Tuesday, May 25, 2010

It's A.......

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....GIRL!! We wanted a girl this time around, and now we know that we'er (well, me, I'm) having one! Her name will be Annie Constance and she will be beautiful, no matter WHAT she looks like!

On another note, was addiction a part of pregnancy for me the last time? I can't seem to remember. Lately, I've become addicted to a television show. An OLD television show. An old CANCELLED television show. I love me some Dark Angel. Who wants to see a young Jessica Alba, a sexy Micheal Weatherly, and sometimes shirtless Jensen Ackles? YES PLEASE! I'm so addicted, I think I may even start a Dark Angel blog, filled with trivia and mistakes from the show, episode recaps, what could have happened in season 3, and where are they now bits.

OMG, readers, I know what I'm going to do today!!!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

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So, my doctor is 90% certain that we're going to have a girl! Yay! Her name will be Annie and she will be beautiful, no matter what she looks like!

My posting has been pretty sparse lately. We've moved and I've since said good bye to my husband as he went to sea.

Dylan turned three and he's still growing wonderfully! He's such a little gentleman! He's getting used to the idea of having a sister. He looks at the ultrasound pictures and calls her "Baby Annie". I know he is going to enjoy having a little sister.

Next on our hectic schedule: potty train my 3 year old before the new baby comes!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Breast IS Best - ANTI Anti Breast Feeding Campaign

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So today, a friend forwarded me this "Anti-Breast Feeding Campaign" and I was in a bad mood already, so I went and sounded off.

The campaign text is in italics, my own words in plain text.

The 10 most important points:

1. What is a paedophile? (USA spelling: pedophile)
A person who is sexually attracted to children.


Agreed. This is the only statement this woman makes that is completely accurate.

2. Are women who enjoy breast feeding children paedophiles?
Yes they are, because they feel sexually aroused with breastfeeding and some even admit this has led to orgasm. But even if the female clitoris, vagina, ovaries and uterus didn't exist, breasts are sexual in nature, not only because they can provide high physical pleasure in a more sustained manner than the clitoris and the vagina, but also because the mother craves physical contact with the child, eg she wants to have her breasts sucked, and uses the child to satisfy her cravings. This is not love, this is lust. Many women become so addicted that they carry on breastfeeding their children until they are 8 or more years, most in secret. This is not acceptable and is child abuse. Moreover the children are very likely to behave like the mother when they grow up, and the spiral of paedophilia will continue.


Disagree!!! The vast majority of women who breast feed don't orgasam while breast feeding. The breasts may be fun to use in a sexual situation, but their purpose was for nourishing children originally. Back in the olden times, there was no formula to supplement breast feeding. It's one of the most naturally occurring thing in human nature. Women who breast feed their babies after one year hang on to it mainly because they don't want to sever the bond between mother and child, but that hardly means it's sexually related. Some mother's may not want to emotionally crush the child by weaning, figuring the child will give up the breast on their own. It's most likely that the mother has "hippie" values and thinks she's doing best for her child. However, in no court of law would it be charged as child abuse, because the law respects a woman's right to breast feed for as long as she wants.

3. What are the sexual organs in a woman?
Breasts, clitoris and vagina. They are connected and can communicate with each other and can all give high sexual physical pleasure. Breasts are sexual in nature, just like the clitoris and vagina are. They crave for physical contact and specially sucking. For example, oral sex between adults covers sucking the breasts, sucking the clitoris, sucking the penis. If a woman wants breast physical pleasure she should find another adult to have fun with, not a child.


While it's true that breasts have become a sexual organ, not all women are created equal. Not every woman finds stimulation in her nipples. In some women, nipple play can even be painful. Therefore, not all women seek nipple stimulation, and least of all, stimulation from a child who is breast fed.

