I edited the longer clip, VERY dark, I deleted the commentary..this is for the relatives to see! I will work on better quality I promise! Watch closely the 4-5steps are the darkest (or course) and happen close to the beginning. Shows you how determined Parker is!!
I fixed yesterday's videos too, this is what happens when you don't "check your work" LOL.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Baby Steps
it has been a BIG few weeks in our house!!! I haven't had time to post, but here are our MAJOR milestones!! STRAW drinking!! And I don't mean a sip, we can do an entire cup with no issues!! As many of you will remember this has been a challenge, Parker has been able to straw drink since 14months, but would only take 1-2 sips and then spit the liquids out. We tried every technique, had eval after eval to only be told he had no issues with his lip closure, tongue thrust, or swallowing, just that he was "stubborn." Gee, why am I not surprised? But, a few weeks ago when presented he drank the drink in its entirety!! Talk about the joy of the small things...we never used bottles w/Parker, so this is BIG! Let's just say we love the new independence! Bigger news....he's walking!!! Each day we make strides and we aren't perfect by any means, but it is walking! This clip is of last week when he started standing up everywhere unassisted. It was funny, when I first noticed him doing it, I was cooking in the kitchen, he was behind me practicing over and over again. He only takes one step in the clip , but trying to get a video is next to impossible! I have a 3minute one with 6 steps, but the commentary is typical of our crazy household and the color terrible. I will work towards a better internet worthy video for the masses. Again, who knew this would take 8 long months!! He began pulling up at 14months and started cruising shortly after. Everyone knows we have pushed cross pattern crawling with him for brain organization, but let's admit it, it is hard when all people do is ask if he's walking! WHEW!!! What is interesting is he went from one step to multiple steps, so it seems now that he's "got it" he will move quickly into a full on run (we hope or not)! clip 2 shows how fast he can crawl, no wonder the child has taken so long to walk, he's speedy! People always comment on how FAST he is! And I really don't think Mallory meant to hit him w/the ball, but listen to Parker laugh when she does!
Parker had the privilege of doing a photo shoot for a photographer trying to take her photos of DS kids National. Here is his premier. He is also being used in the DSRTF direct mail piece for fundraising. That I will save for another post, they are doing some fantastic things to raise funds for DS cognitive research, if you haven't already, go to their site and get connected. www.dsrtf.org All for now,
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
No wonder the days seem so short..
This post isn't to complain, nor is it to make people feel sorry for us...I keep feeling like I don't have a minute to myself and the days are over before they begin. So I sat down to figure out where I am going wrong...I'm in a quest to shed our lives of the unnecessary and be sure the priorities get completed each day. Here is a snapshot of the last two weeks, interestingly I could take any 2 weeks and they'd look the same..all of these appts are for Parker ONLY..
6 visits to therapy - 1 hour appts, 40-50 minute commute roundtrip
8 visits to Drs - specialists, pedi, holistic MDs, naturopaths, osteopath-average length of visit - 1.5 hours, again 40-50minute roundtrip commute on EACH visit
2 visits to nutritionists - 1.5 hour visits
1 feeding evaluation - 2 hour eval - 40 minute commute
1 trip to lab for bloodwork - 1 hour, at least 10 mile commute
Add in after school activities for the other three kids, practice, games, and homework and NO WONDER I get nothing done! Parker's ND program takes at least 1.5 each day, add in one nap, cooking dinner too...
Oh, and for the most part about 15% of these visits are covered by insurance. And the ones that are require me to spend at least an hour a day fighting to get reimbursed correctly. Which leaves very minimal time to get work done (double edged sword since all of this costs a LOT of $$) except for early hours and late evenings.
So, please forgive me if I don't respond to your calls or emails promptly or if I totally "flake out" sometimes. I know this is a BIG change as I always was on time (early even) and the first to respond. I love each and every one of you so much, but need your grace these days. Family has to come first(right after Christ) and meeting their needs is my top priority!
I'm posting this for other Moms experiencing the same things, know you aren't alone!
Sorry no pics this post either..no time for pics, promise next post, PICS!!!
