Ringling Brother's Circus Coupon

The circus is coming to the Peoria Civic Center. The publicist sent me this coupon code so my readers can get $4.00 off the price of admission!

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus presents OVER THE TOP
May 29 – 31, 2009
Peoria Civic Center
SAVE $4 with code FAMFUN!
Valid on Sat 11am & Sun 5pm shows

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® proudly presents OVER THE TOP, an all-new live entertainment extravaganza featuring the ultimate tug of war between Ringmaster Chuck Wagner and clown eccentric Tom Dougherty over a magical top hat that controls the circus. Over the Top is two circuses in one providing excitement for the whole family. And with the audience's participation, this circus really goes OVER THE TOP!

Must use code FAMFUN when purchasing tickets.

Limit 6 tickets per coupon. Not valid on Circus Celebrity or VIP seating. No double discounts. Offer subject to availability. Service charges and handling fees may apply.
http://www.ringling.com/

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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What? I'm pregnant?

Your mind will be spinning after reading this story. A mom just gave birth in her bathroom this week and she didn't even know she was pregnant! I know you have heard of these stories before, but this one really happened! She says she took pregnancy tests that came back negative and had very few pregnancy symptoms. My thoughts: I know some people carry small, but if you couldn't tell she was pregnant by 6 months, I am jealous! I had people asking me when my baby is due at 4 months! And to have basically no pregnancy symptoms is a complete dream! Unreal! What about the delivery? She did it by herself in the bathroom in a couple minutes! What? Speaking for all pregnant women out there, that is just not fair!

FROM NBC: A Bloomington, IN woman had a baby Monday, but says she didn't even know she was pregnant. It's the kind of story that doesn't happen everyday and one that's hard to believe.

As Kris Kirschner reports, the Bloomington couple grew from two to three overnight and they didn't see it coming.

A new baby's arrival is often a guessing game. The due date... Birth weight....sex. But for Shana and Bobby what was most unexpected was that they were expecting at all.

Sound / bobby jean "nothing that was anywhere close to the radar of being on my mind..."

Sound / Shana Hupp
"I almost passed out actually that day I thought it was because I had waited to long to eat."
Shana Hupp wasn't feeling well early Monday morning, but had no idea what was causing her discomfort was a 7 pound 3 ounce baby boy.

Sound /
"I tried to wake him up but I couldn't even make it that far, so went to the bathroom and there he came in about 2-3 minutes literally."

Jaxsen's arrival was fast. Too fast to even get to a hospital.

Sound /
"He came in looking white as a ghost, I'm sure I was too."

His parents admit they are still in shock. They had no idea Shana was pregnant. Engaged and living together they had casually considered having children, and even potential names, but had no immediate plans for a family.

Sound /
"Not quite sure this is, I'm going to wake up in a little bit ."

Stand-up Kris Kirschner / reporting "You may be asking yourself how could someone carry a baby to term without even knowing she's pregnant. I talked with an ob/gyn who said while in theory it may be possible, in practice, it's extremely unlikely."

Sound /
"I had taken negative pregnancy tests and I had to just let it go from there."

Shana says she didn't show the obvious signs of an expectant mother.
((she and bobby say "he must have been a calm..peaceful baby"))
((nats bobby says "happy mothers day, I got you a baby"))

Ready or not, he's still their bundle of joy. And while they may rather have timed it differently, they are proud parents just the same.

Sound /
"He's mine and you know I don't have much of a second thought about it."
Ready to start their new life as baby makes three.

-NewsAnchorMomJen

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One easy way to prevent Swine Flu

This story really hits home for me. My baby is due in September, just as the typically flu season gets ready to start. Experts are predicting the swine flu will start spreading faster in the fall. I am so relieved to know there is something I can do-that I was already planning on doing-to protect my baby. Yeah!

FROM CNN:As the CDC continues to monitor the swine flu outbreak, health officials are zeroing in on how to protect the most vulnerable population – infants. Breastfeeding could be the answer to preventing infection.

