Baby News!

Claire Maxwell had a little boy, Kyler James, at 3:30am on Saturday 25th June after a tough labour.

Here is a lovely family photo provided by Claire, showing just how cute little Kyler is. Claire is looking pretty good too for only a week after giving birth!

Congratulations Claire, husband James and brother Jayden (2yrs). We look forward to meeting Kyler at MOPS soon!

Love from the MOPS@ MBC Mums. xo

7 Gifts Mini Notebook - Blessing from 13th May

If you're interested in learning more about the power of gratitude and its connection to your Christian walk, check out this post by the creator of the 7 Gifts mini notebook, Ann Voskamp, at her blog "A Holy Experience"

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/04/when-youre-feeling-a-bit-broken-free-weekly-gratitude-journal/

Here is her post about raising grateful kids and research on the power of gratitude. http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/04/how-to-help-raise-grateful-kids/

Free pdf for the notebook if you'd like more for yourself or to make for friends.
http://www.aholyexperience.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/7Gifts.pdf

Here is a video tutorial on folding the notebook
http://www1.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?title=How_to_make_a_mini_book&video_id=83106

Sho's Baby News!

Sho and Darren Best welcomed a baby boy, Mitsuru Bryce Tohara Best, into their family on Wed 4th May early in the morning. A younger brother for Somile (2yrs), Mitsuru was 3.86 kg and 50cm long.

Congratulations to Sho and Darren on behalf of the MOPS@MBC Mums. xo

Develop Your Kids Educational Toys coming to MOPS on Friday 13th and 27th May

Richelle Kerr from Develop Your Kids will be bringing some educational toys along to our MOPS meeting this Friday.

Richelle is offering a 10% discount to MOPS@MBC Mums, plus 5% of all sales will be donated to our MOPS@MBC group.

Toys will be on display and available for purchase on 13th and 27th May at Maroochy Baptist MOPS.

Richelle takes Cash sales only. Please contact Richelle for further information 0406 929 358 or richelle@developyourkids.com.au

Visit the Develop Your Kids Facebook page to check out some of the toys available.

MOPS Regional Training Day - Saturday 9th April

The MOPS Regional Training Day is coming up this Saturday 9th April at Capalaba in Brisbane.

It is open to any of our MOPS Mums who may be interested in finding out more about MOPS and may be interested in coming on team. If you would like to come along with some of the Steering Team members on Saturday, please let either Kylie (0414 476 960) or Tracey (5457 3722) by Wed 6th April. We will be car pooling on the Saturday to the venue.

Please see details below...

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) - April is Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month and as one of our MOPS@MBC Mums, Michele, has recently been dealing with the news that her son has been diagnosed with ASD, we would like to bring you some information on the condition that affects about one in every 160 children in Australia.

Please have a read through the information provided below by the Raising Children Network and link through to read more on their website... (http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/autism_spectrum_disorder_overview.html).

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an umbrella term that refers to a range of conditions that share some common characteristics, including autistic disorder and Asperger’s disorder. The causes of ASD are unclear, but its characteristics include difficulties with communicating, problem-solving and social skills.

did you know

• In 2007, the UN nominated 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day. The day was first observed in 2008.
• In Australia, about one in every 160 children is diagnosed with ASD.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a brain-based condition – where the brain hasn’t developed in a typical way. Although no two children with ASD are the same, they all face challenges in interacting and communicating with others.

• What causes autism spectrum disorder (ASD)?
• ASD: difficulties and abilities
• Different types of ASD
• Diagnosis
• Other ASD facts

What causes autism spectrum disorder (ASD)?

We don’t know exactly what causes ASD. But the latest research shows that in children with ASD:

• there’s early brain overgrowth (the brain grows faster than average)
• different parts of the brain don’t communicate with each other in a typical way.

Evidence also strongly suggests a genetic basis to ASD – that is, the condition might come from the complex interaction of several genes involved in brain development.

Read more about what causes autism.