XO
6 visits to therapy - 1 hour appts, 40-50 minute commute roundtrip
8 visits to Drs - specialists, pedi, holistic MDs, naturopaths, osteopath-average length of visit - 1.5 hours, again 40-50minute roundtrip commute on EACH visit
2 visits to nutritionists - 1.5 hour visits
1 feeding evaluation - 2 hour eval - 40 minute commute
1 trip to lab for bloodwork - 1 hour, at least 10 mile commute
Add in after school activities for the other three kids, practice, games, and homework and NO WONDER I get nothing done! Parker's ND program takes at least 1.5 each day, add in one nap, cooking dinner too...
Oh, and for the most part about 15% of these visits are covered by insurance. And the ones that are require me to spend at least an hour a day fighting to get reimbursed correctly. Which leaves very minimal time to get work done (double edged sword since all of this costs a LOT of $$) except for early hours and late evenings.
So, please forgive me if I don't respond to your calls or emails promptly or if I totally "flake out" sometimes. I know this is a BIG change as I always was on time (early even) and the first to respond. I love each and every one of you so much, but need your grace these days. Family has to come first(right after Christ) and meeting their needs is my top priority!
I'm posting this for other Moms experiencing the same things, know you aren't alone!
Sorry no pics this post either..no time for pics, promise next post, PICS!!!
XO
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Curcumin
Today's post is about curcumin...Parker is on several supplements, but curcumin continues to show benefits for all of us. I've started taking it as well, don't get me wrong, I'm not encouraging you to run to GNC or Whole Foods and buy tons of supplements and do believe if you CAN get them from food sources it is always best, but who can possibly eat pure all the time? This is a MUST do supplement as far as I'm concerned, but be forewarned the "yellow kitchen" syndrome is true, it stains everything, fingernails too. Google benefits of curcumin and see for yourself, I've given a quick summary(Dr Mercola) below:
"Curcumin—One of the BEST Supplements for Many Cancers Too!
....If you want to use curcumin to prevent stroke I believe your best strategy is to use it as a food in the form of turmeric. However if you have a severe illness, like cancer, then it is best to use it as a drug at a much higher dose as described below.
Dr. William LaValley from Austin Texas is one of the top natural medicine cancer physicians I know and he recently shared this important information on curcumin, which has the most evidence based literature for use as a cancer support than any other nutrient.
Curcumin affects more than 100 different pathways once it gets into the cell. Interestingly this also includes the metabolite of curcumin and its derivatives, which are also anti-cancer. Best of all, curcumin appears to be safe in the treatment of all cancers.
In India where turmeric is widely used, the prevalence of four common U.S. cancers -- colon, breast, prostate and lung -- is 10 times lower. In fact, prostate cancer, which is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in U.S. men, is rare in India and this is attributed, in part, to the curcumin in turmeric.
Numerous studies have looked into this potential cancer-fighting link, with promising results. For instance, curcumin has been found to:
•Inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells
•Inhibit the transformation of cells from normal to tumor
•Help your body destroy mutated cancer cells so they cannot spread throughout your body
•Decrease inflammation
•Enhance liver function
•Inhibit the synthesis of a protein thought to be instrumental in tumor formation
•Prevent the development of additional blood supply necessary for cancer cell growth
And, according to researchers from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, curcumin blocks a key biological pathway needed for development of melanoma and other cancers.
The spice actually stops laboratory strains of melanoma from proliferating and pushes the cancer cells to die by shutting down nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB), a powerful protein known to induce abnormal inflammatory response that leads to an assortment of disorders such as arthritis and cancer.
To get the full benefits that curcumin has to offer, you will want to look for a turmeric extract with at least 95 percent curcuminoids that contains only 100 percent certified organic ingredients.
The formula should be free of fillers, additives and excipients (a substance added to the supplement as a processing or stability aid), and the manufacturer should use safe production practices at all stages: planting, cultivation, selective harvesting, and then producing and packaging the final product.
Details on How to Use Curcumin
The unfortunate challenge at this time is that good formulations of curcumin to use in cancer still aren't available. This is because relatively high doses are required and curcumin is not absorbed that well. Typical anticancer doses are up to three grams of good bioavailable curcmin extract, three to four times a day.
