You would never associate the Olympic games with family dramas, right? But this year’s 2010 Vancouver Olympics has more than its usual portion of family stories. Here are couple:

Father and daughter make Olympic history

Athanasios and Panagiota are part of the 7-person Greek Olympic team. The pair will be competing in the biathlon category. Though they are not in the running for medals, they made history as the first father and daughter duo to compete together in the same Winter Olympics This is the 5^th Olympics for 45-year Athanasios and the 2^nd for his 19-year old daughter Panagiota. For these two, the road to Vancouver hasn’t been easy. Greece, for geographical and climatic reasons, is not exactly a winter sports country, thus winter athletes do not really get the financial support they need. For Panagiota, going to the Olympics is a lonely road full of sacrifices. And the greatest sacrifice according to her is giving up the time usually spent with family and friends. However, she is lucky to have her father around all the time, as co-athlete and as coach. For Athanasios, making this comeback at a ripe age isn’t easy but couldn’t just forego the chance of competing with his daughter. For their efforts, the father-daughter duo made it to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Sisterly love conquers health hurdles

Just a year ago, nobody would have thought that the Crawford sisters will ever make it to Whistler in 2010. 26-year old Chandra, who won a gold medal in cross-country skiing at the 2006 Olympics in Turin, had ankle problems last year. Her younger sister, 21-year biathlete Rosanna had a heart procedure. But with determination and their constant support for each other, the girls made it to be part of the Canadian Olympic team. During her gold-winning race in Turin, Chandra was wearing their grandma’s ring as talisman. This year she is even willing to give up her lucky charm to her sister. Luckily, this won’t be necessary because they will be racing on different days. One thing for sure, each one will be cheering on the other during the competition.

Brothers divided by country borders

The next story is a bit closer to home in more ways than one. The Schmid brothers Tommy and Jan are competing in the Nordic combined. It is not the first time that brothers compete in the same category. What is unusual in this case is that Jan is part of the Norwegian team whereas Tommy is part of the Swiss team. The brothers were born in Norway to Swiss parents and probably had dual citizenship. Both used to compete for Switzerland but Jan recently switched to the Norwegian side. Unlike the Crawford sisters, the Schmid brothers are very competitive and would take pleasure in beating each other in any race. As the article in the official Olympic site said “[their mom would] have to wave two flags – one Swiss, the other Norwegian” during the completion.

I can imagine myself to be in the same position in the future. My 6-and-a-half year old twin sons were born in Germany and by nationality, like their father, are Germans. In a couple of years however, they will be eligible for citizenship in our current country of residence, Switzerland. Already now, when watching the Olympics, I can feel their divided loyalties when it’s Germany competing against Switzerland. They, too, are very competitive and love to outdo each other in everything. Should their dream of becoming competitive athletes (winter or summer games, they can’t decide yet) ever come true, then I too, might be waving 2 flags.

My husband retired from the military after 22 years recently. I was thrilled for many reasons, but mostly because I thought he’d be home! No more lengthy separations due to work responsibilities. I never thought he’d land a civilian job which required him to travel extensively!

I am almost 24 weeks pregnant at this point and I feel myself slowing down. I suppose it’s because of a variety of things–my advanced maternal age, and the fact that I am a mother to 5 other children. It seems that my energy runs out faster than the daylight does. There are days when I really wish I could go sleep for a little bit and ask my husband to handle the parenting duties for a while, but I can’t. If you are in a similar situation, here are some things I’ve found that are helpful.

Pace Yourself
If I know that I have to be somewhere during the evening hours with the older children, this means that I have to somehow minimize morning activities and meetings. Otherwise, I just won’t be able to do it all.

Learn To Say No
This past weekend, I had to drive 1600 miles so my older children could see their father as per our court order. I couldn’t say no to that, but on Monday, when I was brutally tired, I had to re-schedule several meetings and other commitments. I had to say no.

Ask For Help
If you need help, ask! Of course, you may not have a support network to go to when you need help. I am thinking about my experiences as a military wife where you’ve just moved into a new community and your husband goes away. You may not know anyone to ask for help!

