Alot has happened in the last few weeks!!

- Switched Codi into a really excellent Preschool and he loves it. He is thriving, he is extremely social and is learning positive ways to interact with his classmates. The first two sessions he already knew most of his classmates names.

- Thinking more about putting some sort of business plan together for the Mother, families and baby unit with someone who is extremely passionate about helping mothers.

- Thinking of ways to really help Minti/Vibe and ineedhits and making my input time efficient and checking into Gooruze

- Enough time for family with all of this and then trying to catch up with friends!!

- Josh is now 7 months old and thriving!

- Now I want to check into the Minti community and see how everyone is going :0)

It has been four years since my first child was born and wow products have come such a long way in terms of eco, convenience, chemical free and family friendly. Here's just some of my discoveries that just continue to amaze me (I can't help myself but be amazed) hats off to those entrepreneurial mums!!!!

Green to Grow Eco and Chemical free bottles!!! (I wish they had toddler and kids drinks bottles on offer)

Apparently current baby bottles have "bisphenol A in the plastic that can be a hormone disrupting chemical used in polycarbonate plastic", these are free from this chemical as well as phthalates (whatever that is it sounds terrible)

I just had these delivered and I must say I am feeling really at peace knowing what I am using is safe and plus is they look really eco and cool...

Do you think we should have services for mothers in the first month after giving birth? If so, what type of services, mental health, new family support education, fatherhood support, sleep/take a break spa centre???????

If you had a magic wand and could help prevent or help manage the post natal blues or PND and have a service to the home in the first two weeks for free, by a caring midwife from your hospital whom looked after you in the ward (like they do in France) would you????????

Should we have a state and national Mother and Baby fatality rate toll, like we do for the State and National Road Toll???? To motivate awareness and Government slackiness and pull AMA's head out of the sand????

Should us mother's hold a light for those mother's who need extra support and community love????

These are just some big thoughts I have of late...

I can't believe it is already nearly the end of term 3...my my my how the year flies as first time school parents. It has been one eye opener I can tell you now...I guess now I could be ready for more. It would be good to see how Codi goes at Kung Fu, although lately he hasn't wanted to go...maybe tomorrow? His talking is coming along well and school seems to hav settled down, although we paid money for Kung Fu, and his teacher may not think this will help his speech, but we have already committed to it and Codi loves it...I guess his Show and Tell with his new Kung Fu belt didn't go very well at school..but the one thing that Kung Fu does is channel all his energy, he doesn't get told off for being loud and being a bosterious boy!!! He is learning stranger danger and self defence...and he believes he is a superhero!!! And for someone who's just turned four, I think is fantastic!!!!!

Wow have I been busy...school holidays were spent in the Whitsundays and boy did we ever enjoy it !!!! Pre-school has been good for Codi this year. Since, traveling most of 2007 every three months, as well as new cultures and experiences, Codi is adjusting to the slower pace of Perth. Since coming home, he has at times been bored, and has bundles of energy - much like me in that department, which I love. He is pretty much ahead in the gross motor department, with his communication coming along very well. He is only three and for a mum who spends 24/7 with him, I can see a huge improvement in this area. He is a late bloomer in the talking department, but I am very confident that he is catching up. Especially with his intermittent Estropia Strabimus, which he may need glasses to correct his slight upturn of his eye every now and then. There is a link between delayed communication in children with this eye problem as it is connected all to data processing via the hearing, visual and talking senses. This is the first area that needs to be focused on first, his ears, eyes and what is delaying his communication.

Like all children this age, they are all at various different stages of development and instead of listening to people who think they are instant experts in this area, I am going to listen to my instinct. It's funny because many of us as children defied all labels, yet its hard to remind ourselves of the same when looking at children as young as three. The good thing is that our GP doesn't see any issues and I am going to find a suitable and impartial speech pathologist that can provide consistent support at school.

I guess the most important thing is to provide lots of love, support and room for Codi to develop and at any point I feel it necessary for additional review I am motivated and completely open to this. But it is soo sooo sooo soo early to even begin to try and find evidence for problems that aren't even there. One thing I know is that he love stories, he loves learning about how things work, the world and at the moment loves introducing himself to people and other kids his age.

I am reminded by a very intelligent person, that with "unconditional love, not labeling, miracles happen"

----

Words of wisdom from MrsSanders, it's so true...

"Wonderful to hear that all is good. I think that you are so right in following your instincts with Codi. With modern knowledge and research, it sometimes pushes a feeling in Parents that they should intervene, before nature has had a chance to understand itself. Children are so unique, that developement and growth are truely individual. I applaude you for giving Codi's brain time to sort things out for itself, because nature just might have the answer and find away to sort it for him, in its own good time."

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/mintiland

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/mintiland

You can just watch, but I would love it if people joined the chat (u need to sign up to ustream.tv)

Here's is a great experience by one of our new members at the recent Perth Meet up!!! Can't wait to actually attend!!!! I can't help but think of big things like free t-shirts etc etc I can never hold my brain down for long hmmmm

Perth Meet up

Also I did a search in Google and it seems that Adelaide has had TWO meetups!!!

Anyone can tell me of more meet ups I would love to know around the world.

Host your own meet up next month and if we can get one in America, UK, China, and more countries I will give Minti moolah away from my stash to those groups one in each country!!!! To prove it, show off your photos.

I will be giving Moolah away to the Perth group.

[update] it seems I crashed the gift section so tomorrow I will be gifting the following (tell me if i missed anyone from the photo of who was at Minti meetup)

- "kathryn-solaris"
- "HarrisonsMommy"
- "August88"
- "Libby24"
- "Fry" (husband of "Libby24")
- "ellamia" (Kell) again !!!!

- alishas-mummy

Wow, I am HOOKED on SAFETIES. As some of you lovely ladies know I have switched from a die hard Huggies fan to a SAFETIES addict (I sent Clay out even tonight to buy the infant size, 4 of them!)... Joshua has such a sensitive bottom and skin that it was impossible for him to have huggies on for too long and would scream if he soiled them. With Safeties I found that he was fine if he soiled them and slept a good 10hrs the other night with no leakage. I have also worked out how to put on a nappy properly to prevent leakage - I surprised myself how easy it is to forget!!!

Anyway, I love'em and wanted to give you all an update!!! I love doing things for the environment but I don't like compromising on quality. IGA also sold a new unbleached brand of toilet paper with a frog on the packaging, I will find out what brand it is, but man it's soft, strong and just as good as the Cottenelle toilet paper and doesnt clog the bowl. Awesome for kids and the environment. Better than the old versions out there and is more closer to white.

nite nite

Bubby did a lovely 10 hours last night, but silly me went to bed at 10pm so only 6.5hrs sleep and I have a cold - boo hoo oh well...at least I feel asleep for two hours this arvo...it was so funny to wake up not knowing where the hell I was - hehe on the couch, hubby had the radio on in the kitchen on talkback, so no wonder I fell ASLEEP to the droning sound of a guys/blokes voice - hahah...