Growth Chart Art: Fill & Download for Free

I was a late bloomer. My doctor showed me my growth chart. It was a few years behind others. Ask your doctor or school physician right away.In my case, I was just not being fed. I was severely calorically deprived, but was unaware of it. I was severely depressed. If that is your problem seek help outside your family.I rebounded, both physically and mentally. I spent time with my grandmother and ate. I grew, enrolled in martial arts and began to excell at all things.

A wide range of answers for a wide range of bullies. Some of the people that bullied me are likely dead or in prison. But many grew up. Some offered extremely sincere apologies for their messed up behavior. Some acted as if they had never bullied me at all. But most avoided any real conversation. These were the ones who tried and failed to bully me in high school that had bullied me successfully in elementary school. By that time I was still the smallest kid in the grade but I was at least on the growth chart. And I had 8 years of martial arts training which I took very seriously. Any of the bullies from elementary that tried in high school failed. Many moved on to other targets and backed down when I interfered.Those that were apologetic had already stopped bullying by the time high school came around.

When I was expecting my first son, I planned everything. I planned to breastfeed him for 6 months. He was born by c-section, and I had a hard time at first. Thankfully, a dear friend was in La Leche League, and she had just delivered her second child. She talked me through it a few hours after my son’s birth. We never looked back.Sometime around his first birthday, I remembered my plan to breastfeed for 6 months and laughed. The time had flown by. We had a family bed, and enjoyed attachment parenting carrying him around in a baby sling. He had no interest in grown up food … not even a Cheerio. He had regular chiropractic visits to a doctor who specialized in pregnancy and children. He was bright and long and lean and wonderfully healthy. I thanked God every day … every moment of every day … and still do. Around 18 months, he began to nibble foods, but most of his nutrition was coming from breastmilk. I really don’t remember how often he nursed, but I do remember being grateful for our quiet times during the day to reconnect and de-stress, and maybe to nap a little. I needed time to remember how much I loved my toddler because he sure made it a challenge at times.My second son was born when the older one was 2 years 7 months. Toward the end of the pregnancy, there wasn’t much breastmilk. I didn’t feel the “let down” that I had before, and my son was more willing to eat foods. He also asked for drinks which he hadn’t done before.After the birth of my 2nd son, the older one was once again very enthusiastic about nursing. I always nursed the older one on the left and the younger one on the right. On the few occasions that I pumped my milk, I could see the difference in the composition of the milk. My older son gained 5 pounds and about 3 inches in height during the first 6 months. My baby was a long and plump baby, once again very healthy and receiving regular chiropractic visits.Side note: People don’t realize how hard it is to be a baby. The twists and turns, bumps and falls … they all take a toll on the baby’s bones and joints. Chiropractic adjustments would also help them shake off any illness they might have picked up. They might be fussy before an adjustment. They would usually fall asleep right after the adjustment and wake up feeling fine. If they had some infection, they might spike a fever for a few hours, during which we would nurse more, and then be back to normal.When my older son was 4–1/2, he was graduating from pre-school. At that time, he only nursed about once a week. He was eating a wide range of foods and growing very well. On the rare occasion that I would check a growth chart (what the heck is “normal” anyway), he was usually at the top of the range for his age. We had a discussion and decided that we would celebrate his graduation from pre-school and his graduation from breastfeeding at the same time. We made a big fuss over his becoming a big boy. A few times after that, he asked to nurse, but I reminded him that he had graduated to “Big Boy” status, and offered him a cuddle instead. He said ok, and snuggled in while I nursed his younger brother. Once he looked deep in my eyes, and said, “But you know Mommy, I do miss it sometimes.” Oh …my heart …My younger son was eager to grow up and be like his big brother. He potty trained himself before he was 2 so he could go to art classes with his brother (the teacher didn’t allow babes in diapers). Shortly before his 3rd birthday, he just seemed to forget about breastfeeding all together. He ate and drank with the family and relished his status of “Big Boy.” I don’t remember the last time he nursed because I didn’t know it was happening … something that brings me tears now to think about it. We continued to have a family bed until the boys were 6 and 4, and we moved into a house with an extra bedroom. They shared a double bed for a couple of years, then we bought twin beds for them.So that’s the life of one breastfeeding family. I threw away “What to Expect When You’re Expecting.” It taught me to distrust my instincts. I loved “How to Raise a Healthy Child In Spite of Your Pediatrician” by Dr. Robert S. Mendelsohn. He taught me to trust my instincts. I enjoyed The Family Bed by Tine Thevenin. I also enjoyed Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Years, by Susun Weed. I devoured The Baby Book by William, Martha and Robert Sears. I loved everything they wrote. I would have been lost without La Leche League. Many of those mothers are still my dear friends even though my sons are now in their 20s.I hope that helps. I welcome your questions.