Why I Support Genital Autonomy

Here we go… This is sort of a mission-driven, advocacy-related, agenda-ridden post, so please beware!

Image via http://www.stopinfantcircumcision.org

Before I became pregnant, things like circumcision never crossed my mind. Then I found out I was having a boy, which I dreaded because I had to make *that* choice… To circumcise or to leave intact? I was pretty sure from the get-go that I would leave him be – why mess with what didn’t need messing with? I didn’t have a partner to argue with over it. The choice at that point was all mine. I consulted a few friends on the matter – both new parents and peppered pros; both parents who chose to circumcise and those who left their children intact; doctors of mine and my child’s. The following are some of the questions I raised (from hearing of potential problems) and some responses I got; additionally there’s some commentary from me.

Milestone Alert: Sitting Pull to Standing!

This evening, little Kola surprised me… okay not totally surprised me – I knew it was only a matter of time, but… HE STOOD! He was sitting on the floor next to the couch, I walked away for two minutes, and came back to find him standing against the couch! Yikes! He even did it a few more times for me, even allowing me to capture it on video, as seen below…

I’m enjoying watching Kola mature and develop, and look forward to the advances forthcoming!

♥

“A baby is God’s opinion that the world should go on.” – Carl Sandburg

♥

What are your kids doing? Share in the comments or comment on the FaceBook.

Home-Made Baby Wipes

At the Panda Residence, we are constantly trying to cut our daily costs through the guise of trying to go green. Case in point: baby wipes. We go through at least 10 a day, usually closer to 15, depending on how many poops we’re blessed with. If you figure that one package of about 70 costs about $3, I’m spending $3-6 dollars per week on wipes. That’s about $20 per month, evened out. Extrapolate out… $240 per year. Zoinks! For less than the cost of a large box of wipes (about $15), we’ve made some home-made wipes and wipes sauce to use at home (we’ll probably stick with disposables while we’re out and about… I hate traveling with Biohazards on deck).