4. Why is it that some people say that breast milk is best - is it true?
No, it is not true. In fact breast milk has many drawbacks: 1) the mother cannot accurately judge if the child is drinking enough for growth on a day to day basis. 2) cow's milk can be formulated to be just as nutritious or better than breast milk in a consistent manner, eg the mother's milk will vary in quality according to her general health (it is a known fact that diseases like for example AIDS from HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) can be transmitted through breast milk and if a child is breastfed by the wrong mother (or the biological mother is known to have one or more infectious diseases), tests are undertaken to find out if the child has been infected), formula milk is always the same and since it has been ultra heat treated (the ready made type in cartons), it is more safe. Some types of formula milk have prebiotics, special nutrients that are similar to the ones found in some fruit and vegetables and can strengthen the immune system. Moreover after a brief period on formula milk (or if preferred breast milk expressed or pumped into a bottle) some mothers are able to give their babies diluted sterilised or ultra heat treated (UHT) cow's milk, and even add suitable for babies oats or rice milk to the diluted cow's milk, plus suitable for babies, eg very small doses, of extra vitamins and minerals, and the babies flourish and grow well. The main thing is to consult a pedologist regarding the water content of the milk, since babies need to drink enough water, and so on. Diluted home made fruit juices and vegetable soups well sieved and put in a bottle are all part of a baby's healthy diet. In fact, the mother and father should have been eating the right diet at least a year before conception of the baby (plenty of fruit and vegetables as part of a balanced diet) and if applicable should have stopped smoking, drinking alcohol and eating junk food to ensure that sperm and egg quality were at their best and more likely to produce a healthy child. 3) With breastfeeding the father cannot share in feeding the children and may feel left out. 4) The mother becomes addicted to breastfeeding and it can affect her relationship with the father. 5) The mother spends most of her time breastfeeding (some 20 times a day or every half hour), which hinders her and the children intellectually. 6) The father may begin sexually abusing the children because he feels the mother is abusing them with her addiction to breastfeeding. Mutual respect is eroded. Moreover the mother may end up having full oral sex with the children, eg involving the sucking of all sexual organs, and some convicted paedophiles and rapists have admitted that their mothers gave them and expected oral sex. It is clear that breastfeeding is the root of most sexual evil, including rape between brothers and sisters and rape by strangers.


HAHAHA! Okay, give me a minute to stop pissing my pants laughing here.
1) The intake of breast milk is measured by how the baby grows. If the baby is gaining weight too quickly, it's likely that too much breast milk is to blame. If the baby is gaining too little, it's likely that the mother isn't producing enough milk.
2) Breast milk is safe. Mother's with diseases and conditions that can be passed through breast milk are advised by health care providers to not nurse. Formula is healthy, but there is no comparable product available that is better than breast milk. This lady failed to mention that in breast milk, you find antibodies and necessary disease fighting immunities. There is no formula that offers these things. Also, DHA and ARA are naturally occurring in breast milk and ALWAYS have been. DHA and ARA supplemental formulas hit the market only in recent years after studies that showed breast milk containing DHA and ARA is better for the baby in brain and eye development.
Also in point two, there is mention that babies need adequate water. Babies don't need ANY water at all. Their only nutritional intake before 6 months should be breast milk or formula. The earliest you can introduce anything else is 4 months, but even then, up until the first year is over, the majority of calories should be coming from formula or breast milk. Sugar water, juice, even plain water fills up babies tummy with empty calories or no calories, leaving the baby feeling full with no nutritional value.
3) Dad can give baby bottles of expressed/pumped milk, as well as take part in burping baby after the mother breast feeds, or even give a supplemental formula bottle. If Dad doesn't take the initiative by including himself, he's the only one to blame for feeling "left out".
4) The only thing that could hurt the relationship between a breast feeding mother and the father of the baby would be if the father didn't agree with the choice to breast feed. Resentment would take place on the father's behalf, not an addiction on the mother's.
5) No one is hindered intellectually by breast feeding. In fact, when I was breast feeding Dylan, that was pretty much the only time I could find to read a book or journal. Dylan gained the benefits of the DHA and ARA, in turn helping brain development, making him more alert to learn.
6) If the father thinks that just because someone else does something, it makes it okay for him to do, he needs to grow up. That really has nothing to do with breastfeeding. That's immaturity. If he feels he can justify sexually abusing a child because the mother breast fed the child, he is mentally ill and needs physciatric help.


5. Why is it that many people find breastfeeding in public disgusting?
Because they sense there is a sexual element to breastfeeding and that children are being abused.


No, because society as a whole is ashamed of nudity. When someone sees a mother breast feed in public, the natural reaction is to look away, because it's a personal matter, not because it's child abuse. You can relate the same concept to a couple fighting loudly in public. No one is being abused, but you sure don't stare at the couple.

6. But if most mammals breastfeed, isn't it what nature intended?
Nature is both good and evil. The human brain is complex and capable of making a better choice due to science and technology. The right thing to do is to choose good and not use children as sexual objects.


She mentions mammals, then says the "human" brain is complex. Sure, technology is good, science is reliable, but if breast feeding isn't natural and isn't supposed to occur, why does a woman's milk come in after she gives birth? Wouldn't science's "evolution" have taken care of the breast milk issue by now?
And I've never seen a kitten sexual abused by the nursing mother. Have you?

7. But most children seem to want and enjoy the breast?
Children are born ignorant and will adapt to what is given to them. If a child is fed from birth on formula milk (or if preferred breast milk expressed or pumped into a bottle), he/she will not want or miss the breast. He/she will end up more independent (feeding himself/herself with the bottle) and will get the benefit of being fed by both parents, not just one.


Children are not born ignorant. Children are born with a natural sucking reflex. Don't believe me? Lightly touch a newborn child's face with your fingertip. The baby will root around in the direction of the touch until it finds something to latch on to. While it's true that children to adapt to what their environment holds, ALL children are born ready to suckle at the breast. Bottles are a man made replacement for the breast.

