The Great Vaccine Debate

A GREAT discussion about vaccines is on our friend Ari Brown's website at http://www.windsorpeak.com/baby411/Vaccine.pdf

It is so hard to sort out fact from fiction in this age of vaccine fears. Dr. Brown has kindly allowed us to access this excerpt from her book Baby 411. We hope you read it and pass it along. We couldn't have said it better ourselves!
No matter which side of the vaccine debate you are on, make sure you have open and frank dialogue with your pediatrician. Open communication is key, and you can work together to devise a plan of action that both of you are comfortable with.

By the way, if you don't already have a copy of Dr. Brown's book Baby 411...run, don't walk...buy it. It's a must-have for any parent, and could save you a trip or two to our office!

Diary of a Doc: Dr JJ -- 1186 Days and Counting

First of all, I want to thank you all for your good wishes for DOD. He’s hanging in at home and gathering a little strength, day by day. As for the boy, he trekked to Chicago last weekend, riding shotgun with a librarian from Flint, for a national backgammon tournament. Backgammon shares a space in his heart with poker, but somehow the former seems more legitimate in mom’s mind (no seedy, smoky, sunglass-clad, shifty-eyed visuals in my brain). Having never set foot on the streets of “ChiTown” (except for his layovers in the airport), Max now understands why everyone LOVES Chicago (except in the deep of Winter). Here he was, kid from the BIG City, calling mom in absolute wonder at the gorgeous architecture, river through the City, admiring the vibrancy and beauty of this incredible jewel in the middle of the US! The tournament was held out in the ‘burbs, and Max quickly was humbled (and his scratched together entry fees and buy ins quickly gone) by the finesse and skill held by those many years senior to him. He didn’t mind being excluded early – as that gave him time to meet his heroes of this “sport,” garner some knowledge, and most importantly, stand back and realize that winning at this level requires years and years of practice, dedication, and, as he realized, many losses on the way to victory. His mind set zoomed from the fantasy of winning (as a young neophyte) to the reality of realizing that true dedication, humbling losses and resilient persistence are the qualities of someone who succeeds. I hope that he will apply this experience, and these lessons to his life on campus, and his life on this planet. I already started to see a hint of it when he was not hired as a campus tour guide (a plum paid position), and set about to try again in the fall (with no anger, angst, or assigning blame)……now let’s hope he finds a job this summer as he returns home April 29 for 3 months!

Baby Silk Honored with 2 Major Awards!

What a week we've had! We learned, in the span of 2 days, that our Baby Silk line was honored with not one, but TWO very exciting awards!
Our Babysafe Sunscreen Towelettes were honored last week with the prestigious NAPPA Gold Award (the National Parenting Publications Awards' highest honor) and our Soothing Bottom Relief Diaper Rash Cream and Gentle All-Over Clean Cleansing Towelettes each won a PTPA (Parent Tested Parent Approved) Award!
Having one product recognized like this is an honor...but three? Wow. Just wow!
The NAPPA seal is one that is recognized by parents everywhere and is a great mark of credibility for consumers and retailers alike.
The PTPA award is exciting because it was bestowed upon us by parents themselves. What more could we ask for?
So THANK YOU NAPPA...THANK YOU PTPA...and most especially, THANK YOU parents. It is for you and your kids that we do what we do, both as pediatricians and as the makers of Baby Silk. We are honored to have become a part of your lives!

Diary of a Doc: Dr. JJ -- 1212 Days and Counting

Well, where have the last several weeks gone?? Real life has stepped in the way of late -- as plans for a week away took a hairpin turn back to Los Angeles! My father-in-law was admitted to the ICU at Cedars, and by last Sunday, we seriously thought we were going to lose him. That said, for Max it was an automatic decision to return home instead of trying to feign enjoyment in NYC while grandpa (or DOD, Dear Old Dad, as we call him) was fighting for every breath. So Max (and his friend Lorin) returned home Tuesday, immediately sailing into DOD's room, and actually finding him a bit improved (as he had made no progress for 9 days prior). As the other grandkids gathered 'round as well, I think DOD decided he couldn't throw in the towel, and started to fight all week -- inspired by the young who sat at his side daily. I think Max (and Bruce and I) heard more funny (and secret) stories from Grandpa this week than we had heard in the last 20 years. It was as if he had unlocked more of his legacy and made sure it was verbally given to the kids. What a great gift! Although an emotionally draining few weeks, Max and Lorin left yesterday knowing that DOD was being transferred to a regular room, and against all odds would make it home.
As the kids' adventure got derailed, we made sure (with the kindness and generosity of friends) that they returned to Michigan with a few memories -- innumerable rides on The Simpson's at Universal Studios (thanks Janice!), a Laker's game (thanks Rex & Val!), and a day on the firing range in Tujunga (where Lorin looked like Annie Oakley, and shot more like a pro than a novice). The kids helped Bruce and I refocus and settle down, as initially every phone ring made us both jump, thinking we were going to hear the worst.
The kids returned to a HUGE storm just in time, and today we return to a regular life -- with its completely unexpected twists and turns...
We are grateful to all those who have returned DOD to us, and thank our friends and family for all their support and love.