Happiness is... Part VIII

Happiness is...
* Fresh garden tomatoes eaten like an apple.
* Oaklen climbing into my "nest" when I sit cross-legged on the floor.
* Salem learning how to do math.
* Salem writing and counting up to 100.
* When the city comes to pick up the bulk trash each year.
* A clean section in the basement.
* Changing into a t-shirt & pajama pants after a long day of wearing a dress or skirt.
* The silence after the kids have been rambunctious right before bed and then suddenly asleep.
* Smiling when you answer the telephone, even though you don't know who it is.
* Holding Oaklen's hand almost all night long.
* Chocolate dipped grapes - fresh from my grapevine.
* Finding a seedless variety of grapes amongst the plethora of seeded grapes on my vine.
* Sleeping-in on a Saturday morning then waking up to breakfast in bed and the kitchen already clean.
* The little dance my boys do when Darrell plays a certain song on the guitar, it always makes them start to move.
* Listening to audio books in the car.
* The boys talking to my belly and saying "a-waw-boo baby." (I love you baby.)
* Thinking of silly baby names with Salem.
* Playing board games with Salem out on the porch.
* When the batteries die on certain toys.
* Getting a new camera and learning all the cool functions.
* Watching my boys have such a fun time at Lagoon.

4 more months...are you ready?

Salem's 1st Christmas - 2003


Oaklen's 1st Christmas - 2006

Four more months until Christmas, yeah!

I told Salem that there were 4 more months till Christmas and then he wanted to know how many days. I didn't want to figure it out at the moment (Sorry Carl if you're disappointed.) so I googled it and found some websites with a countdown application:
http://www.auburn.edu/~vestmon/xmas_cnt.htm
http://www.emailsanta.com/clock.html

Salem's Birth Story

Today is Salem’s 5th Birthday, Happy Birthday Salem! To commemorate his birth, here is his birth story.

Warning: this is a long post, and has a lot of information, possibly even “TMI”, read this if you’re interested in birth stories, otherwise skip it! :) This also is not only his birth story but also my labor and post-op story. It’s been 5 years and my memory is already fading but I think I’ve got most of the (too-much) detail. I had an OB/GYN for his birth and 5 years ago, I liked my doctor and I thought the birth went well. I realize now that I was ignorant about a lot of issues and just went with the standard/regular birth and trusted the medical people instead of owning my own mind and making informed decisions. Had I been informed and made my own decisions, I don’t really know what I would have done; it may have ended up being the same labor & delivery but I’ll never know. I don’t necessarily regret anything that happened. I want Salem to know that his birth was a positive experience, and I’m glad that he’s a happy healthy boy. I just want you, the reader, to not judge and base your decisions about birth based on my experience alone. Please know your facts and make your own decision, every person and every birth is unique.

Salem’s Birth Story

Here is a little background to set the mode of the birth story: I was working at Overstock.com and decided to take a leap of faith and quit work to stay home with the baby after he was born. I thought I was due August 30th, so by the first part of August I had already divvied out most of my job duties and was just doing busy work waiting out my final days. Although it was August, I didn’t have such a “terrible summer pregnancy” because I was in an air conditioned office, car & home every day.

Friends & family had thrown me showers so I felt somewhat ready to have this baby. At one shower, everyone guessed when the baby would be born, and my friend promised that she’d give the winner a prize. I participated as well, and happened to guess August 21st.

It was Wednesday August 20th and I was scheduled for my weekly OB/GYN appointment. I left work a little early to catch the last appointment of the day. Darrell met me there and after the standard OB/GYN waiting time, we went in for our check-up. The nurse did the usual thing, weighing & measuring me, including taking my blood pressure. After waiting a little longer, Dr. Gemmell came in for her 5 minute consultation.

