Week 12: Getting Adjusted

{Editor’s Note}

I’ve had my Week 12 thoughts in a draft post half thrown together for nearly a week now. But with finding time to run, some radio appearances in the mornings on 98.5 The Sports Hub talking Red Sox trade deadline options and full summer days with the girls, the evening decision is write or veg out in front of the TV for an hour and “shut it down”. I’ve chosen the later more often than not this week. With Week 13 nearly in the books, I think it’s time to dust off the draft and get it out in the wild.

{Getting Adjusted}

I’ve been going to see a chiropractor for regular adjustments since Julia was born. The more we learned about the benefits of regular proactive chiropractic care, we started to think about whether it would be a good fit for the girls.

At the core of chiropractic philosophy is the notion of a healthy nervous system. Given that the nervous system, specifically the spinal cord, controls every major organ and muscle in your body, it’s reasonable to think a healthy nervous system would promote overall health throughout the body.

Just like a dentist proactively cares for your teeth, a chiropractor does the same for your spine and thus your nervous system and overall well being. By addressing subluxations — “kinks” in your spine — you promote full function of your neural pathways. Regular chiropractic care proactively addresses subluxations in the same way that brushing your teeth proactively prevents cavities.

For kids, a healthy nervous system is crucial to growth and development. Given the amount of wear and tear that kids place on their bodies — Ryan must have a fall of some sort or another at least five times a week — it is very likely that their spine is forced out of alignment and, over time, their nervous system compromised.

Dr. Tony giving Ryan her weekly adjustment - 7/21/2010

Talking to other parents whose kids have received regular chiropractic care, the children have on the whole been extremely “well” with fewer ear infections and other common illnesses. At the same time we were looking for alternative ways to address Juila’s intolerance to the proteins found in soy and dairy. The time felt right to give chiropractic care for the kids a chance.

We are currently taking Ryan and Julia for weekly adjustments for a few months and then spot checks there-after. Shortly after her adjustments started, we noticed Ryan’s ability to stay dry through the night take incredibly positive returns. This result was consistent with results from a study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics that found that one-quarter of the 171 children in the study treated with chiropractic had a 50 percent reduction of wet nights.

While the jury is still out on how effective chiropractic care will be for the girls, early signs have been positive enough for us to see it through a bit longer.

{Julia’s New Toys}

Sitting has been an eye-opening experience for Julia. Her world is now so much more interactive. From moving to the “big girl tub” and learning the pleasures of splashing to the sights and sounds of toys that require two hands to take full advantage of, Julia is discovering new things on a daily basis — and she’s not even mobile yet!

Julia's ability to sit up has opened up her world to new toys -- with lights and sounds, 7/20/2010

{The Great Cleansing}

One of the more frustrating things about the space in-between your first child and the one that you hope to have a few years down the road is the collection of baby stuff that sits in your basement or attic. From car seats to swings to boxes of clothes with labels “0-6″ or “2T” on them, my basement was overrun.

With my cousin having recently had a baby girl only a few months behind Julia and other friends expecting, we’ve taken the opportunity — and advantage of Julia’s accelerated growth patterns (she is in 12-18 month clothes already) — to give away many of the items that Julia was already outgrowing or showing no interest in.

After shipping four boxes to my cousin and loading up an SUV of a friends, I can see the tide of this battle turning in my direction — for now.

{Ryan Dancing}

You never know when you might see something out of your kids so casual but so moving at the same time. I was lucky enough to have my Flip camera handy as Ryan started dancing this week.

Ryan dancing to George Winston’s Tamarack Pines, 7/23/2010