A Message from Hunter

The Pledge of Allegiance

Michaela's rendition of the Pledge of Allegiance!

School Days

Finally posting the pics from the first days of school. Hunter started 1st grade and Michaela started at the Montessori school. Michaela doesn't have to wear a uniform for her school, but insisted she wanted one - LOL!

Breastfeeding Awareness Month/Prenatal Information Bags Project

Dear Friends and Family,

Where did you find breastfeeding information when you were a new mommy? What information do you wish you knew about breastfeeding while you were pregnant? What would you tell other moms-to-be to help them have a smooth start with breastfeeding?

For Breastfeeding Awareness Month in August 2010, La Leche League of Starkville/Columbus has a vision to get a breastfeeding information bag into the hand of every pregnant woman planning to deliver at Baptist Memorial Hospital, Oktibbeha County Hospital, or North Mississippi Medical Center /West Point. Each bag will contain a DVD, “Breastfeeding: You Can Do It!”, an informational tear sheet with basic breastfeeding tips, a La Leche League meeting notice, and a refrigerator magnet with the names and numbers of the local La Leche League Leaders. We will be delivering these bags to local obstetricians’ offices at the end of July.

Many women in our culture have never seen another woman breastfeed. It is very difficult to learn how to do something you have never seen done! (And, yes, breastfeeding is a LEARNED skill.) We hope that this DVD will allow mothers to learn about breastfeeding in the privacy of their own home, so they can go to the hospital, and out in public if they wish, feeling more confident in their ability to breastfeed their baby. Of course, we also want them to know that there are other mothers out there who have been in their shoes and want to help!

Here’s the situation: our group has been fortunate enough to receive an $875 grant from the World Breastfeeding Week Celebrations Grant Committee. $875, however, will only allow us to produce about 140 bags. We need 400 bags to make sure every mother gets a bag in August. I would hate to have to pick and chose who gets bags! We need an additional $1,429 to be able to produce the full 400 bags.

This is where you can help! Will you consider donating to our cause? As little as $6 could make a world of difference to a mom desiring to breastfeed her baby. Simply click on the button below to donate through PayPal. Or contact me if you would like to send a donation by mail.

If you were fortunate enough to have someone there to support you as you breastfed your baby, or you wish you had had someone to guide you, we hope that you will consider helping other breastfeeding mothers! Thank you!

Warmest Regards,

Christina

"Happy Mothers, Breastfed Babies"

La Leche League is an international, nonprofit, nonsectarian organization dedicated to providing education, information, support and encouragement to women who want to breastfeed. More information about breastfeeding and La Leche League is available at http://www.llli.org/

Latest pics

Summer Dreamin', again

Here it is, winter again. We haven't left the house in three days. I have a cold, too, which has probably been a bigger factor in us not leaving the house than the snow flurries and frigid temperatures. So, here a few pictures from summer. Allan built me a beautiful hanging post for my upside down tomato planters. Brother-in-law, Morgan, helped him set it in concrete. Here a few of my Roma and grape tomatoes.

In September, I decided to attempt a straw bale garden bed for fall plantings. Did I mention that I am a very amateur gardener? ;-) I got a few little lettuce heads (no I'm not talking about my children-ha!). They never got very big, though. As Allan joked, they weren't even big enough to cover a hamburger if I put all of the leaves on at once!

The kids liked this big pot! I attempted to plant carrots in it, but a certain little assistant picked all the seedlings. I then attempted to plant radishes, but like the lettuce, they never got very big. Guess I planted them too late in the season.

I do much better w/ plants and seedlings than seeds. Here, Michaela helping me to water this beautiful arrangement of petunias and verbena that I got at the Briarpatch and kept on the porch to Allan's shop.

So, I have mentioned before that Allan got me a CompostTwin tumbler for my birthday/Christmas last year. It has taken some practice. I made the mistake at first of using way too many leaves. Soon learned that they take pretty long to break down! A co-worker of Allan's was nice enough to give us her riding lawn mower before she moved, so we used the money we had set aside for the mower to buy a chipper shredder. Most of my initial efforts came out looking more like mulch, so that's precisely what I used it for!

We had a considerable amount of rain this fall, which sprouted these beauties we didn't see last year. Found out they are called spider lillies, also known as Hurricane lillies because they only come up if there has been a lot of rain.

At the risk of Allan killing me, here is a picture of him enjoying one of his favorite past times.

Last Portraits of 2009

Went and got some pictures done of the kids today. The photographer didn't like this particular photo because Hunter's mouth is open. She didn't even give me the option to order it. Allan says it is his favorite of Hunter, though. Go figure.

Look at Michaela. If looks could kill!

My sister, Toni, gave Hunter this build-a-bear dog for his 3rd birthday. He has recently rediscovered it and named it Goldie. He treats this pal like a real dog since Mom won't let him have a real one, yet.

Michaela with her stuffed puppy, Lulu. I posted on Facebook that perhaps my kids get their pictures done too often. They brought their own costumes and props today. Just wait. This isn't the half of it!

This pic of Hunter and Michaela is my favorite shot of the whole session.

Happy New Year, Everyone!