Happy Monday - Princess Camp

Happy Monday!

My little girl goes to Princess Camp this morning.  She's so excited...and so unlike me.   

Anna & One of Her Many "Princess" Outfits

I spent years playing in the dirt, digging for gold with my two best friends, Dave and Bobby.  Then I spent more years playing tennis all day, all summer long.  I never desired to be a 

princess.  I dreamed of being a hockey player even though I didn't play.

Here's to all the little girls who dream of being a princess or a hockey player!

Happy Monday, 

Laura

Fake Tans Can Cause Infertility

Experts in the UK will hopefully dampen peoples zeal for fake tans.  The researchers found there to be a host of ingredients in the tanning creams, including poisonous substances - cancer-causing formaldehyde and nitrosamines.  These dangerous chemicals could cause serious health risks from cancer to infertility.

"The Sun" reported that pregnant women who apply the tanning lotions face a higher risk of birth defects, adding men and women both could suffer fertility problems,`The Sun` reported.




Here is the full article.

My Book at Amazon: Five Strands of Hope ($0.99)

Here are links to previous blog posts: 

Should Schools Teach About Infertility?

My Beach Days Have Changed Forever

90% Divorce Rate for Parents of Triplets

I'll Have Another

A Mother's Fears

The Strongest Women

The Loneliness of Having Triplets

Infertility and Alcoholism

Acupuncture Improves Your Chances

Stress Kills Your Chances

It's Not Your Lifestyle: Male Infertility

Fresh vs Frozen Embryo Transfer

Premature Babies Twice as Likely to Suffer Mental Disorders

Does IVF Increased Your Breast Cancer Risk?

Should Schools Teach About Infertility?

There is an interesting article in The Guardian (UK) that discusses teaching infertility in schools.  It asks the question:  "Why doesn't sex education cover infertility, when five children in every class are likely to experience it?

I am not ashamed (and hope no one is) that we had to turn to fertility treatments to have the family that we do.  I plan to be very open with my children (why I wrote the book) about the path we took to have our children.  However, do I really want them to learn about infertility in high school?  Do I want them to be scared that they will struggle to have kids when they are still kids themselves?


No, no, no...I do not want my kids to have a class in high school that teaches them about infertility.  I want them to focus on high school, college and to find a career/vocation that they love.  I don't want them thinking that they should have children in their late teens/ early 20s, because they might suffer from infertility.  


When my children enter their 30s and don't have children then I will discuss infertility with them, specially my daughter.  I will educate her about freezing her eggs and other options that she has.  If I am not around to talk to her, I will hope that she will be comfortable with the internet and search engines and will be able to find out all the information that she needs regarding infertility.


I'd love to know what you think about teaching our high schoolers about infertility?

Here's the link to the full article

My Book at Amazon: Five Strands of Hope ($0.99)

Here are links to previous blog posts: 

My Beach Days Have Changed Forever

90% Divorce Rate for Parents of Triplets

I'll Have Another

A Mother's Fears

The Strongest Women

The Loneliness of Having Triplets

Natural Remedy for PCOS

Infertility and Alcoholism

Acupuncture Improves Your Chances

Stress Kills Your Chances

It's Not Your Lifestyle: Male Infertility

Grasping at Straws: Laptops Damage Sperm

Fresh vs Frozen Embryo Transfer

Premature Babies Twice as Likely to Suffer Mental Disorders

Does IVF Increased Your Breast Cancer Risk?

Ode to Opu

My First Baby - Opu

Opu Summer 2011 - Enjoying the Sprinker

Opu is our very much loved black labrador retriever.  I got him when we was 40lbs and 4 months old.  Now he is eleven years old (yikes) about 90-95lbs.  He has arthritis in all his joints, but his right shoulder is the worst.  He started complaining (moaning and refusing to go up and downstairs) in January.  

My veterinarian, my beloved cousin, Jen, prescribed him some medicine and it seemed like I had my puppy back.  However, at the beginning of this week, he started yelping, crying and moaning again.  Dr. Jen let me double up his medicine and he seemed ok for an afternoon.  The last two nights, he woke Brian and me up with his cries and moans.  It's sad and breaks my heart, because I know additional medicine is only going to pro-long his life by months - not years.  

Opu has seen me through tough times.  He dealt with my single life in NYC - the ups and downs of dating.  The death of my Godmother, who meant the world to me.  He listened to me when we were planning our wedding.  Helped me deal with my migraines when I was pregnant with Gavin.

Opu and Me (pregnant with Gavin)

Opu, much to popular myth, loved Gavin from the moment we brought him home.  Opu would sleep right under Gavin's crib and curl up next to me on the couch when I was feeding Gavin.

Opu - Love at First Site

Opu sat next to me and kissed my legs, when I cried over a miscarriage or failed IUI.  He consoled me continuously through the triplet pregnancy.  Always sitting right next to me and giving me encouragement.  

Opu and Brian enjoying the Pool

My beloved lab shares the trait of most labs.  He is happiest near food and drink.  At this very minute, he just finished moaning, so he could walk over to the to the deserted plate of waffles.

I'm hopeful that the new medicine he is on will help him enjoy the summer - probably his last summer.

I will always love you Opu, my very first baby.

**Opu passed away on September 24, 2012 - exactly two months before his 12 birthday.  I started a new post about all his crazy adventures during his.  However, his death is still too painful - maybe next month.

My Book at Amazon: Five Strands of Hope