Guess who learned how to use tags!

After about a year of blogging, I finally learned how to use the freakin' tags. So I'm currently "cleaning house" to make sure everything is properly tagged and categorized.

It'll be like a REAL blog now!

Reasearching Japan

Because of my passion for natural birth, breastfeeding, etc, I have started researching Japan's views on all of this to see how our baby might enter in this world. Are they like China, with a 50% C-section rate? Do they only formula feed or do they encourage breast milk? What is their prenatal care like?


Breastfeeding
http://www.llli.org/NB/NBSepOct03p181.html

According to Le Leche Group, Japan seems to be more similar to the US (due to our influence from WW2) with regards to formula vs breast milk. They reintroduced the breast back in the 70's but there's still many who think the bottle is better.

I also found this table from Japan's Ministry of Health that shows a survey performed of women who exclusively breastfed, formula fed, and did a mixture of both:
http://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/database/db-hw/babies02/12.html

Surprisingly, in this 2005 study, it seems that more people did a mix, then breastfed, and formula fed exclusively last. But the difference between Breast feeding only and formula feeding only is large. (This makes me feel better.)

Infant Mortality
These numbers, collected again from the Ministry of Health, about infant mortality seem do have a direct correlation with Le Leche Group's historical account when Western Medicine came to Japan.

http://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/database/db-hw/report/3.html

Infant mortality was sky high in the 1950's and have since drastically decreased.

...

And in my research I came across this piece of a vital stat in the Ministry's website:
Table 2. Trends in live births and percent distribution by legitimate child and
illegitimate child, 1992-2006

http://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/database/db-hw/report/1.html

It then goes on to document the nationalities of these parents, which I thought was severely interesting... (hence why it wasn't put in it's own header).

...

My research isn't done, so come on back for more later!

Realizing that changes seriously need to be made

I can't beat myself up too much here because I am taking on a full load at school, working my rear off at the office, and trying to still be social and active, however our lives need some major spring cleaning if we're planning on a baby.

Our house needs a SERIOUS deep clean. Like scrubbed floors/walls/cabinets, windows, etc. Every crack and crevice needs to be attacked. We walk in the house and it smells gnarly. I know it doesn't help that we have 4 animals contributing to the chaos, but seriously ICK!

My allergies are suffering because of this, too, and it makes me cringe to think about a baby in here.

I'm surprised we don't have permanent residents in our kitchen (i.e. mice or other creepy crawlies).

If you walked into my house you probably wouldn't see things as I do. You'd say something like "Oh, pfsh! M. it's not as bad as you're making it out to be. It's fine!" But truth of the matter, it's not fine. It's disgusting and it makes me sad that I am not able to dedicate the time we need to this house that will be our first child's home.

On top of that, S. and I really need to start getting a schedule in order. We need to maximize our efficiency at work so he's not taking so much work home (as he's been doing), which opens up "family time." I'm having nightmares about this continuing on as I'm playing with our baby and he's on the computer working away our baby's childhood.

But as for good news, we've been through about a month+ of scheduling our meals (we had a rough week a little while back). We're cooking at home more and it's way healthier. We haven't brought in any red-meat to our house since then, either. It's either tofu, ground turkey, chicken, or some kind of fish. It's great!

Hellllllloooooooo home study!

So in the middle of our hectic Monday back in the office, S. says "hey you see we got our home study yet?" Me: "no, COOL!" So I did one read through, went back to work trying to calm the crazy, then I went back to it and did a happy dance in my chair.

IT'S HERE! We only have a couple more items to check off and we're ready to be chosen by a birth mother. :)

My best guesstimate is that we'll be 'available' as parents around end of August/beginning of September.

So excited! Now back to work I go. :)

Adoption in the news: Russian boy sent back alone

So I know there's probably a lot more to the story than we're being told, but given what we have, this woman has some serious issues. I can not get this story out of my head. My heart breaks for families waiting for their children from Russia, who won't be coming home now and my soul is angered that a woman would do this to her child.

Our food and what it means to our health

S. and I started our journey to eating better and more wisely about a year ago. Then, we watched Food Inc. (click for my review) and we really started to question things.

Our food is no longer food and it's disgusting.

A while back ago S. read an article (that we couldn't find, but I found others) stating that apples in a supermarket are normally kept in cold storage for up to a year. These apples are disgusting, grainy, mushy, and sealed with a waxy buildup so it looks pretty to the consumer. EW. Perfect Apple Pushed Growers Into DebtNY Times, Nov. 2000.


Today he found another article that discussed how "fresh squeezed OJ" from the store is no different than the cheap concentrated stuff. And more than realizing there isn't a difference (ew) this article, from Cook's Illustrated, goes into detail about how these juices are made. It's enough to make me make my own, thankyouverymuch. High-end orange juices claim to taste better and fresher than ordinary not-from-concentrates. At twice the price, are they a sweet deal?Cooks Illustrated, March 1, 2008.

Ready to get back on the train.

I finally had my moment. My moment of mourning and release. After 5 months of highs ad lows of struggling with no pregnancy, learning of infertility, and then to an amazing high of deciding to adopt, I finally cried. I actually bawled. I hadn't cried like that in a long time and it felt amazing.

I don't know why my body wouldn't let me mourn, wouldn't let me feel anything. "I'm fine", was all I ever said to anyone. I felt fine, but there was something brewing deep down that I didn't know about until recently.

Looking back on other difficult issues in my life, I realize that that is how I deal with things, I guess. I feel I need to be the one to help others, I have to be the strong one, they need to cry, they need to let it all out, they need the shoulder. And it isn't until months later that my moment is released.

Anyway, I took a break from conceiving. It was much needed. But now I'm feeling ready to get back on and get back at it. Our chances are incredibly slim, but with Jesus, all things are possible.