One thing I like to do with Arun is to discuss the prior day's events with him. Even if it just a trip to the grocery store, I will recount what we did, what we saw, which produce/food products we purchased. It helps with building memory and such - something I learned from my Sister the Former Preschool Teacher because oddly, I did not learn these things in Business School. Anyway, yesterday I was talking with Arun about the Boo at the Zoo event that we went to on Sunday with Mojavi's daughter and Chocolate Covered Susan's daughter.
Me: Arun, remember yesterday we went to the zoo with Kya and Aubrey? What did we see there? Remember how we saw the tigers and elephants?
Arun: NO! Elmo! No! Elmo! Elmo!
Nice, real nice. Folks, we trekked our suburban asses out to the zoo to enjoy nature and animals and all he remembers is how Aubrey dressed up as Elmo.
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In other news, I am posting over at the BoobLog about folks commenting on Anjali's weight. Size does matter - listen, I am ecstatic that my girl is pudgy, chubby and healthy. I am grateful for the rolls on her thighs. I love blowing raspberries on that round baby belly. And I enjoy kissing her puffy cheeks. She is healthy and happy. What more could I ask for? Oh, maybe for folks to quit commenting on her size.
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In other, other news, I came across this great link over at the Baby 411 blog about the supposed link between autism and vaccines. First, I need to clarify something - this is a hot, HOT topic for me on many levels.
-When I was in 2nd grade, a classmate of mine died from complications from chicken pox. My school was small - only 42 of us in that grade. Everyone knew and loved Audrey.
-I had a family member test just outside the spectrum of autism 15 years ago.
-A month ago, I had another family member test inside the spectrum.
Vaccines and autism are simply not a black/white issue for me and I do, indeed, take it all personally. I cannot pretend otherwise to have an open mind about this.
Dr. Brown has some very valid concerns about painting vaccines with such a wide brush. She also has some valid points about the responsibility of celebrities dispensing incorrect information color with their opinions. Do not get me wrong. I am a huge Jenny McCarthy fan - I have always appreciated her self-deprecating humor and her vivacious, positive attitude towards life in general. However, it is disturbing that she is sending a medically incorrect message.
5 comments:
I can't even begin to be objective about this-I've read the original, famous study that purported to draw the link and my dumb hasn't-taken-stats-in-ten-years ass was able to spot how poorly constructed the methodology was. Remember that book we all spent so much time crapping on? About the prom queens? I felt his study was based on the same principal.
Vaccines are now thimerosal-free, yet the rates of autism keep "rising" (although I also think we have to account for kids being diagnosed properly, which may not have occurred in the past).
I strongly suspect that it's a genetic factor that is triggered by some environmental cause. But I 100% do not believe vaccines are the trigger.
This is one of those issues that drives my sister, an actual psychiatrist, apoplectic with rage.
as someone who was actually subjected to vaccines with thimerosal that probably saved her life,
monkey
Man, do you love Boo at the Zoo or what? :-)
Autism hits close to home as Danny's nephew has it. We have taken it very seriously with monitoring signs with Alex, but we don't think that our guy has it. My hubby thinks that maybe because we who were vacinated with thermerosal are now procreating has something to do with the increased numbers of those with autism... but he's no doctor, just his theory...
Oh, I do that thing where I talk about our day with Eliza, too! I had no idea I was doing something pedagogically sound, I just liked to wind down our day that way. Points for me! And on the topic of toddler memories being hijacked, we drug our kid all over northern Europe for 2 weeks in May seeing old castles and visiting relatives. Know what she tells people when they ask her what she did in Germany? "Jump inna CRIB!" Because the first hotel we stayed at had an awesomely bouncy crib mattress and we were too tired to stop her from going nuts.
I love talking about the day and the day before with my son. My mom always did that with me and I know I have a better memory for detail than my husband, who did not get that growing up. And it amazes me what my 25 month old remembers. When I talked to him about the Halloween party we went to last week, I asked what he did, and he said "purple slide." He remembered that he wore and Elmo costume, that his friend Billy wore a giraffe costume, and that he ate cookies. When I ask him about school and he just starts giving me a bunch of yes's, I throw in a question for which I know the answer is no, and he gets it right! Ofcourse, every day is pizza day at school, according to him, so not all the details sink in. But still, it's a start.
On the autism thing, I'm on board with vaccines for sure, but I had a long conversation with my doc about the flu shot. I decided to do it.
I haven't read your blog in a while, congratulations again. Looks like things are going really well with Anju. I like the Peanut Butter and Anjuli label!
Gotta read that McCarthey book to know what all the uproar is about. I'm all for vaccines -- but I do wish there was a different schedule for receiving them. Something a bit more spread out so that if there ever was a problem, it would be easier to pinpoint it.
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