The Story of Us

I decided today to write about something very different from what I normally write about in this blog. Now that our family is almost complete (we only ever wanted two children), I thought I would write up the story of us. I figure why not have a bit o fluff every once in a while.
So The story would begin I suppose when I was 16. I was living with my Grandmother. There was a winter ball formal coming up and as someone who never went to any formal dances (not even prom) I was actually excited for this one. My friends and I had all decided to play up the fact that everyone thought we were lesbians anyway and all go together. There were guys in our group too but the preps and jocks didn't seem to think we could possibly be with them. I wore the literally ugliest silver velvet dress in the world. Apparently I was under the delusion that simply because it was a winter ball that I needed to look like a Christmas tree ornament. To complete the image my Grandmother gave to me as a gift a day with her hair stylist. A woman who excelled in the hair of 70+ yr old women. So the result was this. Even for 1999 this was unfashionable and dowdy. I a nerd through and through thought I looked like a princess. So every princess needs a prince right? Well sort of.
That night my friends brought their friend, an older guy who was out of high school and worked at a movie theater. OOOOOOH... yeah sexy right... not so much? Yeah but think like a 16 yr old nerd.... He was hot. This is what hubby looked like that night. He is with our still good friend M there. So this sort of gothy, bad boy, older guy, who I thought was way hot danced with me most of the night. I was smitten. Had he asked me out that night I would have said yes... ended up wrecking my life and we wouldn't be here today. But I was smarter than that and so was my friend J who told him to never touch me ever, because I was a virgin, a good girl, and 16. So we parted ways... never to see each other again.... at least not until my Junior year of college...aprox 5 yrs later. I was with my ex fiance and he was hanging out with our mutual friend who my best friend at the time was trying to date. So the 5 of us ended up going to a movie. At that point I did not remember this now snarky and obnoxious guy as the dreamboat from 5 yrs previous. I thought he was a jerk. He thought my fiance was a jerk and thought I was hot.
So another year passed and my best friend and the guy she liked had never actually ended up together, but one night we were coming out of dinner and we bump into none other than the guy she liked and my Hubby. Again we did not recognize eachother. This time I looked more like this. Much more punk rock with black and green hair and an I don't care attitude.





He looked like this. All hardcore and rocking out in his band. He was still a bad boy though and in a lot of ways very bad for me, but I was very good for him. Somehow within just a few dates and a few hangouts we had fallen head over heels in love. It was a rocky first year. He was older, bruised emotionally, and I was naive and stubborn with the thought that I could mold him. At the end of a year we broke up. It was messy and awful. I at that point never thought we would be together past that point let alone happily married for 7 years with two kids. Yet he surprised me. In a grand gesture he tried to win me back with poring out his feelings, and proposing. I said no. I said that when I felt he had truly proved his love I would say yes. That happened about a month later. We moved in together about a month after our engagement was official. I felt the battles we had overcome were a testament to our really being in love and truly having dealt with the hardships of life.
So 9 months after we moved in together came our big day. We were married outdoors in a beautiful gazebo. We had a 1940's style jazz wedding. Everything was black and white and pearls and martinis.

That was August 5th 2006. Almost 7 years ago. As you all know in September of 2009 we brought our wonderful Bug into this world and in Dec of 2012 we found out that this September we will be bringing a new little one into our family. So that really is.. the story of us. It's funny, it's sad, it has ups and downs, but it's honest. It wouldn't make a blockbuster movie but it also is the most romantic story of my life. 

Breastfeeding Prejudice Awareness Month

I had almost forgotten in all of this that last year I started January as Breastfeeding Prejudice Awareness Month. I have written many posts in the last few January's about the amount of shame and condemnation women get about nursing in public, five in fact. I am going to link them all here, since I feel they are all worth a second read. First of all here are the 4 posts that lead to my declaring January Breastfeeding Prejudice Awareness Month. 

One

Two

Three

Four

Here is the post I ran last January declaring January "Breastfeeding Prejudice Awareness Month".