She was concerned with my blood pressure, it was a little high. (Well what do you expect when you have to rush here straight from work, and climb a couple flights of stairs?) She had been watching my high blood pressure for the past few weeks (concerned about preeclampsia) and even had me take my blood pressure at home. At home I used my brother’s automatic blood pressure machine; it was always normal and not high. I didn’t quite believe the nurse’s blood pressure reading because a few times they took the blood pressure at the end of the appointment, after I had relaxed, and it was lower than when I had just gotten there.

Dr. Gemmell said that because my blood pressure was high and it put me at risk for preeclampsia, that I should just go ahead and induce labor. She looked at her schedule and said that we could be induced the following day. She also said “Let’s see…your due date was August 16th so...” I interupted “Uh, no I thought it was August 30th!” So still to this day I don’t know the real “due date” of Salem and I don’t know if he was “early” or “late!”

She left the room for a minute so Darrell and I could think about being induced and tell her our decision. I was in denial, could I really have this baby tomorrow? I’m not ready! This can’t be happening! Darrell, being calm yet excited, told me “Let’s have this baby tomorrow!” After a few more coaxes and realizing that I’d win the birth date guessing game I finally consented to being induced the following day on August 21st.

We talked to the doctor and we were supposed to check-in to the hospital tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM. I left the medical office and was just in awe. Oh boy, what am I in for?

I immediately went home and started getting everything ready (nesting instinct.) I even took a trip to Babies R Us to pick up a few last minute things. Darrell and I decided that we wouldn’t tell anyone that we’d be induced so that everyone would be surprised when we told them the baby was born. I talked to my mom that night and it was hard for me not to say anything, but I somehow managed to not let the cat out of the bag. (Or the baby out of the womb! :) Okay stupid pun…)

Thursday morning Darrell and I left for the hospital and I called my boss while enroute to tell her that I was going to the hospital. She hadn’t arrived to work yet, so I left a voice mail.

We checked in to the hospital and they got me gowned up, monitors on and ready to be induced. About 9:00 AM is when they gave me pitocin and my doctor came in to break my water. She said that she was going to the office and she’d check on me at the end of the day. (I thought she was kidding, of course I wouldn’t still be in labor by the end of the day. I’ll have this baby out in the next few hours for sure!)

After they broke my water, my belly looked very funny. It was no longer a basketball, it was a baby with skin on top, that’s when I knew that there was no turning back.

It didn’t take long for my mom to figure out where I was and we got a phone call. She said that she had been trying to call me at work and I wasn’t picking up the phone. After a few separate phone calls, my boss picked up my phone and answered “Heather’s phone…” My mom replied “Uh, may I speak to Heather?” Kamie told her that I hadn’t come in for work today and she didn’t know where I was. (Later I realized that Kamie is notorious for not checking her voicemail. After the baby was born I called her and she mentioned that she didn’t know where I was. I told her I had left her a voicemail and she said “Heath…you know me!” My co-workers, of course, figured out that I must be in labor and called around a couple of hospitals to find which one to send flowers to. They were beautiful, thank you!

Okay, okay, back to the birth story…

My doctor told me that I could get an epidural and any stage of my labor, so I figured the sooner the better. I got an epidural after I felt the first mild contraction. From then on, it was quite boring. The most painful thing for my whole labor ended up being the poke from the IV needle. Darrell was ready to be my “labor coach” but I really didn’t need anything so we just sat around.

My mom and John (step-dad) surprised us, and came to the hospital. I told them that there was no need for them to be here since I had the epidural and was just sitting around waiting. With my permission, they took Darrell out to lunch and stopped off at our house to pick up a few movies.

Darrell and I watched Steel Magnolias and Return to Me, two of my favorite movies. My mom stayed in the waiting room for most of the day and even had my sister Holly come after work and wait around. I felt bad because there was no need for them to sit there and wait for me.

