Fun on the Fourth

We spent the holiday weekend at Eric's parents' place in Utah. My parents joined us for the trip, so Violet enjoyed the attention of all her grandparents at once for a few days. She quickly trained them to sing "so big!" in unison on the cue of her upraised arms - a performance that eventually included most of the other friends and family who were in attendance for the Fourth of July festivities.

Before the fireworks began, we introduced Violet to another summertime classic: the sprinkler. She's not quite ready to run through it, but with her Dada to steady her she was able to get into it, and her cousin Giacomo was happy to do the running for both of them. Meanwhile, I was happy to keep my distance from the freezing cold water and fire off a few photos of those brave enough to immerse themselves in it.

A few more photos from the weekend:

And the new, super-cheesy smile that just showed up that weekend:

Working Toward Becoming BPA-Free: This Stuff's Not Just in Your Water Bottle

Of course becoming parents changed our lives. Who knew it would also change our water bottles? But our increasing awareness of risks associated with exposure to BPA (inspired, of course, by Violet) led us to do exactly that. Our Nalgene bottles have been replaced by shiny new Siggs (non-leaching aluminum water bottles), and that was just the beginning.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial chemical used to make polycarbonate plastic resins (all number 7 plastics are polycarbonate and contain BPA), epoxy resins, and other products. Numerous studies have shown BPA to cause serious health effects, including cancer, diabetes, infertility, and behavior disorders, even at low doses. Mainstream media has covered the growing concerns over BPA and other toxins (like PVC and pthalates) in plastic - particularly plastic water bottles and baby bottles - extensively as of late. What isn't discussed as often are the other common items contaminated by BPA: for example, baby formula, canned food, and dental sealants.

According to Center for Disease Control (CDC) data, people are routinely exposed to unsafe levels of BPA from such sources. Not surprisingly, babies and children are the most vulnerable; their bodies' immature detoxification systems allow increased exposure to BPA which, according to the National Toxicology Program (NTP) brief on BPA could impact developing reproductive systems, hastening puberty and even leading to breast/prostate cancer, and affect behavior in children. It's scary stuff, and probably can't be avoided entirely, but there are alternatives to many of the major offenders.

Baby bottles. Most plastic baby bottles contain BPA, which is of particular concern because heating items containing BPA has been shown to increase the rate at which it leaches from the plastic by 55 times. Canada has actually banned baby bottles containing BPA from the market there. We have always used glass Evenflo bottles for Violet, but I understand there are BPA-free plastic bottles out there, too.

Sippy cups/water bottles. Most plastic sippy cups also contain BPA. Though Violet is still figuring out the sippy cups thing, her choices are BPA-free: a Safe Sippy and a Thinkbaby trainer cup. Other good options we intend to explore for her: Kleen Kanteen and a Sigg kid's bottle. Both Kleen Kanteen and Sigg make BPA-free water bottles for big people too (stainless steel and aluminum, respectively).

Food storage containers. Toxins in plastic food storage containers may leach into the food inside. This, too, is more likely if the container is heated, but even ordinary use and washing is sufficient to break down the plastic and allow leaching to occur. We avoid all number 7 plastics for our food storage, and all of Violet's food is kept and heated in glass. We're working toward replacing the rest of our Tupperware and Rubbermaid containers with glass storage pieces like Pyrex as well.

Canned food. Though the public eye has been focused recently on our exposure to BPA from plastic, BPA is also found in the lining of metal cans, where it leaches into the food or drink inside; independent studies have shown that exposure to BPA from such sources is significant. The EWG tested 97 canned foods and found that of all the foods tested, chicken soup, infant formula and ravioli had the most concerning levels of BPA: “Just one to three servings of foods with these concentrations could expose a woman or child to BPA at levels that caused serious adverse effects in animal tests.”