"Aww, I love it when she yawns." Doting first–time parents, Rob and Rikki Emanuel want to do whatever they can to keep their ten–week–old daughter, Eliza, healthy. When faced with the decision over whether or not to breast feed Eliza, Rikki says looking into the benefits of breast milk made it an easy choice.

"Immunity for the baby, as far as them not being able to defend themselves from colds and everything and the fact that you pass that on to them." This immunity has health officials stepping up to say with the current swine flu outbreak, mothers that *can breast feed their infants *should.

(SOT: Marta Benglis, R.N., Lactation Consultant) "A mother's body makes immunities for the baby, so antibodies are actually formed in the mother's body by everything that she is exposed to – so she transfers those immunities to the baby." Registered nurse and lactation consultant Marta Benglis says not only is the breast milk full of disease–fighting cells and antibodies, but it also contributes to marked improvements for children as they grow older.

(SOT: Marta Benglis, R.N., Lactation Consultant) "The baby's IQ is higher once they get to be school age and then also, they get sick less often – so less problems with respiratory illnesses and allergies and stomach problems." The Centers for Disease Control is also urging parents to remember toprotect their babies in the same way they protect themselves ... especially by keeping their hands (that oftentimes end up in their mouths) clean!

(SOT: Rikki Emanuel, New Mom) "Washing hands often, just kind of being aware of if anybody seems to be sick or anything like that, just being extra cautious. It's the best thing you can do for them.") CDC guidance recommends that if a mother is ill, she should *continue breastfeeding and increase feeding frequency. Women can continue to breastfeed while receiving anti–viral medications.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Money Saving Tips

You will soon be turning on the air conditioning and you will be surprised to hear how much of your energy bill will go towards that AC. You always hear about turning your thermostat a few degrees up or down to save utility money, but these tips are a little different. We have a new house, but I am still going to do the refrigerator test mentioned at the end of the story. If you have kids like me, you know they will be leaving the door open this summer. So you can probably use these tips! So glad we didn't have to use heat/air last month. My bill was $217 cheaper! Amazing! What is your electric bill like these days?

FROM ABC: Most people can save money by cutting back on their energy consumption.. But just how much can you really save? One way to find out how is through your local utility.. Many offer free energy audits. Jennifer Garcia is a stay–at–home mom with two young boys and a third baby on the way. "We need to cut costs and tighten up the belt, so I wanted to know areas where we could go through our house and save money."

She invited her local utility out for a free energy audit . The first thing Stan Mueller notices is the old incandescent lightbulbs : "You can promote 75 per cent energy savings by replacing these lights.": Which he did immediately ...because those lights also produce heat, making jennifer's air conditioner work harder and air conditioning can account for 40 per cent of your energy bill: Stanley Mueller from Southern CA Edison said,

"Having your A–C tuned up every 2–3 years is a good idea." He also recommends replacing the filters ...and sealing cracks under doors— even tiny ones like this— to keep the heat out and cold air in. "Mind if I take a quick look at it." Refrigerators are energy hogs. Cleaning the coils helps. And keeping it full means it doesn't have to work as hard to stay cool. Here's a trick: take a dollar bill— stick it in your freezer or refrigerator door.

If it doesn't stay in place when you take your hand away, it means cold air is escaping and you need new seals. Stan's colleague plugs a watt meter into Jennifer's new TV...measuring how much it costs to run.. Gene Rodrigues, Southern California Edison "About 130 dollars a year goes to just powering this tv, if it's used all the time." "It's so easy. They come to your house, and they tell you ways to save money." And who doesnt' like that?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Afraid to wear shorts? Do you have unwanted hair? Embarrassed by unsightly varicose or spider veins? NOW is the time to get your legs ready for summer! You don’t have to be afraid to wear shorts because of unwanted hair or unsightly varicose or spider veins. Call 674-SKIN to schedule your FREE leg vein or hair laser consultation at Soderstrom Skin Institute, and you’ll be ready to show off your beautiful legs this summer!

Soderstrom Skin Institute is positioned to be a comprehensive, full service, skin care facility. Visit www.soderstromskininstitute.com to learn what Soderstrom Skin Institute can do for you.

