaries with your kids and stick to them.
While your world does revolve around your kids most of the time, it is important not to lose sight of who you are and what you love! Make time for hobbies and friends, and the end result will be a more fulfilled parent who can live up to their fullest potential!
Victim or victorious?!
We have all met "that" person. The one who doesn't want anyone to rain on their pity party parade. The one who doesn't want you to offer a solution because they enjoy being the victim. A victim always gets screwed and someone else is always in the wrong. They feed off the attention they get from a "horrible" situation or circumstance. There are two types of people, victims and those who are victorious.
At some point in our lives we are all victims. Bad stuff happens to everyone, and you are defined by how you handle this bad stuff, not whether or not it happens to you. Victims will wallow in a pool of self pity forever until the next bad thing happens to wallow in, but a victorious person gets mad, cries, yells and pulls them self together. Being a victim is a mentality. If you consider yourself to be one, then you always will be.
To be perfectly honest, today I had a crappy thing happen to me. Someday when it is a closed case (literally) I will elaborate in my step parenting diaries but for now we will just call it a crappy thing. When said thing happened I was mad as hell. Here I am putting my heart and soul into being the best possible parent and step parent and not only is it unappreciated, but it is threatened. I know, I know poor me. Woe is me, I do my best and still don't get anything for it except for government officials knocking on my door. NO! I cried, got mad, but then I realized that none of that was going to change anything. I know in my heart that I am doing what is right for my kids and on THAT I will stand. I am taking victory over this situation. I will NOT be threatened or fearful, I have given God the control and I know that yet again he will pull through for me. I am victorious.
Many times we are in situations that will make us or break us, and how we react is what decides the outcome. It is ok to be mad or sad, but at some point you have to pull yourself together or you will always be the victim. I don't know about you, but I know I would much rather live victoriously. I used to hate when people would say that you choose your own destiny, but it is true! If you have pity parties nobody wants to come, but a victory party is a lot more fun!!!
Thank you to all my friends and family who love and support me, I could never fight this battle without you and NEVER have I been more grateful!
At some point in our lives we are all victims. Bad stuff happens to everyone, and you are defined by how you handle this bad stuff, not whether or not it happens to you. Victims will wallow in a pool of self pity forever until the next bad thing happens to wallow in, but a victorious person gets mad, cries, yells and pulls them self together. Being a victim is a mentality. If you consider yourself to be one, then you always will be.
To be perfectly honest, today I had a crappy thing happen to me. Someday when it is a closed case (literally) I will elaborate in my step parenting diaries but for now we will just call it a crappy thing. When said thing happened I was mad as hell. Here I am putting my heart and soul into being the best possible parent and step parent and not only is it unappreciated, but it is threatened. I know, I know poor me. Woe is me, I do my best and still don't get anything for it except for government officials knocking on my door. NO! I cried, got mad, but then I realized that none of that was going to change anything. I know in my heart that I am doing what is right for my kids and on THAT I will stand. I am taking victory over this situation. I will NOT be threatened or fearful, I have given God the control and I know that yet again he will pull through for me. I am victorious.
Many times we are in situations that will make us or break us, and how we react is what decides the outcome. It is ok to be mad or sad, but at some point you have to pull yourself together or you will always be the victim. I don't know about you, but I know I would much rather live victoriously. I used to hate when people would say that you choose your own destiny, but it is true! If you have pity parties nobody wants to come, but a victory party is a lot more fun!!!
Thank you to all my friends and family who love and support me, I could never fight this battle without you and NEVER have I been more grateful!
Know your place!
When first entering the world of step parenting I was reluctant. I didn't know what my role should be in my step daughter, Breanna's life. Things became clearer to me after having my daughter. I realized that it was not fair for me to take a back seat in my step daughters life yet give myself 100% to my own daughter. It is not right for Breanna to suffer because of her parents incompatibility.