Though fresh, whole foods are always our first choice, we do rely on certain canned food staples like beans and tomatoes. Where other forms of items like these (for example, dried beans) aren't available or practical, we've switched to Eden Organic for almost all of our canned goods - they package their foods in a BPA-free can.

Dental sealant. Yes, that mysterious substance most of us have somewhere in our mouths contains BPA. And it's leaching out into our heads. What to do about that is less clear, as there don’t appear to be any safer options available for treating cavities. In a recent discussion with my dentist on the subject, I managed to talk my way out of a filling and into a crown. I guess that’s one way to avoid additional exposure to BPA, but I’m not sure I’d recommend it.

It's Official!

Kristin and Mat are married! It was a whirlwind weekend of wedding activities: Mom and I hosted Kristin's shower on Friday, Mat's mom put on a huge rehearsal dinner that same night, and Saturday my sister and her man got hitched. The events were celebrated with family from all sides and from all over, many of whom were meeting Violet for the first time. Violet, of course, charmed them all, but it was her second cousin Paige who forged a special connection with her as soon as they met. We look forward to getting those two back together soon.

Weddings are ultimately all about family. And as I said in my (teary) toast, Mat was really a part of ours long before the ceremony took place. But we couldn't be happier about making it official. Congratulations, Kristin and Mat! We love you guys.

The Beginning of Beautiful Friendship

These two are going to be trouble.

Dada

Violet lights up every time she sees him, whether he's been at work or just in the next room. He taught her to play peek-a-boo, give a high five, and play her tiny drum (we might regret this later). And he's just getting started.

He is my perfect partner in parenting, as in life. He has given himself over to fatherhood wholeheartedly, embracing everything from the art of the tiny manicure to the latest literature on vaccination reactions. And he makes our daughter smile wider than anyone else can.

Happy Father's Day, Dada. We love you.

Attachment Parenting Is Keeping Us Up at Night: Why We Haven't Gone the Cry-It-Out Route

Violet has never been much inclined toward sleep. A standard stretch usually won't exceed four hours, and more frequent waking (like every hour) is far from unheard of in our house. As a result, Eric and I have yet to get a solid night's sleep in the last 10 months.

We have marveled at the discovery that our bodies (and our minds - though arguably to a lesser extent) can continue to function on just a few inconsecutive hours of rest a night, but that doesn't make it any less painful. And yet, each night, when we hear her cry, we stumble once more to her side to soothe her or bring her back to our bed.

Mainstream American parenting culture tells us that she should be sleeping through the night by now. A common approach to accomplishing this is the Ferber/extinction method, otherwise known as “cry-it-out.” Have we considered it? Of course. Believe me, we’ve considered everything. But ultimately, crying it out just isn’t compatible with the principles of attachment parenting we believe in.

Attachment parenting is no newfangled trend. Though the term originated with pediatrician Dr. Bill Sears, the theory behind it was advanced by developmental psychologist John Bowlby in the 1960s. According to attachment theory, a strong bond between babies and parents is crucial for the child’s social, emotional, and even physical development. That bond is simply not reinforced by refusing to respond to the baby’s cry.

There is scientific evidence to support the proposition that leaving a baby to cry alone can cause physiological, if not psychological and emotional harm. Studies have shown that periods of crying and upset are accompanied by a flood of the stress hormone cortisol; frequent and prolonged exposure to cortisol can affect brain development in areas relating to memory, emotional regulation and attention, and behavior. The presence of a loving parent has been demonstrated to lower levels of cortisol even during episodes of crying.

Although such information is always of interest to us, on this issue we find ourselves guided less by science and more by instinct, and even a little common sense. Proponents of cry-it-out suggest that this method teaches the baby to "self-soothe." I find it hard to believe that a baby left to cry it out has actually soothed herself to sleep rather than falling asleep after exhausting herself crying. It's true that babies subjected to the cry-it-out technique may eventually cry less at night, but who's to say that is a reflection of self-soothing skills rather than the result of basic behavioral conditioning?