Expect The Children To Help
Even younger children are able to handle some tasks. The older children can handle other tasks. Even so, it may be necessary to lower your standards or to let some things go.

When I become discouraged as of late, I remind myself that pregnancy lasts for only 40 weeks. Until then, I keep doing the best I can do.

A panel of experts which included doctors and psychologists came up with a new model to fight childhood and adolescent obesity. The model consists of 7 steps, each step with increasing intensity.

The so-called Seven Steps to Success are

1. Medical Management. This step should be a joint effort between parents and pediatricians. The parents should have their child checked regularly for potential health problems caused by excess weight.
2. Education. This refers to educating parents and children alike on proper nutrition and physical exercise.
3. Environmental Changes. This entails making changes in the family environment, such as getting rid of all junk food, altering eating habits and schedules, limiting TV and computer time, and engagement in more outdoor, physical activities.
4. Support Groups. Support groups can great help kids, especially teens in coping with weight problems.
5. Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT) I: Clinics or Short-Term Immersion. CBT is a scientifically based approach that helps people in motivation, goal-setting, and focusing skills. CBT can also be applied to weight problems and short-term immersion may be available in local hospitals, and clinics.
6. CBT II: Long-term Immersion. More intensive immersion programs are available in specially set up therapeutic boarding schools and clinics.
7. Bariatric Surgery +. This rather drastic measure is recommended to those who are seriously overweight and for whom the first six steps didn’t work.

One has to be aware that the model is based on one important assumption – that obesity among children is mainly linked to the family environment. The participation and commitment of the family members are therefore necessary for the model to work.

You can download the full article entitled for free

Seven Steps to Success: A Handout for Parents of Overweight Children and Adolescents

I am astounded at the things I am learning about pregnancy, even though this is not my first.  Today, I learned that I had angered a distant relative when I named my now 11 year old child Rebekkah.  Apparently, the distant relative wanted to name her child Rebekkah and felt I’d “stolen” her name.

This situation put me in a quandary because I felt slightly embarrassed by my lack of courtesy.  First of all, this woman has not dated in decades, so I guess I was surprised that she had even “picked” out a name.  I was even more surprised that she still remembered 11 years later that I’d offended her and felt compelled to share that with me at this point in time.

Another thing that surprised me was the notion that one must check with friends and relatives to get their approval and to make sure that no names are “stolen”.  This is my 6th child, and I honestly never knew that I’d offended people by “stealing” names.  In fact, I honestly never even knew that it was considered polite to actually check with people before naming a child.  I never even guessed that I should check with people who weren’t even considering having children…just in case.  What do I know? Not too much it appears.

I discussed this with a friend across the street.  She said that yes, she had checked with friends and relatives before naming her children.  One friend had liked a certain name that she also liked and she did ask permission to name her child that name!

Another friend, who is having trouble conceiving, has picked out names for the children she hopes will one day join their family.  She confided to me that she was quite upset when another mutual friend got pregnant “by accident” and then named her child the name that she’d picked for her son.

What do you think?  When choosing a name for your child, do you check with extended family and friends to make sure that you don’t take “their” names?  Have you ever been offended when a friend “takes” a name that you wanted for her own child?

The Augustin family of Keller, Texas has had a rough time. In 2004, Lane, Amber and Peter Augustin’s son was born premature. Two years later in 2006, their home was destroyed by a flood, and with it also went Amber’s photography studio. Lane is now four years old and is facing many health challenges that come with premature birth.

Yet, this family is not one to give up just because life has dealt them with bad cards. They are actively volunteering for March of Dimes, a non-profit organization that advocates for pregnancy and baby health, and have helped raise money for the group.

This weekend, Peter, Amber and Lane are getting a break – on TV no less. They will be featured on ABC’s hit TV series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition this weekend, Sunday, March 1, 8-9 p.m. (ET).

According to Peter, “My dream is to raise national awareness that premature birth is a serious and growing problem…Extreme Makeover: Home Edition not only gave us a new home, but is helping more moms have healthy, full-term babies by highlighting the March for Babies this year.”

In addition, they get one-year of free home insurance from Farmers Insurance, a national sponsor of the foundation.