I remember being so scared to step on anyones toes. I was afraid to give all because I knew that would mean pissing some people off. I was torn because I knew what was best for Breanna in her life over here with us, but didn't want to over step the boundaries. In getting to know my husband better, and realizing what he wanted for his daughter and for our new family I felt more confident in my role. I know now that the best thing I can do is treat her as if she were my own. It is not my job to worry about pleasing her mother, my husband's family or my family. My job is to do my very best, for both Breanna and our family and if that means stepping on some toes, then so be it. No decision regarding Breanna ever effects just her. It effects all of us.
Has this caused some waves? Yes, but that is ok. I sleep well at night because I know that I am doing everything in my power to have a happy, healthy family. Nothing worth doing is ever easy and I know that someday all the energy I have put into Breanna will be rewarded. Step parents need all the support they can get so the best way to be a good one is to block out all the negative people! Stand your ground, fight for your family, and surround yourself with people who build you up, not break you down. I want to encourage the step parents out there to follow their heart and do your absolute best. If your best makes people mad, sounds like a personal issue they need to deal with. Your loyalty was never to them anyways! Much love friends!
I remember being so scared to step on anyones toes. I was afraid to give all because I knew that would mean pissing some people off. I was torn because I knew what was best for Breanna in her life over here with us, but didn't want to over step the boundaries. In getting to know my husband better, and realizing what he wanted for his daughter and for our new family I felt more confident in my role. I know now that the best thing I can do is treat her as if she were my own. It is not my job to worry about pleasing her mother, my husband's family or my family. My job is to do my very best, for both Breanna and our family and if that means stepping on some toes, then so be it. No decision regarding Breanna ever effects just her. It effects all of us.
Has this caused some waves? Yes, but that is ok. I sleep well at night because I know that I am doing everything in my power to have a happy, healthy family. Nothing worth doing is ever easy and I know that someday all the energy I have put into Breanna will be rewarded. Step parents need all the support they can get so the best way to be a good one is to block out all the negative people! Stand your ground, fight for your family, and surround yourself with people who build you up, not break you down. I want to encourage the step parents out there to follow their heart and do your absolute best. If your best makes people mad, sounds like a personal issue they need to deal with. Your loyalty was never to them anyways! Much love friends!
When the fit hits the shan.
I believe there are certain rules when it comes to discipline and step parenting. I know that being a step parent to older children is a totally different ball game, but getting into the child's life at a younger age brings different challenges. When the kids are older (as I was when my mom remarried) the step parent is more of a friend and not so much like a "parent." In my opinion that is the way it should be because the children already have a "mom" and "dad" that they answer to and do not need a new person coming in trying to change that. I don't believe it is ok for the step parent to do the disciplining in this case. When someone is dating a person with older children, they need to decide before thinking about marriage if they can handle the way things are without coming in and trying to change everything.
What about with younger ones? In this case the struggles are not going to be with the child because they will never remember a time without you. I have no issues getting my step daughter to listen to me (actually sometimes she listens to me better than her father, hehe.) The relationship with a step child should be a strong one before you think about any sort of discipline. Of course every family has their own ways of disciplining their child and while I may give my daughter Hazel a smack on the hand or butt, I am not going to do that with Breanna. Why? Well it is a personal thing. My husband wouldn't do it either, and we are able to get results from putting her in her room or taking away a privilege. I have to admit, I am really lucky to have such a well behaved step child. Don't get me wrong, she has her moments where she tries to be the boss, but we get her in check real quick. Until I was comfortable with Breanna's and my relationship I would play tattle tale to daddy to get her to listen, but now we have a mutual respect for each other and she knows I mean business.
What about with younger ones? In this case the struggles are not going to be with the child because they will never remember a time without you. I have no issues getting my step daughter to listen to me (actually sometimes she listens to me better than her father, hehe.) The relationship with a step child should be a strong one before you think about any sort of discipline. Of course every family has their own ways of disciplining their child and while I may give my daughter Hazel a smack on the hand or butt, I am not going to do that with Breanna. Why? Well it is a personal thing. My husband wouldn't do it either, and we are able to get results from putting her in her room or taking away a privilege. I have to admit, I am really lucky to have such a well behaved step child. Don't get me wrong, she has her moments where she tries to be the boss, but we get her in check real quick. Until I was comfortable with Breanna's and my relationship I would play tattle tale to daddy to get her to listen, but now we have a mutual respect for each other and she knows I mean business.