Cry-it-out, is, after all, operant conditioning method designed to extinguish a specific behavior. The baby, having learned that her attempt at communicating her need for comfort by crying does not elicit any response, will eventually cease in her efforts. Thus the crying stops - and behaviorists declare the process a success. But while she may not cry any more at night, it's likely not because the reason she was crying has been resolved - why the baby was crying has no place in a behavioral analysis and therefore was never addressed.

All babies, in fact all people, wake frequently at night. If (hopefully when) Violet is able to wake at night and soothe herself back to sleep, we'd like for it to be because she is ready to do so, not because we've left her with no alternative. Some would counter that in being responsive to her nighttime needs, we're spoiling her, and that she'll grow up demanding and dependent. But as acknowledged by Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry researchers Commons and Miller, physical contact and reassurance at this young age fosters the kind of secure attachment which will provide Violet a foundation from which to establish her independence.

We think that's worth a few more sleepless nights.

Saturday Session

Last Saturday I met my good friend Leslie at the park to shoot some portraits of her gorgeous three year old girl, Sienna. It was an eye-opening experience for me, as my daughter is not exactly mobile yet, and Sienna ran circles around me for over an hour. Literally.

But I had a blast running after her, and she was even willing to stop once or twice and flash me a smile before bolting again. Beautiful!

Our Own Private Produce Section (Or, We Try Our Hand(s) at Organic Gardening)

Having determined that we wanted to feed Violet organic food as much as possible, we were presented with the question of the best place to obtain it. We're fortunate in that we have several options where we live, including the local Co-op and the Saturday Farmer's Market, as well as the standard grocery store. But, we thought, why not grow as much of it ourselves as we can, and just shop to fill in the gaps? Maybe because with an infant and trying to get a new business off the ground, we didn't need to take on one more project. But we did it anyway.

The garden was something of an impulse this year, so at the end of March when we began working on it, we were scrambling. To start things off, we pulled up the sod in the strip in front of and on the east side of the garage, and tilled the ground there. Eric built 4 garden boxes to fit the space: two 2 x 8 boxes, one 4 x 12, and a 3 x 3 x 3 x 8 trapezoid to fill the half circle already curbed in front. We also purchased and assembled a fifth box that came with a frame to support a greenhouse cover or shade cover.

We filled each of the beds with composted soil we had delivered, and Eric rigged up an intricate irrigation system of drip hoses that allows us to water each bed individually. Although April in Boise is too cold to plant most crops, the greenhouse bed gave us the opportunity to get a few things going. We planted some salad basics there (spinach, lettuce, mixed greens, and carrots) as well as cilantro, and tomato and pepper seeds we planned to move once they were started.

That done, we moved on the the section of the yard along the back fence, which happened to be occupied by a beautiful (cough, cough) water feature that never served any purpose other than to cultivate a rich bed of algae each summer. Tearing that out was quite a task - I even got to swing a sledgehammer for the first time. Once we cleared the space, Eric built another 5 beds: four 2 x 12 beds and one 1 x 5 for herbs.

Planting took place throughout this process, as some crops (like spinach, lettuce and other greens) could withstand colder temperatures. Even Violet participated, and everything was in by mid-May: peas, beans, onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, spinach, lettuce, arugula, mixed greens, tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers (hot and sweet, and lots of them), yellow squash, zucchini, scallop squash, cucumber, butternut squash, sweetmeat squash, black futsu squash, Melonette Jaspee De Vendee squash, corn, raspberries, blackberries, marionberries and tayberries.

It looked like things were really taking off, particularly in the greenhouse bed, until we saw upon closer inspection last weekend that much of what was thriving was weeds. They were rampant in two of the beds, but the others appear to have been spared any significant infestation. We logged some hours last weekend weeding, and are hoping we have things under control now. Pests aren't a huge problem yet, but we're actively researching organic methods of pest control to prepare ourselves for what's probably coming. (Ladybugs are one option I think sounds like fun!) It does take more effort to grow food organically, but the benefits make it absolutely worth it.