So You may be wondering if there have been any new stories of women facing prejudice against nursing in public this January. Actually yes there has been. Quite a bit. First of all there was the event in Las Vegas where Breastfeeding spokeswoman and guru Jessica of The Leaky Boob, was asked to cover up in a LasVegas cafe just feet from where they were handing out naked ad cards. The head of the hotel and cafe profusely apologized though which at least does help make the situation a tad better. 

In Bakersfield Texas, a woman was asked to leave a Holister store while breastfeeding. She filed a complaint after asserting her rights.

In Australia a woman was asked to leave a pool center and cover up. In response to the outrage at this a popular Australian TV Host David Koch made rather absurd remarks, saying women needed to be classier about it, and more discreet and cover up. In response The Leaky Boob has called for a nurse in outside the Sunrise Studios, which host his show. Ironically his show begins every morning with "The Bikini", which is supposedly dancing women in bikinis.

I have noticed though that when I wrote about breastfeeding shaming in 2010, there was almost nothing being done in backlash, when I wrote about it in 2011... there was more outcry but not much. In 2012... we got angry.... and now in 2013... it seems every small infraction of our rights is met with a swift action and so it should be lest we start to slip backwards in the freedoms we've gained. Breastfeeding is natural, normal and wonderful. It is not gross or weird. It is our right to do it anywhere, covered or uncovered and the laws protect us. I can't wait to join my nursing moms again. Until then I am with you in heart.

In closing I would like to share with you a story of the first time I dealt with really strong prejudice against breastfeeding, although this was 09, so things had not come this far yet. I was sitting on a public bench outside a grocery store when a manager came out and asked (politely at first), if I wouldn't be more comfortable in their break room or restroom. At first I was shocked, then I felt well maybe she means well and really does want to make me comfortable. Yet I was plenty comfortable where I was and Bug was already happily eating. So I just as politely said "No thank you". She then rolled her eyes and got a lot less polite and told me, she really must insist I move to their restroom or breakroom, because customers could see me. Now as Bug was only about 3 weeks at this time, I was fully covered. I didn't yet feel comfortable enough to not be. I just stared at her, still a quite young mother, a first time breastfeeder, with a 3 week old... I felt like this was a game of chicken I couldn't afford to lose. I told her, "This is a public bench, and by law I can feed here." She huffed and stormed away. I was hurt and outraged but at the time I didn't have any recourse. Now I glad to know that if in August when my newest little wonder arrives, if that happens again I can instead take swift action. 

Happy Breastfeeding Prejudice Awareness Month, and remember be aware of your rights and use them.

