medicine vs. "natural remedies" (whatever that really is...)

So lately I've been thinking about (and getting a little overwhelmed by) the whole world of medicine vs. natural remedies and what you choose to administer to your family.  I don't like that I have no medical knowledge or understand little of how the body works, so I feel that I can't really make very informed choices and usually rely on the opinion of others... be that a friend, doctor, website, etc. (which is how most people probably operate).

My natural mindset for health is that we eat lots of fruits & veggies, take a vitamin, and hope we don't get sick.  If we do get sick, I tend to just let things run their course and just suffer a little through it, b/c I know I don't want to use medicine unless I have to, but don't really know of any other great remedies (other than eating a few extra oranges and taking more vitamins... which might not even help!).  I probably make things up in my head that are or aren't a big deal, without any factual backing.

Some of this started because Creighton has been congested with a snotty nose for over a month now, ever since he started getting his bottom teeth.  I attributed it to his teeth for the first couple weeks, but then started to think it was a little weird it wasn't getting better.  At his latest well visit, the Dr. thought it could be a sinus infection and prescribed an antibiotic.  I got it, but couldn't bring myself to give it to him, b/c he really wasn't showing any sign of a sinus infection, other than congestion.  But I kept going back and forth on whether to give it to him b/c I just want him to be better!  He doesn't seem to be bothered by it, but I'm a little tired of suctioning his nose and just like healthy babies better than ones with stuffy noses.

So I talked to some friends about Creighton and one had some natural suggestions... extra vitamin C, oregano drops, things like that.  Ok, I don't know anything about things like oregano drops unless I hear it from someone else.  Might as well try it?

Then I checked a few websites/blogs here and there that discussed natural remedies to use when you are sick, and it's just OVERWHELMING!  There are herbs for this, a product for that... how in the world to do you know when to use what?  And are herbs really all that safe and way better than medicine?  I've heard a Dr. say that herbs are toxic to your body just like medicine  (I think... I remember asking if that's what he really said b/c it surprised me) ... hmmm, interesting.

One site said that too much tylenol (like once/month) greatly increases your risk of asthma... really?  Who has ever heard of that? There are so many risks and concerns out there that it makes my brain hurt if I get too involved, so I tend to just keep my distance... which is probably why I feel uninformed.

At the end of the day, I guess my theory will go back to what it is for most things in life... moderation.  Is a little medicine or antibiotics here and there going to have life altering side affects?  Hopefully not.  Using some herbs are probably ok too.  I just don't like to get too extreme in any one thing.

I also have found comfort in Matthew 6:25 & 27:  Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink or about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing..... And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
God is sovereign over our life and knows when/if we will get sick and how long our life will last.  Can we really ever prevent cancer or life long illnesses?  Are they really just a part of God's plan for our life?  I have to trust that I will probably never have perfect information when making decisions regarding my family's health, but God is in control.

So... enough of my ramblings!  What are your theories?  Are you quick to administer the meds?  Have some secret home remedies?  Don't get too worried about all this stuff?  Tips on dealing with a congested baby?  I'd love to know. :)

pure Michigan

Why is it called pure Michigan?  Because it's really that great?  I guess every time I vacation there I do find myself saying how beautiful Michigan is and how much I like it.

This past weekend we took a quite trip up to Michigan with the Sunday school bible class (Chad's a teacher).  It's a small group of kids and was great to get to know them better.  My little sis got to come along to accompany her cousin, due to the small class size, so it was fun to have her around too.  :)  We stayed at a lake house and did some normal Michigan activities, like a morning run, shopping in town, relaxing outside by the water, football on the beach, a boat ride, campfire... lots of things packed into a trip that lasted less than 48 hours!

Saturday morning the guys wanted to play beach football, so the girls followed them there to cheer them on enjoy the sandy beaches and wander through the dunes.  Something about roaming through the tall grasses makes me feel like a character in a good fiction novel... or at least makes me want to sit and read book while taking in the beauty of the dunes and pondering life.  :)

didn't realize how bright the sun was when I took this one!  Leah isn't that white in person :)

... after I did this post I went through Chad's pics and found a few more to add of the boat ride through the channel from the "little lake" to the "big lake."

some Beck quotes...