As of this past weekend, the peas, potatoes and onions are thriving, carrots and celery appear to be progressing, and corn and squash are starting to pop up. Tomatoes have been transplanted, and the bare spots in the two weed-ravaged beds replanted with quicker-growing greens. About a week ago, we were able to cut our first homegrown salads! As for the rest of the crops, we'll have to wait a while. And weed . . .

On Eating Organic

While we started thinking about what kind of food we wanted Violet to eat early on, intending for her to be exclusively breastfed for at least six months bought us some time to study up on nutrition before we had to make any decisions about what to put on her plate. (Multiple health care organizations, such as the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the American Academy of Pediatricians and the American Academy of Family Physicians recommend delaying introduction of solid food, including cereal, until at least six months.)

I found myself fascinated as I explored for the first time the vast expanse of information available on diet/nutrition. I plowed through several books on the subject: The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan; Eat to Live, by Joel Fuhrman; From Here to Longevity, by Mitra Ray; and The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell; and of course continued my research online through various websites and forums. It will remain an ongoing process, I'm sure, but we have reached at least one initial conclusion: organic is important. And for Violet, it's very important.

We all know that most of the produce we buy has been doused with pesticide. The movement toward organic food (produced without pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge, bioengineering, or irradiation) has been growing, but many people still aren't sure whether eating organic is really necessary, or just another marketing gimmick. Commercial growers and pesticide manufacturers imply that consumption of pesticide residue in produce is "safe" because "there is no conclusive evidence of harm to humans." However, as explained by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the lack of evidence regarding harmful effects long-term, low dose exposure to pesticide is not a result of studies proving pesticides safe - it simply hasn't been studied at all.

Government regulations on pesticide use are instead based on testing of high doses of pesticides in adult animals. But even if those regulations provide sufficient protection to adults (and I wouldn't count on it - remember, government regulations permitted the use of DDT once, too) they do not address the unique effects of pesticide consumption in infants and children. A study conducted by the National Research Council, Pesticides In the Diets of Infants and Children, confirmed that the toxicity of pesticides is different in infants and children than in adults, and found that "little work ha[d] been done . . . to "investigate the effects of pesticide exposure on neurotoxic, immunotoxic, or endocrine responses in infants and children."

There is no dispute that the infants and children are the most vulnerable to the toxic effects of pesticides. Children's developing organ systems, including the brain, nervous system, and endocrine system, can be damaged by exposure to toxins in amounts that would be tolerated by an adult. While we may not know exactly how harmful the pesticides used in growing our food might be, pesticides are toxic by nature - it doesn't seem like much of a stretch to conclude that their effects, however mild, can't be good for a growing little body.

An organic diet has been proven to decrease - immediately and dramatically - overall pesticide exposure in children. One study showed this to be particularly true for organophosphorus (OP) pesticides, a group of pesticides known to cause neurologic effects in humans, the residue of which has been detected in many fruits and vegetables. We may not be able to prevent Violet from being exposed to pesticides and other chemicals, but we can make every effort to limit that exposure where we can - and her dinner seemed like a good place to start.

Admittedly, organic produce - all organic foods - are more expensive than their conventional counterparts. But what's more important than providing our baby girl with the best, and safest, food we can find? In addition to being free from pesticides, organic produce has been shown to have higher nutritional content. There are better places in the budget to cut back than her health.

So far, Violet's menu of solid foods has been limited to fruits and veggies. We hope to keep her eating whole foods as much as possible, for as long as possible. (Within reason of course. We're not expecting her to go off to college never having experienced such culinary delights as the McDonald's french fry, or Ben and Jerry's. We're not cruel!)