MOPS@MBC Mum's Night Out - Wednesday 13th April

Meet up with your fellow MOPS@MBC Mums on Wed 13th April at San Churro's at Sunshine Plaza for dessert and coffee from 7.30pm onwards.

Try a delicious Spanish hot chocolate or coffee and yummy churros dipped in chocolate - how can you refuse???

A chance to chat more together and enjoy each other's company. We hope to see as many of you there as possible!

The MOPS@MBC Steering Team xo

More Baby News!

Congratulations to Sarah and Terry Thomson on the safe arrival of their first child, Caitlin Rose 8lb6/3.86kg today - Tuesday 22nd March, 2011.

Looking forward to meeting little Caitlin Rose.

Love from all the MOPS@MBC mums. xo

Baby News from MOPS@MBC!

Wonderful news!

Loren Pritchard, one of our MOPS@MBC team members, and her husband Ian, welcomed their third son, Yared Ian Pritchard, on 7th March. Brother to Bryce and Fraser, Yared weighed in at 3840g or 8lb 7 1/2, and both Mum and Bub are doing well.

We can't wait to meet Yared at MOPS soon.

Congratulations to all the Pritchard family from all the MOPS@MBC mums! xo

Younger Parents Program

This program supports younger parents, their children and pregnant young people under the age of 25 years.

The Younger Parents Program is a great way to connect and have some fun with other young parents and their children.

The Younger Parents Program Provides:

• Weekly Playgroups eg. art & craft activities, scrapbooking, jewellery making and photography
• An opportunity to chat with other parents and a safe space for children and babies to play
• Regular group outings
• Parental support
• A great way to link into your community and be an active member

For more information:

Contact - Carol Yates

Younger Parents Program Coordinator at United Synergies

Phone - 5442 4277

This program covers the Noosa Shire and Hinterland region.

Sunshine Coast Heath Service District - Child and Family Health Program

Understanding your Baby

• Why your baby cries
• How to tune into your baby’s ‘talk’
• Gain realistic expectations for you and your baby
• Settling your baby

Sessions for newborns to one year at all Child and Family Health Centres.

For information contact:

Caloundra - 5436 8552

Maroochydore - 5459 6901

Nambour - 5450 4750

Noosa - 5448 0044

Summary of MOPS - 4th February 2011

A great morning was had by all Mums last Friday 4th Feb for our first MOPS at MBC meeting for 2011!

Each year, MOPS International offers an annual theme, scripture, book and curriculum to explore with our mums and this year it is 'Mumology, The Art and Science of Mothering'.

This is based on the book by Shelly Radic, "Momology: A Mom's Guide to Shaping Great Kids". This book provides the framework for the essentials of mothering and gives each mum space to discover her own personal style. Mothering is part art, part science, and always a work in progress!

The theme is also related to Psalm 139:10 - "Even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast". The full scripture from Psalm 139 is posted separately here on the Blog for you to read at your leisure.

More will be revealed about the theme at our next meeting on 18th February, so don't miss it!

The mums also relaxed over morning tea, catching up with everyone's news from the holidays, and we allowed some more time for chatting and sharing this week.

We also indulged in some craft...a fabric covered notebook, address book or diary glamorously embellished.

MOPS Theme for 2011: Mumology... the Art and Science of Mothering

Welcome to our new theme for MOPS in 2011!

The theme of 2011, "Mumology... the Art and Science of Mothering", is based on a book of the same name written by Shelly Radic, acting CEO of MOPS International.

Mothering is both art and science. It combines all of who we are to shape healthy, resilient kids. Mothering is so complex it requires both sides of our brain – not to mention our hands and feet, eyes and ears, mouth and (sniff, sniff) unfortunately, sometimes even our noses!

There's the scientific side of mothering where we develop a hypothesis based on certain principles, test that hypothesis in real-time, consider the results and decide what parts worked and what parts didn't. We keep refining our hypotheses until we find what works for us.

Intertwined with the scientific, mothering requires an artistry that shades with our personality, colors with our unique gifts, and blends past and current experiences.