Finally about 6:00 PM the nurses came in and said that I was progressing enough and nearing the end. My doctor came (yep, after her day at the office like she had said) and got me in position (convenient for her) to push. Darrell held one of my legs and a nurse held the other leg up in the air. A student doctor attended my birth also. At about 6:30 PM the doctor looked on the monitors for my contractions and told me when to push. I could barely feel myself pushing because of the epidural. The nurse holding my leg kept telling me “push push push push push” in a rhythmic tone that descended with each word. Darrell and I still laugh about that, and Salem loves to hear it too.

I pushed for a little while and then they gave me oxygen, it was hard work! I ended up pushing for an hour and Salem Wallace was born at 7:20 PM on August 21, 2003. 7 lbs 1 oz, 19 1/2 inches long. He came out a healthy boy and the moment I heard his little whimper I started crying because reality hit me that he was really my son! They laid him on my belly and my doctor quickly said “Dad, do you want to cut the cord?” Darrell and I didn’t really respond quickly to her question so she ended up cutting the cord. They covered him with blankets and brought him up higher to my chest for me to hold him. I was preparing myself for a newborn baby that could be blotchy with different colors etc, but he was beautiful!

After a few moments, Darrell took him to be weighed, measured and to get his foot prints (still in the same room.) I still had to push to get the placenta out and also noticed in the mirror that they were stitching me up. :( I had not known that my doctor did an episiotomy on me (both up and down) even though she had specifically said months prior that she almost never does them. (Yes I could have been the exception, but you never know. Most doctors could have waited that extra 5 minutes to let the cervix soften by itself.)

They brought Salem back over to me and my mom and family came into the room to meet him. My mom was very excited to see her first grandchild, and was especially glad that she was in Utah since she and John were currently was serving an LDS mission in Monterrey Mexico and was on “leave” for a few weeks to see the family.

I laid on the bed and the nurse helped me breastfeed Salem. He seemed to latch on okay but was quite tired. After a little bit of breastfeeding, Darrell took him to get his first bath while I ate some dinner. That food actually tasted really good, I was hungry! :)

They transferred me to the post maternity ward just as the nurses were changing shifts for the night. Darrell brought in Salem and he looked so different after his bath! His hair was so soft and he smelled good.

Darrell decided to go home for the night since he’d get a better night’s sleep in his own bed, so I said goodbye to him and then it was just me and my new baby. I didn’t really know what to do. This was my first baby plus I was the youngest child and didn’t really grow up being around too many babies, let alone a newborn.

Being the new naïve mom, I checked on him as he made every whimper. I even raised my bed as high as I could to stare at him eye-to-eye since his little bassinet was high for my bed. One nurse assistant came in to check my vitals and was shocked to see my bed so high and lowered my bed. An hour went by and I expected that the nurses would come in and tell me what to do or at least check in on me since I still had my IV. (This was the first time staying overnight in a hospital.) I pressed the nurse call and finally someone answered through the speaker. I said “Am I supposed to nurse my baby now?” She said “Yes, you can do that, go ahead.” So, I got Salem out of his little swaddling blankets and tried to nurse him by myself and it wasn’t working. He was just too tired & sleepy. I was getting frustrated that my baby would not latch-on and the nurses didn’t come in to help me. I was a post-partum emotional wreck and after trying numerous times to call the nurses I ended up calling Darrell at midnight to make him come back to the hospital to help me. I figured that he would come faster than the nurses. He was asleep and was very drowsy on the phone; he was trying to convince me that he didn’t need to come and that the nurses would be there shortly. Just as I was saying goodbye to him, the nurse finally came in.

After that , things started getting better. The nurses understood that they had an emotional first-time mom and a very sleepy baby that would not breastfeed. They tried many times to help Salem latch on to the breast, we even got him down to his diaper so that the coldness would wake him up a little. No budge. This little boy was tired and he wasn’t going to wake for anyone! :) Now I realize that his sleepiness was probably an effect of the epidural. I had the epidural way too soon and for way too long. (I didn’t think about the effects of an epidural on the postpartum baby when I had planned on an epidural months prior. My doctor also didn’t tell me any warnings or reasons behind waiting for a certain stage in the labor to administer the drug.)