The March of Dimes Foundation is especially active in advocating premature birth prevention and has also campaigned for the expansion of SCHIP.

I remember finding out on Christmas Day that we were expecting our newest arrival.  I remember calculating due dates and realizing that this child was due to arrive the day after my grandmother’s birthday in August.

We just got word that my grandmother is dying.  She has been ill for a while, but things have taken a dramatic turn for the worse this week.  Tomorrow, our family will make the 800 mile drive north to say goodbye to her.

I last saw my grandmother almost two years ago, when my son was only a few months old.    My grandmother was so proud of her great-grandchildren!  She sat and read them stories and sang to them and we took videos and pictures to document the whole visit.  My sister had also arrived from out of town with her children and all of the cousins had a wonderful time together.

My grandmother does not yet know that we are expecting a child.  I knew that she’d worry about me, and about the baby as I am of “advanced maternal age“.  I thought it best to not worry her.  Will I tell her about her new great-grandchild? Probably not.  This weekend is not about that.

I know this weekend will be hard, but I’ll concentrate on the good times and think of those things.  Death, sadly, is part of life.  I can’t change that.  But I can choose to focus on the positives instead of dwelling on my sadness.

Yesterday, I decided to make my first “prenatal appointment”.  I actually found a new OB/GYN for myself and for my developing baby.

I spent last week looking at websites and trying to find a doctor that I felt would be a suitable “match” for our family.  My previous OB/GYN was pretty up front about sharing her negative opinions about the fact that I have a large family(I have children from a previous marriage and now my new husband and I have children as well).  While I appreciate her honesty, I didn’t appreciate the negativity.

Because of my history of bleeding and spotting, I’ll be seeing the new doctor during my 8th week of pregnancy, instead of during my 12th week.  I can download the new patient forms off the internet and fill them out for the first visit.  I am slightly overwhelmed when I see how many forms there are to fill out!  Who ever thought that paperwork was such an important part of a pregnancy?

Other than my husband, I’ve told my sister so far and emailed my best friend.  That’s it.  We’ve decided to wait until I am out of the first trimester before we tell the other children–that is if they don’t already figure it out.  My teens are pretty astute.  My “tweens” aren’t too far behind.  I’m thinking that telling my almost 16 year old that her mother is again expecting should be a very interesting experience!

As we remember 2008 and look forward to all of the wonders that 2009 will hold, I think of the child that we are expecting.  I wonder if our baby will be a boy or a girl? Given my history of miscarriages, I’m not sure I should even be thinking those thoughts yet.  At least not until after the first trimester is over.  Right now, I’m hoping for the best, yet I’m trying to prepare myself should the “worst” happen. Let’s hope that this pregnancy, just like the New Year, will be both safe and full of happiness.  Happy 2009!

Last year, on New Year’s Eve, my family resolved to never travel at Christmas again. That lasted almost a year.

OK. Maybe I should be more specific. We drove 1700 miles one-way. Halfway there, we encountered icy roads and had to cancel a hotel reservation. Annoyed, we dealt with our online reservation system (who can withdraw funds immediately but take two weeks to refund them), and found a new place. Then, on the way back, the same thing happened again. But it was New Year’s Eve and we swore off holiday travel, knowing that flying would have been just as big a problem since the airports were canceling all their flights.

It was an easy resolution to keep since the holidays roll around only once a year. We almost made it all year without breaking the vow. But then Christmas came again. We justified the break by the fact that we were traveling west instead of east, and only 500 miles one way. And instead of being pregnant, we were dragging along an almost-nine month old baby.

That was the first mistake. A couple weeks prior, I tried to “train” her to sleep in other places by using a pack & play. Well, it was a nice sentiment, but she wasn’t buying it. So, for three nights, she barely slept at all, and I’m not exaggerating. Naps were a *little* better. I intended to catch up on a little shut-eye, but with family around that I don’t see often, I really just wanted to be with people. That was, after all, the reason we broke our old resolution. (And it didn’t help my ego that my husband’s cousin has a baby that is only 6 months old who sleeps 12 hours straight through every night! I know it’s an individual thing, but it still made me jealous.)

