I like keep an eye on all things cleft via the Google News reader which is pretty good at feeding stuff through. I've decided that I should link to some of the articles which come up. Some are interesting and others like this one seem crazy.
This report claims that;
'Women drinking a daily cup of coffee during the first 3 months of pregnancy were 1.39 times more likely to have a baby with harelip and the likelihood increased to 1.59 for women who drank 3 or more cups of coffee a day'
Given that Clare has never drunk a cup of coffee in her life, this made me smile. Every day there's a new report saying that tomatoes give us cancer, mobile phones fry our brains or that too much water makes us urinate and it makes it hard to know what to believe anymore.
The article also goes on to say;
'Recently, a study showed women drinking more than 3 cups of coffee a day had 17% smaller breasts.'
Which says it all really.
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
Smile Train delivers!
I wrote a few weeks back about the Smile Train and all the good work they do. I make a small monthly donation as the charity make a little money go a long way. Just $250 is enough for one person to have a lip or palate repair. Many charities have huge administration overheads so a large part of any donation goes towards running costs. Not so, the Smile Train. Their methodology is such that they have a tiny staff and therefore the vast majority of all money received goes towards training local doctors, nurses and surgeons so that they can carry out surgeries on a self sufficient basis.
Anyway, part of the Smile Train's promise is that they send news shortly after you start donating of someone they have helped. A couple of weeks back we got a letter from the charity detailing the story of a young boy who has now had his lip repaired. Even though he is on the other side of the world (and even further away metaphorically), I can imagine his parents had the same emotions as we did. Perhaps even more so given that until the Smile Train came along, there was no hope.
A before and after photograph was sent along with the biography which made it all the more real. I will transcribe the letter and scan the photos on another post in a day or so.
Anyway, part of the Smile Train's promise is that they send news shortly after you start donating of someone they have helped. A couple of weeks back we got a letter from the charity detailing the story of a young boy who has now had his lip repaired. Even though he is on the other side of the world (and even further away metaphorically), I can imagine his parents had the same emotions as we did. Perhaps even more so given that until the Smile Train came along, there was no hope.
A before and after photograph was sent along with the biography which made it all the more real. I will transcribe the letter and scan the photos on another post in a day or so.
Friday, 15 May 2009
Sleep, a new low
You're probably as bored of reading about Jake's sleep pattern as I am moaning about it but at 2.30am when he's screaming I start making up sentences for this blog which would go to waste unless I posted them.
So after 8 and half months, we're still taking 2 or 3 steps backwards for every 1 forward. A few weeks back I wrote that we were enjoying an almost perfect sleep cycle. Jake would go to bed, as he always has to be fair, at 7pm and then go through to at least 6am and sometimes 6.30am and on one glorious occasion, 8am. I remember writing that we were almost there and it wouldn't be long until he'd do 7-7. What a fool. As if.
So for the last week, he's woken at around midnight, but unlike when he used to wake, he now is inconsolable. A couple of times we left him to cry it out ('controlled crying' is the PC term) and it sometimes worked. It is very difficult to continue to do this when you live in a semi with thin walls. I don't much care for our neighbours but there's a limit. We'll leave him 10-15 minutes but after a while the desire to get back to sleep is greater than enduring the screaming in the hope it might help future nights. So, typically Clare will get up and a combination of shushing and humming Amazing Jake (Grace) which sometimes works so as he goes back to sleep for anything between 20 minutes and 5 hours. Lately he's been getting up at 5, we feed him and then he'll go back to sleep until after 8 - it even made me late for work once. This is actually acceptable as it's still possible to get 7 or even 8 hours sleep without having to go to bed at 9pm.