Long story short, (though this is still quite long.) The next morning I had the hospital’s lactation consultatnt help me. We still couldn’t get him to wake up very much or latch on very well. She gave me an SNS and we finger fed him after trying to latch him on each time. The finger feeding was okay since it still helped him get used to skin to skin contact, but we still needed to get him nursing.

Many people came to see Salem on Friday and welcome him into the world. I was glad to see everyone. My doctor came to check on me and was surprised when she found out that I still had my IV until 8:00 AM the next day. The nurses were supposed to take it out when I got to the post maternity room. The student doctor came to visit and she said thank you for letting her attend the birth. She said it was great and that Dr. Gemmell was amazing under the circumstances. (Huh? What circumstances? Was this not a normal birth?)

We were scheduled to leave the hospital Saturday morning and by that time nursing still was not established. As a last resort, the lactation consultant gave me a nipple shield to use but warned me not to rely on it. The nipple shield seemed to do the trick. He was latching on, and actually nursing for a few minutes before he’d fall asleep.

We drove home with now three in our family. We put Salem in his crib and I went to bed. We had visitors that day, I was asleep for some of them and wasn’t woken up and I was awake for others. The next day (Sunday) Darrell wanted to take Salem to church with him and let me rest but I didn’t want Darrell to get all the glory :) I wanted to see the people’s faces when they first saw Salem too. So, our little family went to church at 9:00 AM. Everyone was happy yet shocked to see us there. I felt okay just as long as I was sitting but later I realized that I “over did it” those first few days at home. On Monday we visited both Darrell’s and my employer to show off Salem. That week Darrell stayed home with us to help and the next week Darrell was back at work and mom had also gone back to Mexico. Being a first-time stay-at-home mom was challenging and emotional but I loved Salem very much and was glad for the opportunity.

The nursing situation was still quite challenging. The first few days home I tried using the SNS for finger feeding as well as attaching it to the breast but it was just messy and frustrating. I was engorged on day 3 and ended up renting a hospital-grade pump to help establish my milk supply. I started using the nipple shield more and more and that seemed to be the best solution. I was very happy that I was breastfeeding him but I hated relying on the nipple shield. One time I was away from home and forgot the shield so I had to go home to nurse him. I was also told [wrong] information that the nipple shields were not good and that they decrease your milk supply. I learned later that it was a myth because 30 years ago nipple shields were made differently and not very good, but today they were made with silicone and shaped appropriately so they were not bad to use. The hardest part was weaning him from the shield. I’d try to latch him on then quickly yank it out but that turned into a mess.

I talked to a La Leche League leader and also went to a local La Leche League meetings. She suggested that I cut the shield every few days so that it gets smaller and smaller eventually small enough to just be my nipple and not the shield. The trick worked! After 6 long weeks, one night Salem was using the shield and it fell off and he sleepily latched on! Yeah! The next morning we were completely nursing and I was a happy camper. I even emailed my mom (on her mission) and said “I can see clearly now the rain is gone!”

I am thankful for the opportunity to mother Salem. I was the classic example of a naive first-time mom. And I hope that you have learned something from my experience. I shared a little more than just the birth story because a lot of times some of the detail doesn’t get known and then another mom will be having a similar experience thinking “I’m all alone!”

Salem, happy birthday! I love you to infinity!

We're even now...late-night math nerdiness

For months now, I had the idea of doing a particular blog post but I couldn't do it until after Darrell's birthday yet before Salem's birthday. Well, there's only one more day left so here goes...

We're even now...my small family is currently all even-numbered ages: 30,28,4,2. I've been doing some late-night math and figured that this will never happen again. Because of the months and years that we were born, and when you include the baby due in March, my family will never be all even-numbered ages again.

You'll laugh when you see this nerdy spreadsheet that I did. (You're thinking..."she's doing that at midnight instead of heading for bed?")