"Will you marry us?"
Family has taken on a new meaning in todays society. It is not the norm for there to be a mom, dad and two kids anymore. Divorce is more common than ever, and people are having children with partners they are not married to. There are all kinds of variations in a child's home life, and with that comes new challenges. Nobody day dreams when they are little about growing up to be a step parent, or dealing with crazy exes, but this is reality for many of us. This is my story.
My husband and I met and fell in love just like any other couple. After our first couple dates he tells me he has a one and a half year old daughter! I was pissed. Not because he had a beautiful and sweet little girl, but because he didn't tell me from the start!!! This was the first person I ever dated with a kid (and the last, hehe) so I had no clue what I was getting into. I didn't meet Breanna until a few months later when we both knew our relationship was getting more serious. I thought to myself , "I love kids, how hard could this be?"
Over the next year I grew attached not only to my handsome boyfriend, but his little girl as well. I knew that I wanted to be a part of their lives, and that I found them for a reason. I knew I could bring something to them that nobody else could and they could do the same for me. On November 8th, 2009 all three of us said "I do." It was the start of our lives and the beginning of an adventure. Breanna is now five and a half and the main piece of advice that I can give any step parent is to always put the kids first. Simple as it may sound, you can never go wrong when you follow that advice.
People often ask, "How can you love someone elses child the same way that you love yours?" I have always thought that it would be awesome to adopt a kid and while being a step parent is slightly different than adopting, it is also very similar because you still want to treat them as if they are your own. Here is the thing..... Loving a step child doesn't have to "feel" the same as loving a child that came from your own body. Don't beat yourself up about it. When my husband and I had our baby girl, I was filled with emotions that I never felt with Breanna, and that is ok. Loving a kid isn't all about a feeling, it is about your actions toward that child. I have always treated Bre as one of my own, and done everything the same as I would with my own daughter. I have always gone out of my way to make her feel special ,even after the baby got here, and she hasn't had a single jealous moment, so I know I am doing something right. It all goes back to putting the kids first. While they may be innocent and naive little souls, they will know deep down that you are doing your best and they will love you for it.
Bre and I have a great relationship, I love when she crawls up on my lap and tells me she loves me. Ever since our daughter Hazel was born Breanna says she should call me mommy too since that is what Hazel calls me. I am fine with that. I am not going to tell her what she can and can't call me. I want her to call me whatever feels right to her, sometimes its mommy, and sometimes its Courtney, I answer to both.
Throughout this blog I will share with you my experiences, and lessons I learned from them, in hopes that you won't have to go through some of the not so fun stuff that I have in this journey. If you find it beneficial or know someone who would benefit from reading, follow me! We will adventure through this together!
My husband and I met and fell in love just like any other couple. After our first couple dates he tells me he has a one and a half year old daughter! I was pissed. Not because he had a beautiful and sweet little girl, but because he didn't tell me from the start!!! This was the first person I ever dated with a kid (and the last, hehe) so I had no clue what I was getting into. I didn't meet Breanna until a few months later when we both knew our relationship was getting more serious. I thought to myself , "I love kids, how hard could this be?"
Over the next year I grew attached not only to my handsome boyfriend, but his little girl as well. I knew that I wanted to be a part of their lives, and that I found them for a reason. I knew I could bring something to them that nobody else could and they could do the same for me. On November 8th, 2009 all three of us said "I do." It was the start of our lives and the beginning of an adventure. Breanna is now five and a half and the main piece of advice that I can give any step parent is to always put the kids first. Simple as it may sound, you can never go wrong when you follow that advice.
People often ask, "How can you love someone elses child the same way that you love yours?" I have always thought that it would be awesome to adopt a kid and while being a step parent is slightly different than adopting, it is also very similar because you still want to treat them as if they are your own. Here is the thing..... Loving a step child doesn't have to "feel" the same as loving a child that came from your own body. Don't beat yourself up about it. When my husband and I had our baby girl, I was filled with emotions that I never felt with Breanna, and that is ok. Loving a kid isn't all about a feeling, it is about your actions toward that child. I have always treated Bre as one of my own, and done everything the same as I would with my own daughter. I have always gone out of my way to make her feel special ,even after the baby got here, and she hasn't had a single jealous moment, so I know I am doing something right. It all goes back to putting the kids first. While they may be innocent and naive little souls, they will know deep down that you are doing your best and they will love you for it.