And then on the way home, we were going to caravan home with my in-laws who live in town with us. But my husband felt compelled to do some last-minute car maintenance, so they took off an hour ahead of us. Lucky for us, since they got turned around on the highway, 150 miles out of town… It wasn’t ice this time, but a rockslide caused by melted snow from the previous week’s winter storm. And in the mountains, there aren’t alternate routes. So they came back while we scoped out the options in town. The short story is that FOUR hours into the trip, we finally were able to leave town! And we still faced another 8 hours with a baby in the car.

All that to say, I REALLY mean it this time when I resolve never to travel again at Christmas. For that matter, maybe I’ll never travel again with a baby.

Announcing a pregnancy can be a difficult thing.  Once, my daughter stood up in the middle of church and announced to everyone that I needed prayer because I was pregnant.  That was probably the easiest pregnancy announcement I’ve had to endure, because I didn’t have to make the announcement myself.

I’ve found, as with anything in life, there are always those folks who simply can not refrain from being negative, even during joyful occasions.  Certainly, a pregnancy is a reason to be joyful and is a cause for celebration.   Some people don’t see things like that though.

I know at this moment that there are several close relatives who I will eventually need to inform of my pregnancy who will NOT be happy for my husband and I. Even though we are financially and emotionally ready and able to deal with the responsibilities that children bring, these folks will still not be happy.   They will find reasons why this pregnancy should not have happened, and they will feel obliged to tell me about these reasons. One or two of those relatives will probably be downright ugly about this pregnancy.  I  have come to these conclusions based upon their reactions to past pregnancy announcements and I ponder–how can I do this differently this time? How do I protect myself emotionally from the negativity?

I wonder–is it rude to just call them AFTER the child is born?  I’ve noticed that after the child makes his or her grand entrance into the world, the negativity dissipates anyway.

I am “lucky” in that my family lives over 800 miles from the rest of my family members.  Sometimes, it can be a difficult thing to have them so far away; sometimes, it is a good thing to have them so far away.  For now, it means I have time to gather my strength and decide whether or not I should mention my pregnancy to my family or wait until shortly before(or after) the child is born to make the announcement.

How have you handled “negative” reactions to your pregnancy announcements? Would you tell relatives who you knew were going to be negative about your pregnancy?  Is it rude to just send relatives a birth announcement without them knowing about your pregnancy?

I remember before I had children, I thought it was strange when I saw mothers who had their children in harnesses out in public.  The idea is that it is easier to keep track of an active child if they are in a baby harness.

When I became a mother, I still thought it was odd.  Then, my toddler got lost one day while we were in Disney World.  I decided to take a bathroom break and asked my parents and my ex to watch the children.  When I returned, only three of our four children were waiting for me!  It turned out that my youngest had slipped away and followed me into the bathroom.  We discovered her a few minutes later, but I swear I sprouted several grey hairs in those minutes.   The next day, I bought a baby harness.

I thought of this today as we were touring Jamestown with my dear friend, her family, and their Belgium exchange student.  Somehow, signals got crossed and everyone thought that the other person was watching the toddler. Then, panic ensued when we discovered he was missing.  We ran around the exhibits for a few minutes, calling for him in English, French, and German.  He yelled back in English and we were able to find him.

The entire event lasted again, only a few minutes.  This time, I’ve got too many grey hairs to tell if I’ve sprouted any new ones.  As I hugged my son, my youngest, who herself had gotten lost in Disney almost a decade ago, remarked loudly–”SOMEBODY needs to get a baby harness!”

Have you used a baby harness to keep your active toddler close to you in public? Would you ever use such a product?

As we carry down from the attic and unpack the decorations and ornaments from Christmases past, my husband and I reflected on some holiday family traditions we had each celebrated as children and that we wish to continue with our family together. With our first baby’s arrival at the beginning of last year, she’s now old enough to start to understand what the holidays are about. And now, with a new baby just days from entering the world, we’re ready to go all out to make the season extra special.

We both had memories of baking cookies in the kitchen with our mothers and grandmothers, putting up and decorating the Christmas tree and sharing steaming mugs of spiced cider, but neither of us has any lasting keepsakes of these holidays, except for some old photographs and a few holiday cards.