Last night however, represented a new standard even for Jake. Awake at 20 past midnight, controlled crying for 20 minutes, followed by apoplectic rage for a while, then Clare took him downstairs to watch TV. This calmed him down, however the rage returned when she tried to put him down again. Eventually she fed him and he started crying again. She changed his nappy, he went berserk. We got the hint when the neighbours started slamming doors at 2.15am! Eventually he dropped off around 3am. The problem with this prolonged screaming is that by the time he's fallen asleep, we're so awake and wired from sleep deprivation, we can't get back to sleep. When he woke up at 7, I felt like I'd woken up dead. Today is going to drag and I'm sending Clare to my sister's house tonight so she can get a full night's sleep. Although I'm awake through the night when he is, not having to get up and placate or feed him makes things easier for me. I have never done the overnight shift on my own before and it's about time but I will be having a word with him before he goes to bed and I suspect, our best friend Mr. Calpol will be involved!
So after 8 and half months, we're still taking 2 or 3 steps backwards for every 1 forward. A few weeks back I wrote that we were enjoying an almost perfect sleep cycle. Jake would go to bed, as he always has to be fair, at 7pm and then go through to at least 6am and sometimes 6.30am and on one glorious occasion, 8am. I remember writing that we were almost there and it wouldn't be long until he'd do 7-7. What a fool. As if.
So for the last week, he's woken at around midnight, but unlike when he used to wake, he now is inconsolable. A couple of times we left him to cry it out ('controlled crying' is the PC term) and it sometimes worked. It is very difficult to continue to do this when you live in a semi with thin walls. I don't much care for our neighbours but there's a limit. We'll leave him 10-15 minutes but after a while the desire to get back to sleep is greater than enduring the screaming in the hope it might help future nights. So, typically Clare will get up and a combination of shushing and humming Amazing Jake (Grace) which sometimes works so as he goes back to sleep for anything between 20 minutes and 5 hours. Lately he's been getting up at 5, we feed him and then he'll go back to sleep until after 8 - it even made me late for work once. This is actually acceptable as it's still possible to get 7 or even 8 hours sleep without having to go to bed at 9pm.
Last night however, represented a new standard even for Jake. Awake at 20 past midnight, controlled crying for 20 minutes, followed by apoplectic rage for a while, then Clare took him downstairs to watch TV. This calmed him down, however the rage returned when she tried to put him down again. Eventually she fed him and he started crying again. She changed his nappy, he went berserk. We got the hint when the neighbours started slamming doors at 2.15am! Eventually he dropped off around 3am. The problem with this prolonged screaming is that by the time he's fallen asleep, we're so awake and wired from sleep deprivation, we can't get back to sleep. When he woke up at 7, I felt like I'd woken up dead. Today is going to drag and I'm sending Clare to my sister's house tonight so she can get a full night's sleep. Although I'm awake through the night when he is, not having to get up and placate or feed him makes things easier for me. I have never done the overnight shift on my own before and it's about time but I will be having a word with him before he goes to bed and I suspect, our best friend Mr. Calpol will be involved!
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Christening
Sunday was a great day. Jake was the dream child and behaved perfectly for his baptism. He was fascinated by the vicar when she was blessing him with the holy water and not at all miffed that she messed up his hairdo. The service was just for him after the main service, which was nice, I always feel that it's a bit of a job lot when several get done at the same time. That's the advantage of a village church.
Everyone turned up on time despite a road block and diversion and it was great to see so many people dressed in their suits and looking so well. The sun shone all day long as it did on our wedding day and I think everyone had a great time. The plans were to have it indoors and we laid the 60 rounds of sandwiches, quiches, sausage rolls, canapes and bruschettas that we'd slaved over out in the dining room but got hint when the house was deserted. What was meant to be help yourself turned into a waitress service, but that's o.k, it all went. Well none of the ham and cheese went, I think a bit of pickle or tomato to add colour would have seen them go.