Pregnant at 66 years old

FROM ABC: She's a 66-year-old successful career woman about to become a first-time mom. Elizabeth Adeney, now eight months pregnant, will be one of the oldest new mothers in the world.

Chatter on the Internet ranges from wonder at the miracle to harsh criticism, with one post calling Adeney's decision to have in vitro fertilization an example of "breathtaking selfishness." When she's 85 years old, her child will still be a teenager.

But Adeney, who lives near Lidgate, Suffolk, in southeastern England, reportedly said that to be a mother, all that matters is how old you feel on the inside. And she claimed she is young and fit and feels like she is 39 years old.

Most IVF clinics in Britain (and the United States) don't offer treatment to women older than 50, so Adeney flew to Ukraine, where there is no age limit on IVF, becoming one of the so-called "fertility tourists."

Dr. Jamie Grifo at the New York University Fertility Center told ABC News that although "pregnancy has risks associated with it at any age … the older the woman, the greater the risks."

Older women who get pregnant could have trouble with "high blood pressure, which can complicate placental development. They can develop diabetes in pregnancy, which has to be monitored. Preterm labor is an issue in the older patient and of course, Cesarean delivery and the associated surgical risks."

But, Grifo added, these risks are "very treatable, so as long as an older woman has a healthy heart, their outcome for pregnancy is very good."

In 2004 New Yorker Aleta St. James became the oldest American woman to give birth when she had twins. She was nearly 57. A year later, a 66 year-old Romanian woman became the world's oldest mom. Then, in 2006, Carmela Bousada of Spain, who was nearly 67, took the title.

And last year, Omkari Panwar from India stole her crown. Desperate for a male heir, she underwent IVF at age 70. She got her wish when she gave birth to twins, one of them a boy.

According to Grifo, "There haven't been that many women over the age of 50 who have attempted pregnancy and now that the technology exists more are doing so."

But should they be allowed to? Grifo told ABC News that "We don't tell a 14-year-old unmarried woman she's not allowed to have a child. Why should we tell a 66-year-old woman who is healthy and wants to have a baby that she can't. Who's to say?"

Adeney said what she's doing is between her, her baby and no one else.

"The good news is," Grifo said, "it's not a common problem … in the world there's probably only five women over the age of 55 who have done this. I don't think this needs to be a great debate among regulators."

Wow! That would be so hard to have a little one at that age. I wonder if she will need help raising the baby. I hope she has some nieces/nephews who can help her out if she needs it. I think it's hard at 32 years old! Should women over 50 years old be able to do have in vitro?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Afraid to wear shorts? Do you have unwanted hair? Embarrassed by unsightly varicose or spider veins? NOW is the time to get your legs ready for summer! You don’t have to be afraid to wear shorts because of unwanted hair or unsightly varicose or spider veins. Call 674-SKIN to schedule your FREE leg vein or hair laser consultation at Soderstrom Skin Institute, and you’ll be ready to show off your beautiful legs this summer!

Soderstrom Skin Institute is positioned to be a comprehensive, full service, skin care facility. Visit www.soderstromskininstitute.com to learn what Soderstrom Skin Institute can do for you.

Fight for Kids with Disabilities

Some of you may want to attend this event. (May 20th from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at AmericInn 9106 N. Lindbergh Dr. Peoria, 61615) I can give you the organizer's contact info if you want--

FROM FREEDOM QUEST 2009: Calling for equal opportunities for citizens with disabilities in Illinois, a group of thirty-five people with disabilities, and their friends and family will arrived in Peoria, Illinois Wednesday as part of their journey around the State. They call for changes that will allow people with disabilities in Illinois to get the services they need to live free, independent and inclusive lifestyles like everyone else in America. The journey, called Freedom Quest ’09, was inspired by the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.

The group of individuals is one of three groups traveling around the State of Illinois in caravans on three separate routes. Freedom Quest ‘09 travelled from the Quad Cities to LaSalle-Peru, will continue on to Bloomington and end with a rally at the State Capitol Rotunda in Springfield at 11:00 a.m. on May 21^st.