Okay, okay, goodnight! :)

Gift Stash

If you know me very well, you'll know that I'm the type that does Christmas & birthday shopping all year long. If I find a good gift for someone, I buy it and then store it in my gift stash.

Tonight I just got done going through my stash to see what I had gotten for Salem's 5th birthday. I knew of a few things so I wasn't worried but I had forgotten about other things and was excited that he'll be excited. :) I have to do this late at night so everyone is asleep and won't find out what I'm doing. I get so giddy just going through the presents and thinking about giving them to the person, it's like Christmas multiple times a year!

Vacation in Delta

Last weekend we went to Delta for a fun family vacation. Darrell's sister's in-laws live there so we went with Darrell's immediate family. The house is right on the shore of the reservoir. We slept in a tent (thanks John!) in their yard, went boating and played in the water & sand for 3 days.

This was a great way to celebrate Darrell's 30th birthday. I made a cake there and we celebrated with all 30 candles in the cake but we had a hard time lighting them because of the breeze.

Here are some pictures. We should have gathered for a big group picture but we didn't.

Happy 30th Darrell!

Darrell's birthday is Friday, he'll be 30 on 08-08-08! We will be away from a computer all Friday so I'm posting this early. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Here are 30 things I love about Darrell... (in no particular order.)
1. His Saturday night kisses (smooth and freshly shaved for Sunday morning.)
2. He can fix anything, if he doesn't know how, he just tries and does it anyway!
3. His testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, he's so valiant!
4. He serves everyone.
5. He doesn't complain.
6. He licks his lips while smiling when he talks about something funny someone said.
7. He plays the guitar and makes up cool songs.
8. His THICK hair.
9. His gorgeous blue eyes, I could stare into them all day.
10. He always "anxiously engaged" in a good cause, you sometimes can't keep him still.
11. He never replaces the toilet paper roll. I found that out quickly after we were married, he'll just get out a new roll and leave it on the counter. It would have started to bug me but I decided to just appreciate it and now I think it's cute every time I see and empty toilet paper roll. :) (I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, I think he's replaced it twice since we've been married.)
12. He takes off his shoes and/or socks each night and walks around rubbing his feet into the carpet to scratch them. One time we were visiting his parents and we realized that his father does the same thing too!
13. I think it's adorable when he conducts a meeting for church. I just beam with delight because he's so cute!
14. He has very shapely legs and slender ankles.
15. He's not too hairy but just hairy enough :).
16. He has a very high self esteem and encourages me to have one as well.
17. He prefers to drive when we're together. (I hate driving.)
18. He is such a fun Dad, the boys jump for joy when he gets home from work and they pray "please bless that we'll have a fun time with Daddy" whenever he gets to be home for a while with them.
19. He's extremely determined and dedicated. When his mind is made up, it's impossible to change.
20. He's frugal just like me. I don't have to worry that he'll go spend more than about $4 without talking to me about it.
21. He's a "go-getter" and always is getting things done.
22. He's also a "go-to man." Often times people ask him for help since he knows what to do.
23. I love watching movies with him. He finds humor in parts that I never would have, and he even puts up with my annoying questions like "What happened? What did he say?" When he hasn't seen the movie either. (Yeah, I'm one of "those" people.)
24. He is an amazing cook, chef, baker. He can turn anything into delicious food. His neighbors when he was growing up (the Campbell's) said that their kids would complain that there would be nothing in the house but condiments, then Darrell would come along and make some concoction and it would actually look good! :)
25. He knows his scriptures even with his eyes closed. There have been many times that we'll be reading the scriptures together as a couple and while I'm reading he's listening and corrects me on a scripture when he's not even looking at the page! Then when he reads, he'll sometimes deviate from the passage and make something up to ensure I'm still listening!
26. He's such an easy-going guy. He makes mountains into mole hills and doesn't worry about anything. He just trusts the Lord to help him through; wow, what faith!
27. He uses at least 6 pillows to sleep with every night. Two in front, one body pillow in the back, one under his head, one on top of his head, and one for his arm. He has grown accustomed to it and "can't sleep" without that pillow configuration. He's so funny, yet cute.
28. He stays physically fit by riding his bike or running.
29. He can't wait for my birthday or Christmas, he always gives me my present early and it's usually unwrapped since he figures I'll find out or something. Though, last year for Christmas he wrapped them and put them under the tree and "kept my ground" to open them on Christmas even though he coaxed me to open them every day for weeks before Christmas.
30. Last but not least, I love that he loves me so much! Thank you for bringing so much happiness into my life, I love you Darrell Wallace!