Bre and I have a great relationship, I love when she crawls up on my lap and tells me she loves me. Ever since our daughter Hazel was born Breanna says she should call me mommy too since that is what Hazel calls me. I am fine with that. I am not going to tell her what she can and can't call me. I want her to call me whatever feels right to her, sometimes its mommy, and sometimes its Courtney, I answer to both.
Throughout this blog I will share with you my experiences, and lessons I learned from them, in hopes that you won't have to go through some of the not so fun stuff that I have in this journey. If you find it beneficial or know someone who would benefit from reading, follow me! We will adventure through this together!
Hippie Parenting... minus the drugs ;)
In the last year I have taken a lot of judgement from people about my beliefs as far as health care are concerned. Yes, I might be kind of a hippie. I breast feed, don't vaccinate, feed my kids mostly organic and use chemical free diapers (next baby will be cloth.) However, I would never criticize someone for doing it differently. I have been called names, yelled at, talked bad about and given dirty looks. I had a specific person say, "I know Courtney is very knowledgeable about how SHE thinks health should be but we have always taken the science route." While I don't feel the need to defend my stance to anyone, I do think it is only fair that I am able to state my points for those who are truly interested, and not just out to judge me.
First off, why do people get so offended that I don't vaccinate my child? If their argument is that they are worried their child will catch something from mine then they really don't believe in vaccine effectiveness either. If their child is vaccinated then they should have nothing to worry about being around my "contaminated" child. Isn't that why they immunize in the first place?
Secondly, if the "science" route is so great then why are today's kids sicker than ever? The person who made the above statement will most likely never read this, but the fact that their children are sick at least once a month and have several health problems proves that their precious "science" route is not working and it may be time to try something new.
Thirdly, I have to say that my daughter has not been to the doctor since she was 3 months old (for a well visit.) She simply has not needed to go. She has never been sick with anything besides a runny nose that only lasted a couple days at most. She does not have any health problems and is a happy, smart, and perfect baby. So next time someone judges my hippie ways they need to compare their child's health to my daughter's. The proof is in the puddin'.
Last but not least, I don't think the medical community is evil. I love the doctor who delivered my baby and I love her pediatrician. I think the advances in medicine have saved countless lives. As with anything there is always going to be abuse when there is money to be made. This is where I draw the line as far as the medical care for my daughter. Very simply put, I want her body to be free from as many man made products as possible.
If you are going to hate me then at least now you know why. Peace and love to you all ;)
First off, why do people get so offended that I don't vaccinate my child? If their argument is that they are worried their child will catch something from mine then they really don't believe in vaccine effectiveness either. If their child is vaccinated then they should have nothing to worry about being around my "contaminated" child. Isn't that why they immunize in the first place?
Secondly, if the "science" route is so great then why are today's kids sicker than ever? The person who made the above statement will most likely never read this, but the fact that their children are sick at least once a month and have several health problems proves that their precious "science" route is not working and it may be time to try something new.
Thirdly, I have to say that my daughter has not been to the doctor since she was 3 months old (for a well visit.) She simply has not needed to go. She has never been sick with anything besides a runny nose that only lasted a couple days at most. She does not have any health problems and is a happy, smart, and perfect baby. So next time someone judges my hippie ways they need to compare their child's health to my daughter's. The proof is in the puddin'.
Last but not least, I don't think the medical community is evil. I love the doctor who delivered my baby and I love her pediatrician. I think the advances in medicine have saved countless lives. As with anything there is always going to be abuse when there is money to be made. This is where I draw the line as far as the medical care for my daughter. Very simply put, I want her body to be free from as many man made products as possible.
If you are going to hate me then at least now you know why. Peace and love to you all ;)
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