Thoughts as I Enter Week 8

So today was our first OB appt. That in and of itself was an odd feeling. With Bug we  had a midwife and now with this baby we have been forced to have an OB. However so far it wasn't a bad experience. They even offered to let me try a VBAC which was something I had given up on. The problem is the local doctor (local being an hour away) who will perform VBACs does so through induction. Everything I have researched on VBACs says that induction is almost never used as it greatly increases the chances of hard labor, an uterine rupture, infant mortality, and possibly a transfusion for the mother. So needless to say they sound terrifying. The only other choice of a VBAC is that if I go into labor before 39 weeks they may allow me to birth naturally if all looks well. Otherwise at 39 weeks I will have to have a planned c-section. Honestly I feel as though my hands are tied. I have looked at it up and down, left and right and I really don't see a lot of options. Hoping I go into labor early seems to be my only safe option and I really don't want to wish for my baby to be born early. Sigh......
Our first ultrasound is on Tuesday. That I am looking forward to. I know some people are very anti multiple ultrasounds during a pregnancy but I never understood the idea behind that as no one has ever offered me any science to show it being detrimental. Personally I think they are very beneficial in finding problems ahead of time as well as allowing the family to see their little one. I know our little one will only look like a bean at this point but seeing that heart beat will be worth a million dollars.
I also have been working on our registry... or lack there of. We honestly don't have much on it other than geeky onesies. We don't need much this time around and it made me recall how much formula and disposable diapers we were given as gifts with Bug. I think the thought was we didn't know better with our first baby and would get over the crazy breastfeeding and cloth diapering phase. I can only hope that with this baby people now hopefully realize we were and are serious about how we choose to raise our children and that while we appreciate any and all help people give us giving a greenie mom disposable diapers and formula is like giving a lion a carrot.
The last thought floating around in my head has been the fact that if this baby is also a boy, he will be of course NOT circumcised. Bug isn't and is a perfectly healthy super clean little boy, who's penis will be able to grow naturally the way God intended. If this baby is a boy we will of course give him the same gift. Bug asked me the other day what circumcised meant. I tried to put it as delicately as possible. I said "some baby boys have an operation to cut the skin off the tips of their penises". He looked confused and horrified. He asked if he was and I said, no honey you have all your skin, it was the best gift we could give you for life. I then told him if the baby is a boy we will give him the same gift and he looked very happy. The he paused and said "so if it's a girl you will cut off her skin?" I said "No honey, girls don't get circumcised." He looked at me and said "only boys do? Why? That's mean!". I really quite agree with my son.
So basically these have been my thoughts as I start the journey into motherhood once more. Amidst the worry, the nausea, the exhaustion and the mood swings... I have all these thoughts bumbleing around in my head.

Bug's Dinosaur Room: Finished!

So in all the excitement of the new baby I forgot to share our other big news. Bug's dino room is done. I finished Christmas Day. There are a few places where I still need to paint or touch up the paint but with me being pregnant I thought it was best to wait until spring when I can open the window while I paint.

So anyway here are the pictures.

 This is his bed and toybox, both of which I painted, along with some of the dino decals we got.

 This is his new computer (a gift from his godparents, don't worry it's a used one), his new school desk (a gift from his grandparents) and of course his dino collection.

 This decal was made for us by Rogue Decals.

 These are the most awesome things in the room. These were the priciest additions but worth it. They are called Curtain Critters. 

 Here is his books, kitchen and Dinosaur Train framed pictures that I made him.

 Here is his dino chair I redid for his birthday, his Dinosaur Train clock I made him, and his two dressers, the green one I painted.

And here is most of the room. Here you can see the curtains. The green panels were store bought, the valance I made him. It matches the blanket and pillow on his bed that I also made.

Big News

So yesterday hubby told me we could share our news with the world so after telling friends and family about it I decided to share it with my readers. I do still plan to do Homemade Christmas part 2, but I have to share this. I am pregnant! I will be 6 weeks on Sunday. Due September 1st 2013.
Now with this news, which comes to us so happily since Bug will be 4 this year. We really wanted this baby as you all know. Anyway with this news comes questions such as what did I learn with Bug that I can do again with this baby or not.
So with it comes goals to make myself. The first of these is to pass the 9 months I breastfed Bug and hopefully make it to 24 months. We are of course using cloth again. Co sleeping from day one to 12 months. The one big change is this time no crib at all. I will never put one of my babies in a crib again. This time we will again ebf to 6 months before starting food. I think this time though we will do the same as we did with Bug, we both made pureed homemade organic baby food as well as doing Baby Lead Weaning, with is just the act off letting baby try food you eat cut up small. Bug was doing a mix of this from the first day with solids and it seemed to really work for us. He was fully on solid big people food by 9 months. This time though I am going to not worry about potty training so much. Bug showed readiness as early as 11 months but it didn't stick until 30 months, so with this one I think the earliest we will try potty training is 18-24 months. We are using most of the clothes we saved from Bug which were mostly unisex. We will be reusing the high chair/booster, reusing the excersaucer, pack and play, toys, rattles...ect. The only new things we need are a few more diapers, new bottles, a good breastpump since I will be returning to work immediately after my maternity leave is up, and a new swing.
Can you can I am excited? Well I will leave you all with the picture I used to tell our big news.