Yogurt - Put a little culture in your life

Did you know that yogurt is extremely easy to make at home? I found out how to make yogurt by reading the book Super Baby Food when Salem was a baby. I made it once for him then found out he was allergic to the milk protein so I stopped making yogurt. (I could have used soy milk, but I didn't think it was as cost effective.) Now that Oaklen and Salem enjoy yogurt, I have started making it again. The price of a gallon of milk has gone up but it's still cheaper than buying yogurt. Plus, you control what goes in there.

In the book that I mentioned above, the author takes a couple of pages explaining how to make yogurt, there are many different ways or preferences, but here is my summary.

Homemade Yogurt

Things you'll need:
* Milk - You can use any kind of milk - skim, 1%, 2%, whole, resubstituted dry milk, diluted evaporated, cow's , soy, goat's, whatever.
* Candy (or Yogurt) Thermometer - Look for one that goes down to 100 degrees and goes at least to 185 degrees
* Starter - This can just be 2 Tbsp of already-made yogurt (make sure it says "live and active cultures"), or you can buy freeze dried bacteria culture at a natural foods store.
* Saucepan with water
* Clean quart glass jar
* A Place to "incubate" the yogurt - A warm place around 90 - 115 degrees F. I use a thermos, or wrap the jar in a towel and stick it on my back porch. You can also use an oven, heating pad, the sun, whatever.
* Sterilized spoon - I just get a clean/hot one from the dishwasher, or you can sterilize it in the boiling water.

Step 1 - Sterilize the milk to kill all bacteria
1. Pour a quart of milk into a clean glass mayonnaise jar.
2. Nest the jar into a saucepan on the stove top with water that comes halfway up the side of the jar. Put a yogurt thermometer into the milk (not the water) and bring milk to 185 degrees F.
3. From refrigerator , remove the starter (yogurt) and set aside 2 Tbsp in a bowl to let it come to room temperature while the milk is scalding and cooling.
4. Milk needs to rise to 185 degrees F.
(This takes about 25 minutes for me.)

Step 2 - Cool the milk to the incubation temperature for growing yogurt.
1. After milk is 185 degrees F, remove from saucepan and place in the refrigerator to cool.
2. Set your timer for 45 minutes to check on the yogurt. The yogurt needs to cool to 115 degrees F. (I usually have to let it sit there for almost an hour, but it's good to check it at the 45 minute mark.)

(Don't do what I did one time. I put the jar on the counter with an ice pack underneath. The ice pack got warmer and tipped the jar. I came in the kitchen and saw that the whole jar of milk spilled everywhere! I told myself that I wouldn't cry over spilled milk. :)

Step 3 - Introduce friendly yogurt bacteria (the starter) into the milk.
1. When the milk is 115 degrees, remove the jar from the fridge and add the 2 Tbsp of starter (yogurt.) (If you used skim milk you can optionally add dry milk powder to make the yogurt more thick and also add more nutrition.)

Step 4 - Let the yogurt bacteria incubate.
1. Put in a warm place between 90 - 115 degrees F. Do not let get too cool or too hot, keep it within those temperatures.
2. The yogurt will be finished after several hours (anywhere from 4-12 hours, the times will vary depending on how or where you incubated the yogurt.)