MOPS International has identified four essential elements for successful outcomes with our kids: Core, Finesse, Circle and Grandscape.

Core is about knowing and growing ourselves. Understanding and working with our unique temperament, experiences, and emotions in a way that develops resilience. Research clearly shows that a mum with a strong, resilient core is more likely to raise a child with a strong, resilient core.

Finesse is about honing practical mothering skills—intentionally carrying out our daily responsibilities in ways that encourage growth and resilience in our kids.

Circle is about building relationships with neighbors, care-givers, extended family and, most importantly, with our husbands or for single mums, with a parenting partner.

Grandscape is about engaging with God and his unique purpose for our lives. Both secular and Christian research identifies faith in God as an essential element for successful mothering.

Through Mumology, as we explore together, we’ll be guided by an all-knowing, all-powerful, always-present God. Our theme verse for the year is:

"Even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." (Psalm 139:10)

Anywhere we go, God sees, knows, and guides. So we can lead — and love — knowing God will get us through all the hard spots, all our decisions, all our roles, all our times we can’t hold open our eyelids and the times we’re bursting with joy. God’s hand guides us as we guide our children. As we study Mumology together to become better mums making a better world.

Summary of MOPS - 19th November 2010

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Well we had a lovely Christmas break-up morning at MOPS last Friday 19th November!

We hope that all the mums who were able to make it last week had a great time, and thank you for providing a Secret Santa gift for another mum. It looked like everyone enjoyed their gift and I don't think anyone decided to swap it!

A big thank you to Pastor Lloyd Miller for taking the time to speak to us at MOPS about Christmas in the home and heart. It gave us a great insight into the true meaning of Christmas and the importance of slowing down and taking the time to think about what is really important at this time of year. Remembering that it's not all about presents but a time to celebrate the gift of the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Thank you Lloyd, for reminding us all.

Take a look at all the gorgeous mums on each of our table groups at our Christmas celebration last week! Find your photo below. If you would like a copy, please email Tracey or comment below and we would be happy to send it to you.

And to finish up for the year, our Christmas Craft was a cute little beaded Angel for the tree...

All the mums did a great job putting this one together!

The MOPS@MBC steering team would like to wish all our mums and their families a wonderful Christmas and safe holidays. We look forward to seeing you back at MOPS on the 11th February 2011.

Summary of MOPS - 5th November 2010

We had a great turnout of Mums last Friday 5th November and some new Mums too - which is always fabulous! We love welcoming new Mums to our MOPS@MBC group and hope they make some new friends and enjoy some time of relaxation and discussion with fellow mothers who are all going through a similar season in their life. We hope to have you all back for the next meeting!

A big thank you to Karen Askey-Doran for sharing her experience as a roving Regional MOPS Coordinator last Friday with our Mums!

Everyone enjoyed listening to how Karen originally became involved in MOPS and why she loves her role so much, visiting MOPS groups while her family travels around Australia.

Karen's gorgeous eldest daughter, Josie, also shared some stories with the Mums.

The craft activity was also a hit with everyone last week I think, with some very creative pieces being designed by the Mums. The craft activity was covering wooden bangles with decorative paper, using Modpodge (gloss glue). We had some beautiful oriental paper which was colour coordinated with some plain paper and everyone came up with some wonderful creations.

(Photos coming soon)

I'm very proud of the creativity shown by our Mums this year and think they all deserve a pat on the back for giving everything a try! See... you CAN do it!

Artwork from Kevin Downey's Art Class on 22nd October...

We would also love to see the painted masterpieces from those Mums that participated in Kevin Downey's Art Class on the 22nd October.

Unfortunately a few of us weren't there to see the creations, so if you can bring your masterpiece in with you to the next MOPS meeting on the 19th Nov, we would love to take a photo of you with your work of art and post them on the blog. Please, please...!!!

Summary of MOPS - 8th October 2010

On Friday 8th October, we had the pleasure of meeting Andrea Morrison, from Art of Dentistry, who presented the Glory2Glory Dental Ministry to the MOPS@MBC Mums, as well as providing us with some great tips for dental care for ourselves and our children.