8. Is it true that breast milk helps with a higher IQ in children?
No, the opposite is true. The child (just like the mother) becomes obsessed with the breast and has less interest in his/her surroundings. Breastfeeding on demand not only impairs the intellectual progress of the mother, but also of the children. Moreover, there is biological intelligence and acquired intelligence. Biological intelligence is based on healthy eggs and sperm from parents and grandparents that have lived a healthy lifestyle with plenty of fruit and vegetables. Acquired intelligence has to do with the learning process of a baby. The more intellectual stimulation a baby gets the more connections the brain creates and the more intelligence.


The issue here isn't biological intelligence, and that seems to be what she focuses on. You can't stimulate a newborn. You can stimulate an older child when they are not feeding. You're going to have to cut into intellectual stimulation time simply to feed the child, by breast or bottle. The nutrients found in breast milk, evidence shows, does in fact support healthy brain and eye development. The DHA and ARA supplements in formula are second best. Either way, there is some kind of brain development supplements in anything the baby should be drinking, therefore supporting intellectual intelligence. Also, while nursing or bottle feeding the baby, there is an opportunity to sing and read to your baby, causing intellectual stimulation WHILE nursing or bottle feeding.

9. Who wrote this page, a woman or a man?
A woman.


HAHAHA. I would have said an idiot!

10. What advice would you give to women who breastfeed?
Give it up. Be addicted to love, eg helping your child with his/her learning of the world, teaching him/her right from wrong, playing with your child games that may improve his/her intellectual abilities. Research has shown that is never too early to help a child intellectually. For example, even in the womb some babies like to listen to soothing music and their brains can store memories. Lusting after children for sexual gratification is paedophilia and breastfeeding should be made illegal. Men paedophiles are taken to court if they sexually abuse children, women paedophiles should suffer the same fate. If a woman is still keen on giving a child breast milk, use breast pumps to extract the milk or express the milk and put it in a bottle. Resist temptation. Don't use children as sexual objects.


Again with the child abuse. So many things wrong with this statement, where do I begin?
Babies do not form memories for recall, whether in the womb or out of it. The earliest a child could form a memory is after one year, when some nerves in the brain finally fuse together, allowing the memory to pass from the short term memory part of the brain to the long term memory storing part.
Breast feeding should never be considered outlaw-able because it was around before bottles came out and it still remains the popular feeding choice. If breast feeding was wrong, neither you or I would be here, for our ancestors wouldn't have survived infancy.
While I agree all pedophiles should be jailed, no nursing mother is a sexual predator, nor does breast feeding make a woman a pedophile. If a woman takes sexual pleasure from nursing, she should seek counseling on her own, as well as stop nursing.
The body cannot take the constant strain of a breast pump to express her milk in lieu of her baby suckling at the breast. Electric breast pumps are EXPENSIVE (I know I can't afford a good one) and therefore unavailable to everyone who would want to breast feed but believes this load of crap this woman is spewing. Also, formula costs a lot of money in the long run. Breast milk is free, a naturally occurring experience between mother and child, and the first thing a baby looks for is it's mother because, instinctively, it knows there will be nourishment from her. Sometimes, it may occur with pain, cracked nipples, even bleeding, but that doesn't mean it isn't good for the baby. Sometimes it takes a while to get a good latch from baby, sometimes there needs to be guidance from lactation consultants, but there's no excuse to not try and breast feed a child.

This woman is full of crap and I would love to meet and debate her someday!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Oh, Bladder..

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Why the sudden betrayal? You and I have known each other for so long, and you've only betrayed me once before. Remember when I had that last baby in my belly and you made me pee my pants when I was sick and coughing? I was willing to look past that after all we'd been through together. But today, you've gone and proven yourself unreliable one again. I thought we'd established a certain system and schedule, but apparently, I was wrong. You've let me down, bladder, and this time, you can't blame the baby in my belly, because it's just not big enough to cause you troubles just yet. This time, bladder, it's all YOUR fault for spilling over when I sneezed. The only one to blame for this is you!
Sent From my Verizon Wireless Blackberry Curve