Because of this, we decided to set our own holiday traditions for our children that will give them lasting keepsakes that they can hold onto and take with them. When my husband and I first began dating, we would select a tree ornament each holiday that would commemorate the past year. Sometimes it’s silly (a Christmas pickle ornament – a German tradition), sometimes it’s serious (a key to symbol the purchase of our first house), but it is always something that’s meaningful to us as a couple.

We’ve now extended this tradition to our children. Upon our daughter’s birth, we began to buy two ornaments for the tree – one to celebrate her, and one for us. On the year of her first Christmas, we purchased a cross to symbolize the blessing we had received, as well as a small silver frame in which we put our first family portrait. This year, we will have two babies at Christmastime, so we will choose three new ornaments – one for us as a family and one for each of our children. They will all hang on our Christmas tree each year, and, when our daughter and son all both all grown up and on their own, we’ll pack them up and pass them on to the two of them. That way, they will each have with them a collection of meaningful ornaments that they can hang on their own trees. We think it’s a great way to start a new tradition and to give our children something to symbolize all the love and joy that they have shared with us.

Do you have any new traditions you’ve started since becoming parents?

Reflecting on what we are thankful for is a tradition for many of us on Thanksgiving, but this year, it may carry more meaning than usual. The number of people losing their jobs and struggling to pay their bills and feed their families, is so much greater than usual.

My mom just told me that her husband (of three years, so not exactly my “step-dad” but a great addition to the family!) won’t be able to retire when he was planning to because of his diminished retirement account. I?ve heard other similar stories.

I know a few other moms who have recently taken on full-time jobs outside the home for the first time in years, due to necessity. One, the mom of my oldest son?s friend, told me that her oldest son was “set” for college until recently, when they lost a lot of money due to the current financial mess.

My own husband is an Investment Officer, or Financial Advisor. I swear that the number of gray hairs on his head have doubled in the past month…He is particularly drained from having to be the sounding board for many of his worried clients. He needs to be reassuring to them, all the while dealing with the reality of just how tough things are with the current economy.

All of this is depressing, but true. I’m sure everyone has his/her own story to tell. I hope, though, that this Thanksgiving will give us all the chance to put our worries aside-at least for a day. To appreciate our children and what a joy it is to watch them grow and do amazing, new things just about every day. To appreciate a delicious meal and be thankful that we are able to have it, while more people than ever before will be turning to soup kitchens and counting on donations for theirs.

My family has to dig deeper into their pockets than usual to put together this year’s big feast, as do so many others. I will take the time to enjoy every bite (if my kids will let me) and the company of family and friends. I will miss my grandfather, as usual, and be thankful for the memories I have of him. I will be thankful for the chance to spend yet another Thanksgiving with my grandmother, now 86 years old.? I hope we can all take the time to reflect on what we do have during this time of hardship and find the faith to believe that it will get better.

This year, start a new tradition in your family the day after Thanksgiving: participate in the National Day of Listening.

The project was started by Story Corps., a non-profit group which collects stories designed to cherish and inspire others to celebrate life. I?ve listened to some of the interviews on NPR and it?s fascinating to hear them. The stories tell how people fought brave battles with cancer or lived through the great Depression or volunteered at a soup kitchen. It?s fascinating!

Usually, at least here in America, the day after Thanksgiving is spent shopping and rushing around to get the best deals for the upcoming Christmas holiday. Wouldn?t it be a neat idea to sit down with your children and parents and grandparents the day after Thanksgiving and spend some time together sharing memories instead of shopping? I suppose you could share memories while shopping too, but it wouldn?t quite be the same.

My children and I have sat down and asked my grandmother, now in her mid-80?s, various questions. We?ve learned a lot about her life, and the life of her parents and grandparents who were immigrants to America. In addition to that, we?ve learned a lot about American culture and how it?s changed over the past decades. One of my favorite stories was of how John F Kennedy rode by her beauty salon in the 1960?s when he was president and how all of the ladies ran outside with their hair in curlers to get a glimpse of him. This was, from what she told me, absolutely scandalous in the 1960?s. But it’s worth it to get a glimpse of the handsome president she said with a smirk!

