Because it’s April

It’s been April for a while now, but there’s a couple cool things about this month.

For one, we found out last week we’re having a baby boy!  I mean, we knew all along that he is a baby, but the boy part is news.  It feels so good to call him “him” as opposed to saying “he or she,” “it,” or “the baby.”  It was fun to watch him move around and check that all his limbs are there and in the right places.  I couldn’t get a good look at his fingers and toes, so hopefully they’re all there.  My husband has only eight toes (four on each foot), so there’s a legitimate chance my little buddy has missing digits.  Toes aren’t a big deal, but fingers are a little more concerning.  A nice bow hold is hard with normal fingers!  But in all seriousness, it’s a relief that everything is looking normal so far.

Another cool thing about April is that it’s Child Abuse Prevention Month.  There are a bunch of PCA pinwheels outside a building I drive by frequently and seeing them makes me miss my old job in child abuse prevention.

Last year I was fairly thorough in talking about abuse and neglect, so I just wanted to link you up to some of those posts in honor of April.  First I explained why prevention is important.  Next I did a general overview of abuse and neglect.  After that I talked about how individuals and communities can help prevent physical abuse and neglect.  Next I went over how to talk to kids about sexual abuse (and why it’s important to do so).  I then shared a cool infographic from Childhelp on child abuse.  Lastly, I gave a quick reminder that although bad things happen, life is still good.

Happy April!