A rhyme worth your time

I am usually not a big fan of chain emails, forwarded jokes, YouTube videos, or anything else one might consider junk mail, but I received a link today that is certainly worth sharing. This woman sums up the MOST IMPORTANT THING so well! Check her out (click on link below)...

RHYME

US - low score on Motherhood rankings. On WHAT?

Posted Tue May 4, 4:58 am ET by WASHINGTON (AFP) – The United States has scored poorly on a campaign group's list of the best countries in which to be a mother, managing only 28th place, and bettered by many smaller and poorer countries.

...One factor that dragged the US ranking down was its maternal mortality rate, which at one in 4,800 is one of the highest in the developed world, said the report.

The full article can be found HERE. I was shocked to read the horrific stats on infant mortality and maternal death that landed the US so low on this list. Unfortunately, it is not completely unimaginable given that maternity leave is almost non-existent, that so many mothers go back to work so quickly following childbirth, and that Medicaid seemingly encourages those covered under the plan to increase the size of their families while unable to adequately provide for them. The article would have held more merit in my eyes it the entire list had been published and the factors considered in ranking the countries. Regardless, I am thankful, and not at all surprised to see that Germany ranked in the top 10.

Having lived here for the past 5 years (almost) under a "socialized medicine" system, I can attest to the benefits. Yes, it costs more than the US... much more! 14% of my gross salary! But, everyone covered under the public healthcare sector pays this amount, regardless of the number of hours they work or their gross income. It's not a perfect system, but it works. Nearly EVERYONE in the country has healthcare insurance. Regardless of my generally republican ideals, I would have to seriously consider voting FOR a universal healthcare system in the US.

Under the German system, I personally received exceptional care, including a fully covered amniocentesis by a top-ranked specialist. My total out-of-pocket expenses were less than 300 euros (less than 500 US dollars)! My PAID maternity leave started 6 weeks prior to my due date and continued 8 weeks after delivery (regardess of due date). Following that time, I received 67% of my net pay for the following 10 months! Granted, the birthrate in Germany is extremely low and this law was passed to encourage women to have children (by lessening the financial burden). Not only that, my employer is legally required to retain my position for a period of up to 3 years should I decide to exercise my "stay at home" right for that entire period.

There are a few drawbacks to the German system...a very few. One that might bother many American mothers is that my OB/GYN had nothing at all to do with the delivery of my child. Unless complications arise, a midwife or two delivers the baby. Immediately following birth, a physician examines the child and conducts all post-birth care of the mother. No, I had never met the guy (physician) before, but it didn't matter. I had a healthy child and he took exceptional care of me, even on Christmas night.

So, I am quite happy with my socialized medicine. I certainly can't complain.

Breakfast with a Monkey (or was it a Caveman?)

This morning Daniel and I enjoyed breakfast together. While I drank my piping hot latte and lightly toasted piece of strizel (a mildly sweet butter bread with soft raisins and sliced almonds on top), Daniel, I mean the Monkey, polished off two thin slices of the strizel all by himself. He has not yet mastered any sort of culinary finesse and employs more of a cave-man style of eating... shoveling every last morsel in by pouring all the remaining crumbs into his little mouth. Perhaps he was just really hungry, or maybe this is just what boys do. Needless to say... the crumbs went everywhere.

16 Months Old

What an awesome day to turn 16 months old! The sky is a crystal clear, vibrant blue (no clouds in sight!), there is a cool freshness in the air, and the birds are chirping contently. A few young boys sit peacefully across the lake, enjoying the stillness of the water as they await a catch on their fishing poles. They are more likely to catch a duck than a fish, but I imagine the experience is more about the escape than the harvest!

So, Little Man is 16 months old today. He is almost walking by himself & is so very active during the day toddling around, chasing his cars, and babbling incessantly. It is interesting to imagine what it is he is attempting to say, but just this morning, I recognized that he was trying to say "ball" (which sounded more like "ba") as he pulled his red ball from his toy box. Little guy is working so hard to learn both English & German, but seems to understand us very well!

In the past week, he is back to napping sometimes twice daily (morning & afternoon). He talks often quite loudly in his sleep and I think he wakes himself up in the night. He also wakes quite early (before 7 AM), so seems a bit more tired by mid-morning. Maybe it is a growth phase. Regardless, he is a much happier boy when he gets a good nap, whenever it happens!

The 8th tooth has made it's appearance this month, resulting in lots of biting and chewing on just about anything (shoes, toys, furniture, etc). And... more drooling! Michael is diligent about evening teeth brushing (both Daniel's and his own) - no yuck mouth around here!

Daniel is quite a social butterfly... he obviously prefers playing with other kids than alone. He is really enjoying his days at his babysitter's house with the 3 other children there. He LOVES to go for walks with us outside and we make that an almost daily afternoon event for our family. We have a long 1-hour "loop" in our neighborhood and along the Rhein on which we can see farm animals (mostly sheep & cows), big barges traveling along the Rhein, and beautiful open fields with fragrant blooms trees/flowers. We ALL love it!

It looks like we will have to take Daniel to the pool soon! He CHERISHES his bath - playing wildly, drinking big cupfuls of soapy bathwater, and laying on his back in the water kicking his legs like a zoo animal. The child has absolutely NO FEAR of the water, which is why he probably should learn the basics of swimming as soon as possible.

Our little monkey is so much fun, so entertaining, and yet so challenging for us. He keeps us chronically tired, but smiling nonetheless. We thank God for the precious moments in which we see him experience so many new things that life brings our way. Having him in our lives truly is fun and the most rewarding thing on Earth!