Step 5 - Refrigerate the finished yogurt
1. To test if it's done, touch the top with your clean finger and see if it's thick and pudding-like. It will also thicken a little when in the refrigerator. The longer you let it incubate the more tart the flavor.
2. At this point you can flavor it if you'd like, or just put in the fridge as plain yogurt.

Step 6 - Enjoy!
My boys eat the yogurt plain. I like to cut up fruit and add uncooked oatmeal and ground flaxseed for a good breakfast. I've also mixed some jam into the yogurt for a flavored yogurt snack. You can also use yogurt as a substitute in recipes for buttermilk, sour cream or mayonnaise.

*********
Why should you eat yogurt? Here is what Dr. Sears has to say:
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/t045700.asp

10 REASONS YOGURT IS A TOP HEALTH FOOD

1. Yogurt is easier to digest than milk. Many people who cannot tolerate milk, either because of a protein allergy or lactose intolerance, can enjoy yogurt. The culturing process makes yogurt more digestible than milk. The live active cultures create lactase, the enzyme lactose-intolerant people lack, and another enzyme contained in some yogurts (beta-galactosidase) also helps improve lactose absorption in lactase-deficient persons. Bacterial enzymes created by the culturing process, partially digest the milk protein casein, making it easier to absorb and less allergenic. In our pediatric practice, we have observed that children who cannot tolerate milk can often eat yogurt without any intestinal upset. While the amount varies among brands of yogurt, in general, yogurt has less lactose than milk. The culturing process has already broken down the milk sugar lactose into glucose and galactose, two sugars that are easily absorbed by lactose-intolerant persons.

2. Yogurt contributes to colon health. There's a medical truism that states: "You're only as healthy as your colon." When eating yogurt, you care for your colon in two ways. First, yogurt contains lactobacteria, intestines-friendly bacterial cultures that foster a healthy colon, and even lower the risk of colon cancer. Lactobacteria, especially acidophilus, promotes the growth of healthy bacteria in the colon and reduces the conversion of bile into carcinogenic bile acids. The more of these intestines-friendly bacteria that are present in your colon, the lower the chance of colon diseases. Basically, the friendly bacteria in yogurt seems to deactivate harmful substances (such as nitrates and nitrites before they are converted to nitrosamines) before they can become carcinogenic.

Secondly, yogurt is a rich source of calcium - a mineral that contributes to colon health and decreases the risk of colon cancer. Calcium discourages excess growth of the cells lining the colon, which can place a person at high risk for colon cancer. Calcium also binds cancer-producing bile acids and keeps them from irritating the colon wall. People that have diets high in calcium (e.g. Scandinavian countries) have lower rates of colorectal cancer. One study showed that an average intake of 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day is associated with a 75 percent reduction of colorectal cancer. As a survivor of colon cancer, I have a critical interest in the care of my colon. My life depends on it.

3. Yogurt improves the bioavailability of other nutrients. Culturing of yogurt increases the absorption of calcium and B-vitamins. The lactic acid in the yogurt aids in the digestion of the milk calcium, making it easier to absorb.

4. Yogurt can boost immunity. Researchers who studied 68 people who ate two cups of live-culture yogurt daily for three months found that these persons produced higher levels of immunity boosting interferon. The bacterial cultures in yogurt have also been shown to stimulate infection-fighting white cells in the bloodstream. Some studies have shown yogurt cultures to contain a factor that has anti-tumor effects in experimental animals.

NUTRITIP: Yogurt - Good for Young and Old Yogurt is a valuable health food for both infants and elderly persons. For children, it is a balanced source of protein, fats, carbohydrates, and minerals in a texture that kids love. For senior citizens, who usually have more sensitive colons or whose intestines have run out of lactase, yogurt is also a valuable food. Elderly intestines showed declining levels of bifidus bacteria, which allow the growth of toxin-producing and, perhaps, cancer-causing bacteria.