Think about all the people with whom you interact with on a daily basis and consider the wisdom and life experiences of those people. Certainly we all have something to share and learn from each other. If you want to participate in the project, you can learn more at the National Day of Listening website.

You may think it’s too early to be thinking about Christmas, but really it isn’t! Do you take a family photo to send with your cards? Now is the perfect time of year to call and make an appointment with your favorite portrait studio to get your photos done.

As it gets closer to the holidays, studios get booked up. By the end of the month, it’s almost impossible to find an opening for a studio sitting before mid-December. At that point, you may not have your photos back in time before Christmas.

I like to choose a studio that books appointments because I can work around nap time and meals. I also have found that it’s nice to not have to wait to get your pictures taken. The times I’ve ‘walked in’ to the studio, I’ve had to wait at least an hour at this time of year. That’s almost impossible to keep an infant in pristine like condition for their photo session for that long! Think about it, one messy feeding or spit up and the cute dress is not so cute anymore. Plus, the long wait tends to sour the disposition of even the best natured infant.

Another bonus is that you can be more selective about the studio you choose instead of choosing the one with the opening. Which studio has the most “kid-friendly” photographers? Which studio has the best deals on the cost of their photography packages? These are important things to consider when choosing a studio.

If you are going to take a family portrait yourself, you should start thinking now about the kind of photo you want to take. Will it be a simple photo or more creative? Will you have props? Will you take the photo at a special place in your area? If you are not the creative type and need help coming up with an idea, you can do an internet search for creative Christmas photo ideas. You’re sure to find a suggestion that will work for your family.

Perhaps your photos are so wonderful that you’ve decided to make them your Christmas card. The local drugstore in our area has a photo studio computer where you can turn your family photo into a Christmas postcard or a card. We’ve used this option for the past 3 years and we’ve been very pleased with the final product. Not only do you get to create your own cards personally, you even get perfectly sized envelopes to fit your creations so you can mail them to friends and relatives.

Another great idea is the Picture-Me Book from Clark Color Labs. All you have to do is send in a picture and they make your little ones the star of their very own story book. Take advantage of an exclusive Babies Online offer to get your own Picture Book from Clark Color Labs for 50% off, just enter the coupon code: BOLPICME at checkout) Read a review here!

The United States Post Office will allow you to create your own customized stamps using your digital photos. Isn’t that a great idea? Not only can you send out customized cards, but you can create customized postage to accent those cards. To find out more about this option, check out the USPS website.

I’m wishing you a creative Christmas season!

“Mom, you can’t just hug or kiss somebody. You first have to ask,” my 5-year son told me at bedtime the other day. “Who says so?” I asked, truly surprised. “K”. K is his preschool teacher. After delving further, I found out that apparently he tried to hug a classmate – a girl – who didn’t like to be hugged, and thus led to an argument.

We are a very demonstrative family and very open in showing our affection to each other. My boys love to hug and kiss and be hugged and be kissed by family and close relatives. I also noticed that they would sometimes hug people outside the family but whom they liked, be it friends, classmates, babysitters or teachers. When they started going to the daycare at age 1, they’d hug their caregivers upon arrival in the morning. At age 3 and a half, they’d give their preschool teachers good morning hugs. But thinking back now, the preschool morning ritual has now evolved into shaking hands.

I suppose kids have to learn the social norms at some stage and a lot of these they will learn at school. Conflict management, respect for other kids, when to hug and when not to hug, how to deal with the opposite sex. As adults, we know what is expected of us – which person to kiss, which person to hug, and which person to shake hands with, depending on the level and closeness of our relationship. Since coming to Europe, I have even learned to adapt depending on another person’s cultural background. Kissing on the cheek is allowed on first meetings in some cultures. It may take a lifetime till you get there in others.

But at what age should we start teaching our kids these things? My boy’s preschool teacher seems a very capable person who knows her job. Should I just follow her cue?

“K is right but that doesn’t count within our family” I told my son. “At home, we can give hugs and kisses to each other anytime we want.”