In these images below, Andrea is showing Angela the best way to introduce oral hygiene to babies and toddlers. Even before your baby's teeth appear, it is recommended that you gently wipe the gums with a moistened soft cloth once a day. Once the baby teeth start to appear, it is recommended that parents use a baby's toothbrush with a small head and soft bristles.

Up to the age of 18mths, teeth should be brushed with plain water, once a day after the last feed in the evening. Special low-fluoride toothpastes developed for young children can then be introduced around 18mths of age. Even then, only use a smear of toothpaste and teach your child to spit out the toothpaste after brushing.

From around the age of 4 to 5 years, children should begin to learn how to brush their own teeth. Children do not have the manual skills to effectively clean their teeth until around 8 years of age. Until then, a combined effort between parents and children is required.

Andrea and her husband Colin, along with a team of other dental professionals, have recently established a dental clinic in a Burmese refugee camp in Northern Thailand, home to more than 50,000 refugees who have fled the atrocities of Burma. The camp had no dental facilities and many of the children examined were found to have severe tooth decay and dental disease. The clinic will initially care for the needs of the 500+ school children who attend one of the Schools, but will eventually provide dental care to a larger area.

Thanks to Andrea for her time and effort in presenting to us on Friday and for imparting her wisdom with regards to dental care for our families.

For more information on oral hygiene for your children, please visit www.babyteeth.com.au.

Summary of MOPS - 10th September 2010

Thank you to all our Mums for making our Baby Shower for Lily House a wonderful success!

We had many very generous mums donating lots of great gifts and necessities for the young mums and babies of Lily House. Fiona Browne of Lily House was overwhelmed by our generosity.

Fiona spoke to us about the amazing work she and her husband Darrin have done in setting up this safe haven for young pregnant mothers on the Sunshine Coast who have come from difficult circumstances and are trying to get their lives on track and make a fresh start. This safe, nurturing environment provides a wonderful start in life for their babies as well. Fiona had some heart-rending stories to tell and they touched us all.

We also decorated some fabric bags for our husbands (man-bags) or kids and here are a couple of photos of our Mums hard at work.

We hope you all enjoyed the morning.

See you all back here for Term 4, on Friday 8th October.

Love from the MOPS @MBC leadership team. xo

Women's Lifestyle Expo - Sunshine Coast

Hi Ladies,

Here is some information on the Women's Lifestyle Expo on Saturday 11th September at Lake Kawana Community Centre, Sportsmans Pde, Bokarina from 9am to 5pm.

This year the Women’s Lifestyle Expo 2010 promises to entice women of all ages!
The support from many women and organisations across our community working together will make this Expo a wonderful experience for all women.

On offer to all women of the Sunshine Coast is:
FREE ADMISSION
Over 20 FREE WORKSHOPS
FREE BEAUTY PAMPER ROOM
Over $25,000 in prizes
Over 120 Exhibitors including 20 Community Groups

For more information contact
Sue Frost
Mob: 0427 375 727
Email: coastexpo@ymail.com

Here is a link to the Workshop details...

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=97944&fbid=111804855544843&id=106003989458263

Summary of MOPS - August 27th

Another great morning at MOPS@MBC on Friday 27th August, with Issy Parsons, Pattie and Sara speaking about the women's ministry, 'Women with a Mission', and sharing with us about their recent trip to Cambodia to help out with Destiny Rescue, an orphanage, and in the slums of Phnom Pehn.

Their experiences touched us all and the MOPS team hopes the Mums enjoyed the morning.

To find out more about the great work that Destiny Rescue is doing for young girls and women in Cambodia, Thailand, Mozambique and India... go to their website and help in any way you can...

Destiny Rescue Australia - www.destinyrescue.org/aus/

The Craft activity involved making a beaded necklace and I think everyone enjoyed this. There are some pics below of everyone concentrating on their designs...