5. Yogurt aids healing after intestinal infections. Some viral and allergic gastrointestinal disorders injure the lining of the intestines, especially the cells that produce lactase. This results in temporary lactose malabsorption problems. This is why children often cannot tolerate milk for a month or two after an intestinal infection. Yogurt, however, because it contains less lactose and more lactase, is usually well-tolerated by healing intestines and is a popular "healing food" for diarrhea. Many pediatricians recommend yogurt for children suffering from various forms of indigestion. Research shows that children recover faster from diarrhea when eating yogurt. It's good to eat yogurt while taking antibiotics. The yogurt will minimize the effects of the antibiotic on the friendly bacteria in the intestines.

NUTRITIP: A Chaser for Antibiotics Antibiotics kill not only harmful bacteria; they also kill the healthy ones in the intestines. The live bacterial cultures in yogurt can help replenish the intestines with helpful bacteria before the harmful ones take over. I usually "prescribe" a daily dose of yogurt while a person is taking antibiotics and for two weeks thereafter.

A 1999 study reported in Pediatrics showed that lactobacillus organisms can reduce antibiotic-associated diarrhea.

6. Yogurt can decrease yeast infections. Research has shown that eating eight ounces of yogurt that contains live and active cultures daily reduces the amount of yeast colonies in the vagina and decreases the incidence of vaginal yeast infections.

7. Yogurt is a rich source of calcium. An 8-ounce serving of most yogurts provides 450 mg. of calcium, one-half of a child's RDA and 30 to 40 percent of the adult RDA for calcium. Because the live-active cultures in yogurt increase the absorption of calcium, an 8-ounce serving of yogurt gets more calcium into the body than the same volume of milk can.

8. Yogurt is an excellent source of protein. Plain yogurt contains around ten to fourteen grams of protein per eight ounces, which amounts to twenty percent of the daily protein requirement for most persons. In fact, eight ounces of yogurt that contains live and active cultures, contains 20 percent more protein than the same volume of milk (10 grams versus 8 grams). Besides being a rich source of proteins, the culturing of the milk proteins during fermentation makes these proteins easier to digest. For this reason, the proteins in yogurt are often called "predigested."

9. Yogurt can lower cholesterol. There are a few studies that have shown that yogurt can reduce the blood cholesterol. This may be because the live cultures in yogurt can assimilate the cholesterol or because yogurt binds bile acids, (which has also been shown to lower cholesterol), or both.

10. Yogurt is a "grow food." Two nutritional properties of yogurt may help children with intestinal absorption problems grow: the easier digestibility of the proteins and the fact that the lactic acid in yogurt increases the absorption of minerals. And even most picky-eaters will eat yogurt in dips and smoothies and as a topping.

Perhaps we can take a health tip about yogurt cultures from cultures who consume a lot of yogurt, such as the Bulgarians who are noted for their longer lifespan and remain in good health well into old age.

Bunk mates

Oaklen & Salem are now roommates and are enjoying their new bunk bed! A friend of ours gave us this bunk bed a while ago and this weekend we were able to set it up. I'm thankful that we were able to fit it up our narrow stairwell, and that the bed wasn't too high for the shorter/slanted ceiling.

The boys have really loved it thus far. Oaklen is still getting used to actually sleeping in it, not just playing on it. Last night Darrell and I said goodnight to both of them and Salem started singing lullabies to Oaklen. After he'd finish a song, Oaklen would say "yeah!" Later Oaklen got upset and figured out that Mom & Dad weren't there. We went back in the room to reassure him that he was okay and we all stared at the color-changing night light to distract him. Oaklen slept on his new orange sheets (his favorite color) all the way until 6:15 AM! (That is really good for him, he's a turkey when it comes to sleeping.) At 6:15 he came into my room and woke me up to get a drink of water and we all went back to bed until 7:45 AM. My little boys are growing up!

Salem's swimming

Salem just finished his two weeks of swimming lessons. We went over to Fairmont pool everyday after lunch. Oaklen and I watched him play and learn how to float on his back. He had fun, here are some pics.