One work-around for this is to use curcumin powder and make a microemulsion of it by combining a tablespoon of the powder and mixing it into 1-2 egg yolks, and a teaspoon or two of melted coconut oil. Then use a high-speed hand blender to emulsify the powder.
Another strategy to increase absorption is to put one tablespoon of the curcumin powder into a quart of boiling water. It must be boiling when you add the powder as it will not work as well if you put it in room temperature water and then heat the water with the curcumin already in it. After boiling it for 10 minutes, you will have created a 12 percent solution, which you can drink once it has cooled down. The curcumin will gradually fall out of solution over time and in about six hours it will be a 6 percent solution, so it is best to drink the water within four hours. It does have a woody taste.
One caution to know is that you want to avoid the "yellow kitchen" syndrome. Curcumin is a very potent yellow pigment and can permanently discolor surfaces if you aren't careful."
"Curcumin—One of the BEST Supplements for Many Cancers Too!
....If you want to use curcumin to prevent stroke I believe your best strategy is to use it as a food in the form of turmeric. However if you have a severe illness, like cancer, then it is best to use it as a drug at a much higher dose as described below.
Dr. William LaValley from Austin Texas is one of the top natural medicine cancer physicians I know and he recently shared this important information on curcumin, which has the most evidence based literature for use as a cancer support than any other nutrient.
Curcumin affects more than 100 different pathways once it gets into the cell. Interestingly this also includes the metabolite of curcumin and its derivatives, which are also anti-cancer. Best of all, curcumin appears to be safe in the treatment of all cancers.
In India where turmeric is widely used, the prevalence of four common U.S. cancers -- colon, breast, prostate and lung -- is 10 times lower. In fact, prostate cancer, which is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in U.S. men, is rare in India and this is attributed, in part, to the curcumin in turmeric.
Numerous studies have looked into this potential cancer-fighting link, with promising results. For instance, curcumin has been found to:
•Inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells
•Inhibit the transformation of cells from normal to tumor
•Help your body destroy mutated cancer cells so they cannot spread throughout your body
•Decrease inflammation
•Enhance liver function
•Inhibit the synthesis of a protein thought to be instrumental in tumor formation
•Prevent the development of additional blood supply necessary for cancer cell growth
And, according to researchers from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, curcumin blocks a key biological pathway needed for development of melanoma and other cancers.
The spice actually stops laboratory strains of melanoma from proliferating and pushes the cancer cells to die by shutting down nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB), a powerful protein known to induce abnormal inflammatory response that leads to an assortment of disorders such as arthritis and cancer.
To get the full benefits that curcumin has to offer, you will want to look for a turmeric extract with at least 95 percent curcuminoids that contains only 100 percent certified organic ingredients.
The formula should be free of fillers, additives and excipients (a substance added to the supplement as a processing or stability aid), and the manufacturer should use safe production practices at all stages: planting, cultivation, selective harvesting, and then producing and packaging the final product.
Details on How to Use Curcumin
The unfortunate challenge at this time is that good formulations of curcumin to use in cancer still aren't available. This is because relatively high doses are required and curcumin is not absorbed that well. Typical anticancer doses are up to three grams of good bioavailable curcmin extract, three to four times a day.
One work-around for this is to use curcumin powder and make a microemulsion of it by combining a tablespoon of the powder and mixing it into 1-2 egg yolks, and a teaspoon or two of melted coconut oil. Then use a high-speed hand blender to emulsify the powder.
Another strategy to increase absorption is to put one tablespoon of the curcumin powder into a quart of boiling water. It must be boiling when you add the powder as it will not work as well if you put it in room temperature water and then heat the water with the curcumin already in it. After boiling it for 10 minutes, you will have created a 12 percent solution, which you can drink once it has cooled down. The curcumin will gradually fall out of solution over time and in about six hours it will be a 6 percent solution, so it is best to drink the water within four hours. It does have a woody taste.
One caution to know is that you want to avoid the "yellow kitchen" syndrome. Curcumin is a very potent yellow pigment and can permanently discolor surfaces if you aren't careful."
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