“No, mommy. You first have to ask!” he said insistently.

Sigh. My boy is growing up.

“Ok, to bed and goodnight” and I tucked him in bed.

As I headed for the door I heard a little voice say timidly from under the blankets “Mommy, can I give you a hug?” I was so preoccupied with the question at hand, I actually forgot to kiss my son goodnight! “Of course you can. And you don’t have to ask. You can give mommy a hug, anytime, anywhere. And I will the same thing to you. Is that a deal?”

All I received was a sleepy smile.

The next morning, a little bundle jumped on my bed to snuggle and kiss and hug. “Good morning, mommy!” I guess we had a deal. And my son is still a little boy.

According to a government report conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, around 3 out of every 4 women breastfeed their children. This is an all time high according to researchers who track this sort of thing. Some reasons for the increase include public awareness, changing perceptions about breastfeeding, and educational campaigns geared toward encouraging people to breastfeed.

I always have mixed feelings about studies like this, simply because I know of women who have tried to nurse their children, and have for a variety of reasons, not been successful. So, that ?one? woman may have wanted to nurse, but may not have been able to nurse, for a variety of reasons. I remember very vividly how saddened my one friend became when she realized that her child would have to be bottle fed. Adding to the sadness was the opposition she faced from family and friends when she had to bottle feed.

I had just the opposite with my family when I decided to nurse my oldest child 15 years ago. They were very opposed to nursing and they were very vocal about those feelings. I remember spending many family gatherings in the back bedroom nursing my children just to get some peace and quiet. However, my persistence paid off and many of my younger cousins decided to breast feed their children. It was with pride that I noticed they were able to nurse without being confined to the back bedroom during family gatherings.

I?ve also noticed a positive change since my breastfeeding days 15 years ago. At that time, if your child needed to nurse, you pretty much had to go to the restroom and find a stall where you could feed your infant if you were out in public. Now, it?s common to find rooms in public places for nursing mothers. When my husband and I took our children to a local amusement park, I noticed that there were rooms at the first aid stations where mothers could nurse. There were bathrooms that had a stall specially designed for nursing mothers! Yes, I was back to nursing in a bathroom stall, but at least I wasn?t forced to sit on a toilet seat to do so.

I still think we have a long way to go at least in the United States as far as this issue goes. There are still mothers who are asked to leave malls for nursing, even discreetly, in public. There are still women who face opposition from their families for making the decision to nurse their children. There are also women who face opposition if they are unable to nurse, but must bottle feed their children.

Whatever you decide, I encourage you to do what is best for you and your baby. That may mean breast feeding your child. It may mean using formula in a bottle. It may be a combination of breast and bottle feeding. It?s important to ignore the negative comments and do what you need to do!

What have your experiences been with feeding issues? Have you faced opposition when you decided to breast or bottle feed your infant?

The world seems to be happy to see Barack Obama in the White House. So am I. But I am also delighted to have a first family with little children – the first since the Kennedys, if I am not mistaken.

This reminds me of one of my favorite poems – Longfellow’s Children’s Hour – about a Daddy hearing from his study “the patter of little feet” and then taking “a pause in the day’s occupation” to play his little girls. I just hope Barack will have enough time for his own children’s hour.

I’ve always wondered how it would feel to be a child of the president. For the little girls Sasha and Malia, the transition won’t be easy – their faces will be known by everybody but they will probably be the most tightly guarded children on planet earth. Imagine having birthday parties, play dates and sleep overs at the White House. That would definitely give the Secret Service guys a headache – or a thrill.

For Michelle soon-to-be First Lady Obama, her family comes first. According to a write-up in The Guardian UK, she vows to remain “mom-in-chief” to her girls and puts her priority in “making sure my family is happy and settled” at the White House.

It takes a strong man to run a country. It takes a strong woman to stand beside him and keep the family together. To all of you, all the best.

Even though I am the oldest, my sister was the first to bless my father and step-mother with a grandchild. I remember that as soon as she could talk, she named my father ?Poppy?. My step-mother was ?Grammy?. Although my mother had passed on years before, we decided to give her a grandmotherly name too. When we refer to my mother in conversation, we call her ?O-Ma?, which is German for grandmother.