All the kids, twice as many as the last christening I went to, played on the lawn and we all drank beer and wine. I gave a very impromptu speech and didn't do Jake justice. I quite like a speech but only if I've had time to prepare; a raconteur, I am not. Anyway everyone had a good time and people were mostly gone by 6ish. He got some great presents, most of which will require me putting up more shelves. From silver trinkets and classic book sets to bears, framed poems, stuff spelling 'Jake' and games. Best of all no plastic! We've decided on Jake's nursery which is a Montessori place and they abhor plastic toys like I do. I was skeptical about Montessori as it's a bit pretentious going off the beaten track but having looked around and seen how happy the kids were it all makes sense. Obviously because they only use wooden toys and learning aids!
So now Jake is officially christened! Here are a few pics.
Everyone turned up on time despite a road block and diversion and it was great to see so many people dressed in their suits and looking so well. The sun shone all day long as it did on our wedding day and I think everyone had a great time. The plans were to have it indoors and we laid the 60 rounds of sandwiches, quiches, sausage rolls, canapes and bruschettas that we'd slaved over out in the dining room but got hint when the house was deserted. What was meant to be help yourself turned into a waitress service, but that's o.k, it all went. Well none of the ham and cheese went, I think a bit of pickle or tomato to add colour would have seen them go.
All the kids, twice as many as the last christening I went to, played on the lawn and we all drank beer and wine. I gave a very impromptu speech and didn't do Jake justice. I quite like a speech but only if I've had time to prepare; a raconteur, I am not. Anyway everyone had a good time and people were mostly gone by 6ish. He got some great presents, most of which will require me putting up more shelves. From silver trinkets and classic book sets to bears, framed poems, stuff spelling 'Jake' and games. Best of all no plastic! We've decided on Jake's nursery which is a Montessori place and they abhor plastic toys like I do. I was skeptical about Montessori as it's a bit pretentious going off the beaten track but having looked around and seen how happy the kids were it all makes sense. Obviously because they only use wooden toys and learning aids!
So now Jake is officially christened! Here are a few pics.
Thursday, 7 May 2009
Official Jake
So on Sunday, 50 or so of us will gather at the church that Clare and I were married in and Jake will enter the Christian realm. I really am not religious but I am a traditionalist and do respect the Church as an institution; I know a lot of people get a lot from it. Before we got married I probably went to half a dozen services and Clare the same amount again. I did it out of respect. This church was equidistant from the homes we grew up in but nowhere near where we lived. Well at the time it was very close as we were camping down in my parents' place but that's a whole other story. So we went out of respect for the people who go every week but I wondered if that made me more of a hypocrite than not going at all. Was going in order to pretend I was holier than thou in order to put up a facade for the devout incumbents worse than just admitting I was there for the nice photographic back drop? Actually, it turned out, no. I am a respectful person in the main and after a bit of self reflection on the matter, the respect for the folk, I deemed, was genuine in spite of any feelings of ambivalence towards the church and that, I decided was worthy enough. I told you I brood too much.
That said, the church can be somewhat outmoded and automatically thinks that young folk who don't attend weekly services are incapable of salvation and akin to Beelzebub himself. Under what felt that police interview room interrogation I did feel like saying 'do you want the money, or what?' but thought better of it. The point is that the church must update itself if young people are to find it relevant again.
Anyway, I like churches because, save for one common use, they are usually very happy, sunny places on days when EVERYONE is there, not just the usual suspects. Girls in dresses and guys in suits, drinks and homemade sausage rolls and such after. I hope Sunday is sunny but forecast says no.
Event update on Monday.
That said, the church can be somewhat outmoded and automatically thinks that young folk who don't attend weekly services are incapable of salvation and akin to Beelzebub himself. Under what felt that police interview room interrogation I did feel like saying 'do you want the money, or what?' but thought better of it. The point is that the church must update itself if young people are to find it relevant again.
Anyway, I like churches because, save for one common use, they are usually very happy, sunny places on days when EVERYONE is there, not just the usual suspects. Girls in dresses and guys in suits, drinks and homemade sausage rolls and such after. I hope Sunday is sunny but forecast says no.
Event update on Monday.
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