The jury's still out on the extent to which meat, dairy and other animal products will be a part of her diet, but where they do show up we'll absolutely insist on organic. Organic meat, dairy, and eggs are even more important than organic produce, for a whole host of reasons, not the least of which is the added dangers associated with the antibiotics, hormones, and other drugs found in non-organic animal products. But that's another post for another day.

The Other Side of Mother's Day

It's even better over here. Happy Mother's Day to all my fellow mamas!

Poncho Panache

We Partied Like It Was His Birthday

Violet's cousin Giacomo recently turned one, and Eric, Violet and I were happy to be able to make it to Salt Lake to celebrate with him. G was outfitted for the occasion in a custom first birthday t-shirt created by Aunt Meagan and Uncle Donny, and all the kiddos sported coordinating handmade party hats - for at least five minutes. Cute stuff, the baby birthday. And it looks like the little ones had as much fun as we did.

This Is One Spider You Wouldn't Want to Squash

Violet's Grandma and Grandpa Swartz do a great "Itsy Bitsy Spider," and Violet is always an enthusiastic audience - much clapping follows every performance. A couple of weeks ago, she started joining in some of the gestures that are part of the song. Her Dad and I never get tired of watching her as she mimics the spider's delicate climb with tiny fingers, and brings her hands together over her head to for the sun. Guess who's clapping now?

Letting Go, Part 1

Look y'all - no hands! Violet's got her back float down. Though she'd been comfortable with it from the start, she needed just a little support to keep her head above water . . . until a few weeks ago. That Friday, the last of her first month of lessons, her Dad steadied her as she stretched out in the water, and then he lowered his hands and let her hold the float on her own. She floated in front of him, past him, and around the pool (undistracted by the gaping giddiness of both her parents) until a couple of minutes later the intstructor said, "uh, you can pick her up now. She's got it now, so she could do this for a while."

I scooped her up, and she started clapping before she was even completely upright. We did it again, and again, and each successful float was followed by a round of applause. Of course, because this was a lesson Eric and I had both suited up for, no one was poolside to capture her first solo back float on film. So when we resumed lessons last week, Eric was ready to snap some shots of Violet's new skillz, and she was happy to show them off again.

It's a milestone in more ways than one, and not just for Violet. She's only 8 months old, but as I watch her floating, I realize that we've already begun the beautiful and heart-wrenching process of her growing up. Fortunately, she isn't moving out just yet, so we have some time to adjust to her increasing independence. And while I admit to some wistful reluctance in that regard, such feelings are easily overcome by the wonder of witnessing our daughter develop into her own unique and amazing person.

I expect we'll go through all of this again over something new next week.

Spring Break 2008

Spring break isn't just for the school-aged anymore: Violet's daycare was closed all week last week. Violet spent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with Grandma and Grandpa Swartz, who made the trip to Boise for Spring Break '08. It wasn't Padre (I think the snow gave that away), but the three of them had as much fun as any MTV special. Including singing and dancing.

Violet also got to spend some time with her Grandma and Grandpa Stickney over the break when we celebrated Easter with at their house with Aunt Kristin and Uncle Mat. After brunch and a brief egg 'hunt,' Grandma Stickney presented Violet with her prize - a handknit purple sunhat. Cuter than any Easter bonnet I've ever seen.

Little Bunny Foo Foo

We recently added a portable backdrop stand and a roll of seamless paper to our cache of camera equipment, and I figured Easter was a good an excuse as any to try them out. Fortunately Violet was willing to indulge me.

Happy Easter!

Hanging Up My Vest

The cooler (and then cold!) weather that came on only a few months after Violet was born might have kept us from getting out as much as we would have liked if I hadn't found the Peekaru babywearing vest. A fleece vest that fits over both of us when I'm wearing her, our Peekaru has kept both Violet and me warm through a winter's worth of walks. As cute as it is to see her pilot-capped head popping out of, I'm ready to retire it for a few months of warmer weather, which we seem to be approaching. Bring on spring!