When my children were born several years later, life got even more complex. Not only were there grandparents to name, but there were great-grandparents to name too. Both of the parents of my parents were still alive at the time. On my ex?s side, there was one great-grandparent to name in addition to his parents.

Some of the relatives were happy with traditional names, others were more creative. My grandmother decided that she was much too young at the age of 75 to be a great-grandmother and she asked for the children to call her G.G. This was code for ?what a GREAT grandmother!?

Some of my grandparents asked my children to call them the same name that I called them. For example, my grandfather announced that he was ?Pappy?, and that everyone regardless of which generation they hailed from could address him as such.

Several years ago, I remarried and my children gained a whole new family. My husband?s family didn?t mind having the girls refer to them by their first names?until my husband and I had a child together last year. We all realized that it was important to find names which would be appropriate for everyone. We added ?grandma? and ?grandpa? before their names and the transition was relatively painless for my children.

A quick internet search revealed that there are numerous nicknames for grandparents and great grandparents. Some of the names, like Gramby, I thought were clever and cute. Some, like Slo-Ma, could be cruel or funny, depending upon your sense of humor.

When choosing a nickname for your parents and grandparents, it?s best to ask them what they prefer to be called. If they have no preference, you may wish to make some suggestions but let them make the final decision. Then again, your child may make the decision for both of you!

What nickname have you chosen for your children?s grandparents? How did you choose that name?

New parents, if there is one thing I can tell you that I wish I would have known when I had a newborn in my arms it is this: People want to help you. Anyone who has ever had a baby knows how incredibly confusing, exhausting, and stressful it can be. Nobody expects you to be a perfect parent the second your baby is born. If you’re anything like me you’ll spend a lot of time fumbling around, trying to figure out how to take care of a new baby without losing your mind.

The thing I didn’t realize is that most new parents – particularly new moms who are staying home from work for the first time and experiencing a HUGE life change while also dealing with hormones from labor and delivery – is that the vast majority of new parents struggle quite a bit. Everyone gets tired during this confusing time, but it’s important to realize that everyone gets overwhelmed at some point too when dealing with a new baby. I have some friends who didn’t get nearly as overwhelmed as I did, but all of them admit that at some point they could have really used some help but didn’t ask anyone.

Why are we afraid to ask for help? I think we want to seem like we’re good parents, and for one reason or another many of us think that translates into not needing help from anyone. I also had a problem with trusting anyone with my baby because I was convinced that nobody could care for her like I could. If you don’t believe me, then ask my husband about the horrible sobbing fit I had when the nurses took my baby for two hours so I could get some sleep. True story.

Don’t think that anyone will assume you’re an inept parent if you ask for help. I wish I would have taken more people up on their offers of help back when my first baby was born. When people asked what they could do to help, I should have said “please bring dinner over one night” or “please come watch the baby so I can get a long shower.” Instead I said the same thing that was my knee-jerk reaction: “Thanks for the offer but we don’t need any help right now.” I didn’t want anyone to think that I needed help. I wanted to be Supermom.

It’s no shock that I wasn’t Supermom. I was tired and overwhelmed.

When your baby is born you should be prepared to field plenty of offers of help from people. Practice saying this over and over again, “Yes, please!”

Week 1’s winner was Alexis AnnMarie !
Runner-up: Joselyn Isabel
Runner-up: T’kai michael keoni

Thanks to all the babies (and their parents) who participated in this weeks round.

From now until October 14 we will be accepting entries for October’s contests. October’s theme is Family Portraits!

The contest is free so enter your babies picture today! Or just vote for your favorite. (Anyone can vote)

At the end of each preliminary week one (1) winner is chosen and will be awarded a prize package. The winners of each preliminary round (3 total), as well as two (2) runner-ups from each round are automatically entered into the Final Round. The winner of the final round is awarded the Grand Prize.

Round 1: 1st through 7th
Round 2: 8th through 14th
Round 3: 15th through 21st
Final Round: 22nd through last day of the month

Click Here for more information.