Vietnam Veterans Wall Is Coming To California!

The Wall That Heals is coming to your part of the country. I thought you might want to know so you can put it on your calendar and start planning your visit.

The traveling half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial will be at

Yorba Park, Orange, CA on June 16 - 19.

“This will give me closure to some things that have been building up in me for many years.”

– Jim Brown, Vietnam Veteran

That was a comment from Jim Brown when The Wall That Heals came to his town. In addition to the half-scale replica of The Wall, there’s also a museum and information center. Look up fallen comrades or a family member; and share a photo of someone you know on The Wall. The education offered by the museum is amazing. The exhibits and memorabilia include photos of heroes honored on The Wall. You’ll also find a map of and a chronological history of the war.

This is much different than reading about it in a history book. The half-scale replica of The Wall, the museum and its exhibits, plus the information center all combine for a moving experience. Family members, students, and even people from your community with no direct connection to the Vietnam War will be grateful they came. They’ll understand what this war meant for our country, and what it meant to all who served.

Yes, having The Wall That Heals in your area is a rare opportunity to reflect, heal, and share your experiences with fellow veterans, family, and your community.

I do hope you’ll visit The Wall That Heals when it’s at Yorba Park, Orange, CA on June 16 - 19.

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Your 2-month-old: Week 1

How your baby's growing...

Your baby can tell the difference between familiar voices and other sounds, and he's becoming a better listener. He can also show you that he's in tune with his environment. Notice how he looks to see where certain noises are coming from.

An ongoing conversation (although seemingly one-sided) can help your baby develop his sense of place. He may even watch your mouth as you talk, fascinated by how it all works. You'll be amazed by his ability to communicate with a growing repertory of coos (musical, vowel-like sounds), smiles, and unique cries to express his different needs.

Your life: Loving your partner...

Very few parents feel amorous in the weeks following childbirth, for some pretty understandable reasons. It's important to remember, however, that being a new parent doesn't mean that you're no longer a sexual being. Even if you don't have time, stamina, or interest in having sexual intercourse, you and your partner can still find ways to express your love for each other.

Love through talk. Keep the lines of communication open no matter how stressed you feel. Remember that you're both going through huge changes in your life. Talking about them can help you feel closer. Frame complaints so that they don't sound accusatory: Instead of saying, "You shouldn't do ___," for example, try, "I feel ___ when you do ___."

Love through laughter. When your life has turned upside down and you're so tired you could be mistaken for a zombie, it's as appropriate to laugh about it as to cry. Poke fun at your own mistakes together.

Love through escape. Leave your baby in the care of a trusted relative or sitter while you go on a date. See a movie, go out for dinner or dessert, or do something else you can enjoy together. Just being away for a couple of hours can recharge you.

Love through touching. Sex isn't all about intercourse. Kissing, cuddling, caressing, and other kinds of physical intimacy don't require a lot of energy and can help you relax.

Love through time. Remember that these topsy-turvy weeks are temporary.

3 questions about: The 2-month exam.

What will the doctor be looking for?
She'll weigh and measure your baby, checking his length and the size of his head to be sure he's growing at the proper rate. Your baby's vision and hearing will be checked, as will his heart and lungs. The doctor will examine him from head to toe, front and back, making sure that he's healthy and meeting his developmental milestones. She'll screen for common infant health issues, including diaper rash, baby acne, thrush, andcradle cap. This is a great time to bring up questions you have about breastfeeding,returning to work, and any other health or behavior concerns. Print out our doctor visit worksheet to take with you to the appointment.

Which vaccines will be recommended?
At this visit, it's recommended that your baby get the following vaccines: hepatitis B;polio; DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis); Hib, to protect against meningitis;pneumococcal, to protect against severe bacterial infections, ear infections, and meningitis; and rotavirus (given by mouth), to guard against a common cause of severe diarrhea.

What questions will the doctor ask?
Most likely she'll cover the baby basics:
• Your baby's feeding: Breast milk or formula, how often and how much?
• Your baby's elimination: How many bowel movements and wet diapers per day, and what is the consistency and color of the bowel movements?
• Your baby's sleep: How many consecutive hours at night, in what position, and where?
• Your baby's behavior and development: Does he respond to your voice, smile, and coo? Does he look at faces and track objects with his eyes? What does he do during tummy time?

Your 34-month-old: Beating bossiness...

Your 2-year-old now...

Hey, who's the boss around here? Along with better language skills can come an annoying new personality trait: bossiness. "Put my coat on." "Come here, Mommy!" "Sit there, Daddy." Your child sees herself as the center of the universe, so she finds it only natural to believe that everyone revolves around her. Although you can't argue with that perception developmentally, you can coach her to be a little nicer about it. Encourage the use of "please" and a "nice voice" when she wants something.

Sometimes bossiness is a bid for your attention. She may make imperious demands because she really wants you to listen to her or play with her right this minute. Again, teach her to ask nicely. Let her know that you can't always comply with her wishes just then and help her to learn patience by responding to her as soon as you can.

Your life now...

You might be starting to see more and more of your personality in your child. (Or Grandpa's personality, or funny Uncle Bob's.) Sometimes children inherit their parents' temperaments and sometimes parent-child temperaments clash like polka dots and stripes. If you were shy and your child lives in the limelight, it can feel harder to relate to her. Your personality can also influence how you treat your child. For example, if you were a star athlete you might feel driven to provide your child with lots of sports opportunities, even if she'd rather be playing with dolls. The main thing is to respect and nurture the child you have for who she is and not veer too far into projecting anybody else onto her.

Click to Give links...

Giving is becoming much easier and more available to those who really want to give to charity but can not afford to give cash donations. There are many really good websites that have "Click to Give" programs that offer the ability to just click on a charity's link to do your part of donating. These sites are working and are very productive. The sponsors they receive and post on the site of the charity for the clicks makes it all possible. Please take a minute and go to the each of the links below and sign up (some don't require registration) and "Click to Give" to charity. 

"Click to Give"

http://clicktogive.com/

"Humane.net"
http://www.humane.net/

"Daily Visits"

http://www.dailyvisits.com/daily.html

"Metro Homelessness"

http://www.mhp-nm.org/

"The Non-Profits"

http://www.thenonprofits.com/

"One Click at a Time"

http://www.oneclickatatime.org/

"Donate Your Click"

http://www.donateyourclick.com/

"The Veteran's Site"

http://www.theveteranssite.com/clickToGive/

Click every day and as often as the site permits, tell all your friends and post to all your social networks and blogs. Thank you for your time and your clicks!