The specific changes that the group is calling for include:

1. Creating flexible, individual, cost-effective community-based supports for people with developmental disabilities so they can live free lives.
2. Reducing and eventually eliminating the number of people with developmental disabilities on the waiting list by investing in community-based services.
3. Reducing the need for expensive state-operated institutions by offering people with significant disabilities the services they need to live in their own communities…the millions saved could be spent to help more people in better ways.

• Illinois institutionalizes more or its citizens with developmental disabilities than nearly every other state. Institutional care costs more than twice as much as community-based care.
• Illinois ranks 51^st in providing community integrated supports for people with developmental disabilities.
• In Illinois, only 13% of people with developmental disabilities who want to get jobs in the community have them.
• Illinois ranks 40^th in overall funding for people with developmental disabilities.
• There are currently almost 17,000 people waiting for services in Illinois.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Afraid to wear shorts? Do you have unwanted hair? Embarrassed by unsightly varicose or spider veins? NOW is the time to get your legs ready for summer! You don’t have to be afraid to wear shorts because of unwanted hair or unsightly varicose or spider veins. Call 674-SKIN to schedule your FREE leg vein or hair laser consultation at Soderstrom Skin Institute, and you’ll be ready to show off your beautiful legs this summer!

Soderstrom Skin Institute is positioned to be a comprehensive, full service, skin care facility. Visit www.soderstromskininstitute.com to learn what Soderstrom Skin Institute can do for you.

Rear Facing until 2!(NOT 1)

The American Academy of Pediatrics is now recommending leaving a child rear facing a in convertible car seat until 2 years old! This is a big deal! That is an entire year longer than what we have been told and it won't be easy to do. I know my boys were kicking at the seat and screaming by one year old because they couldn't see! I waited until the boys were about 14 months old to turn them around and I thought I held out long! I am still searching for more information about this. The AAP article doesn't say what research or why the recommendation is changing. I am assuming it's safer, but what exactly does that mean? Fewer fatalities in crashes? Less whiplash? Fewer broken bones? And who did this research? I have to assume it wasn't a convertible car seat manufacturer if the AAP is citing the information, but there's no way to tell.

One blog says: Their research shows that toddlers are five times safer in rear-facing seats until they turn two. I am assuming their means the AAP.

So if anyone has seen more info on this, please send it to me! When did you turn your child(ren) forward facing?


Rear Facing until 2 years old AAP April:
New research indicates that toddlers are more than five times safer riding rear-facing in a car safety seat up to their second birthday. Following are some safety tips for car seat use:
• All infants should ride rear-facing in either an infant car seat or convertible seat. • If an infant car seat is used, the infant should be switched to a rear-facing convertible car seat once the maximum height (when the infant’s head is within 1 inch of the top of the seat) and weight (usually 22 pounds to 32 pounds) have been reached for that infant seat as sug- gested by the car seat manufacturer.
• Toddlers should remain rear-facing in a convertible car seat until they have reached the maximum height and weight recommended for the model, or at least the age of 2.
• To see if your car seat is installed properly and to find a certified passenger safety technician in your area, visit http://www.seatcheck.org/ or www.nhtsa.dot.gov. You also can call 866-SEATCHECK (866-732-8243) or 888-327-4236. — Lori O’Keefe

UPDATE: Jenny sent me this link on iVillage about rear facing: iVillage
Maria sent this one from a blog and from Cafe Mom

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Afraid to wear shorts? Do you have unwanted hair? Embarrassed by unsightly varicose or spider veins? NOW is the time to get your legs ready for summer! You don’t have to be afraid to wear shorts because of unwanted hair or unsightly varicose or spider veins. Call 674-SKIN to schedule your FREE leg vein or hair laser consultation at Soderstrom Skin Institute, and you’ll be ready to show off your beautiful legs this summer!

Soderstrom Skin Institute is positioned to be a comprehensive, full service, skin care facility. Visit www.soderstromskininstitute.com to learn what Soderstrom Skin Institute can do for you.