I'm having trouble updating my Beck quote gadget, so I'll just give him his own post.  :)

Lately, if Beck gets frustrated about something (like having trouble putting on his slip-on shoes, not being able to watch a show.. you know, the big things in life), he states "I'm so mad, I'll just run away!"  Quoting a favorite little Critter story, I Was So Mad.  He usually tells me several times, just to emphasize his seriousness. :)

Beck is a garbage man.  He loves all things garbage.  Sounds kind of weird.  The interest started when he found a "Mighty Machines" show about the process of picking up the garbage and taking it to the landfill.  Trash day is now a celebration around here and when Beck sees the trash cans lining the streets he cries "it's trash day!!!"  If we hear the garbage truck come in the afternoon, we are for sure outside watching him collect all the trash on our cul-de-sec. (I think the trash guy is starting to get a kick out of this... I'm sure he's flattered that a little boy thinks he cool and likes to watch him work. :))  We definitely notice and talk about garbage trucks that we see on the road, and Beck likes to play "garbage" at home, throwing piles of clothes or other things around, acting like he's throwing away the garbage, or something.  

The other day, while I was making his bed he decided that all the pillows were going to be his garbage and he started carrying and tossing them throughout the house, talking about his garbage.  Once I decided he should be done, I started to pick up some pillows to put them back.  He didn't like this and persisted, "Mom, that's my good garbage!"

Our little entertainer helping me out with Creighton's bottle.  Right after I took this picture I thought to myself that I should utilize Beck more often for things like this!  And about 30 seconds later Creighton was fussing because Beck had gotten bored with feeding him, set his bottle on the floor and was off playing.  Ok, maybe he's not completely ready for these tasks.  :) 

6 months

6 months.  Really?  Already?  He's starting to feel a little less baby and more little boy... even though he's still very baby!  Him and Beck are interacting more and already having a few toy wars.  Or not really wars, just Beck deciding that he wants whatever toy I give to Creighton to play with, even if it is a baby toy.  But Creighton thinks Beck is hilarious and loves him.  He watches Beck closely and smiles and laughs at him, regardless of if Beck is actually being funny.

Some other new things for Creighton this month are getting his two bottom teeth, rolling from his back to his tummy, eating a little baby food, getting much better at holding his own bottle (yea for the mornings I'm running behind!), and being much more consistent with sleeping through the night!  I think he slept to 7/7:30 am for a good 5 days straight, but pulled a 4:15 wake up on me last night, just to keep things interesting.  And while it's never fun to be woken up in the middle of the night, I must say that I don't mind cuddling this little guy back to sleep after he eats.  :)

I noticed all my pictures of him are kind of blurry... so hard to get a good shot while he's squirming and kicking around!

where's the picture?

Does anyone else find it hard to find the balance between enjoying the moment and capturing it?  Whenever we are doing something new, fun, special, etc, I find myself wanting to just enjoy the moment rather than worrying about always having my camera or phone out to capture it (or asking someone else to take a picture, which I like even less).  I don't want to be one of those people who are constantly chasing their kid down trying to get a picture of every little thing they do... they always seem a little desperate or something?  Like they have to have pictures of everything to prove how much fun they are having in life?  Maybe I'm all wrong on this.  However, I usually look back and wish I had more pictures of whatever we did.  It seems that the more I enjoy whatever we are doing, the fewer pictures I have to remember the event.  Hum... this sounds backwards!

So... here are a few pictures to wrap up our summer, but there are many fun things we did that are going to go unrepresented on the blog, because I was enjoying myself too much to get out the camera.

Like the time we went to symphony on the prairie with a group of friends and listened to some great broadway hits and had some excellent food and drinks.
Or when we went to Mallow Run Winery with Neal & Leann and our kiddos and had a picnic in the grass while listening to live music, the kids ran free and we sipped wine.
And the weekend with Shane & Stef's family where we went to the zoo, had a picnic along the canal, and walked the streets of downtown Carmel before an outside dinner at a local burger joint.
Or a few dates Chad and I went on where we tried new restaurants, walked around Broad Ripple, sipped coffee, had good drinks, and chatted about our blessed life.
How about when we went to an Indian's baseball game with our small group and sat on the overly crowded lawn and munched on food while we chatted the night away, watching very little of the game.

Those things will have to just stay written memories, as I have few to zero pictures of any of these events... kind of sad.  Now on to a few random times I did decide to take a picture.  :)

a little slash in the fountain at Uncle Jim & Aunt Sheli's house (who hosted us for some amazing outdoor summer dinners!)

playing in the rain... or sprinkle, really 

I broke down and put on a baby show for the first time for Creighton.  sometimes it's just necessary  :)

climbing into bed with Creighton after a nap

brotherly love... although Creighton doesn't look to be enjoying the moment as much as Beck

swinging Daddy's driver... he's a determined little fellow and actually did pretty good with it!