Monday, February 15, 2010

Naming Baby - Part 1

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With all the names in the world out there, why is it so hard to name your own children? My son, Dylan, was supposed to be a David. I was supposed to be a Betsy, and truthfully, I'm glad my parents picked Susan!
When I was 15, I made a list of names I wanted for my children: the boys names were Christopher and Jacob and the girls were Katie and Elizabeth. But then I dated a Christopher, so I couldn't use that name anymore. Jacob is the name of the werewolf in The Twilight Saga, not to mention one of the top ten most popular boys names in the past ten years, so everyone in the world will be using that name. My ex-in-laws (whom I'm really close to) have a granddaughter named Katie already. My older brother already used the name Elizabeth for his third child. So I can't use any of those names.
Then, when I try to come up with names on my own, family ties get in the way. I can't honor one while leaving another out. Dylan's middle name is his mother's father's last name. My middle name is Joy, named after my grandmother. My husband's middle name is his father's middle name. My older brother named two of his kids after my mother, and my brother was named after our father. My husband's parent's haven't been honored yet but twice, but their names are not names I'd want to give to my children. Don't get me wrong, their names are strong, good names, I just don't think they'd fit into our little family.
So now what? I've gone completely mental over naming my next child! My husband, son, even my cat all have 5 letters in their first names. I sort of want to keep the tradition alive. So I'm limited in naming my next son or daughter. I made a list of boys and girls names that would be 5 letter first names and family middle names.
Girls: Abbey Joy, Libby Constance, or Sarah Jane
Boys: Jason Leonard, Caleb Dominic, or Aiden Claude
Then I run into the possibilities of moving first and middle names around....
Have I just gone crazy? What do you think?
Sent From my Verizon Wireless Blackberry Curve

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Working Mothers of Young Children

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I made a mention in my teen pregnancy post about middle class America's working mothers and I felt that it's the right topic to discuss next. This is a subject that I, personally am not familiar with, but I see it all too often.
It starts with a two income husband and wife. She gets pregnant and quits her job. After she has her baby, suddenly there isn't enough money anymore, and she's forced to go back to work. While I admire the mother's who can perfectly balance working with older children, my heart just breaks in two for those mother's of children who under 5 who have to work outside the home.
The first 5 years are crucial in bonding with your child. I understand the need to pay the bills, but in those first five years, who will really be raising these kids? The nanny's, day care workers, preschool teachers, and baby sitters will be. The working mother will ultimately spend more time away at work than at home with her child.
Has anyone ever considered living "beneath" their means? Instead of fancy shoes and dinners out, go to Payless and eat a candle lit dinner at home. The money you save could be going towards the mortgage or the car payments, even credit card debt. From my personal experience, my husband and I don't go out but maybe twice a year. We make this kind of sacrifice so I can stay home and raise our son, and, soon, our next child. I'm there when our son wakes up, I teach him, guide him, and raise him the way I choose to. His education and disciplining are not left to fall on anyone else's shoulders, not by anyone else's standards, and if something goes wrong, I'm right there to mend it.
What I'm getting at is this; in this economy, it's almost impossible to live by my standards. The good old USA is in a recession, forcing women out of the home and into the workforce. It's saddens me to think of who these kids will be, the ones who suffer without mommy (or even daddy) at home with them every day, of what they will become.
I'm interested in hearing your thoughts about working mothers in the current economy.
Sent From my Verizon Wireless Blackberry Curve

Friday, February 12, 2010

Just Left the ER....

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I started having MASSIVE left side pain, and I got really scared that something was happening or had happened to the baby, so I drove myself to the ER. They took me back in less than ten minutes, which is really quick for them considering when I take my son it takes about an hour to even see a triage nurse. So they drew some blood and made me pee in a cup (haven't I done enough of that in the past few weeks?) and stuck me in a nasty gown in an isolated room. The nurse came in to ask me if I was getting beat at home (and props for that, because some women just won't say anything anywhere else) and then the doctor came in and coped a feel!

Then I waited a grand total of 10 minutes for the doctor to come back in and tell me that I have a kidney stone.

Thank GOD nothing is wrong with my baby!

I won't thank God for the kidney stone.

Teen Pregnancy-Part 2

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So, I never realized how many people feel the same way that I do about teens and pregnancy today. I posted the question "what are some thoughts about teen pregnancy today? what do you think about MTV's show '16 and Pregnant'?" on my Facebook today and the responses I got were relatively similar to my point of view.

My friend Crystal said, "...its definitely not portraying how they manage their lives or relationships as positive".
I agree with that statement in a sense. If pregnancy was meant to be a glamorous thing at the age of 16, it wouldn't be so hard. The show does fail to show the girls who have no support and are struggling to even feed themselves.

My friend Melissa echoed my thoughts there. She said, "I, personally, think it's ridiculous..... in order for them to defer teen pregnancy, they need to start showing the not so good struggles that teen parents go through, instead of the, oh it's ok, cuz your parents will have your back, version. I mean they aren't really showing the reality of it. They are sugar coating everything. I'm very disappointed with MTV."
I think that more people need to be disappointed in MTV. Why would they really want a show about teen pregnancy anyway? The only benefits that I could ever see coming from a show like that would be an increase in teen pregnancy and angry parents.

What do YOU think?

I'm "Anal"?

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So, I got into a fight with someone today over who knows what (it was just THAT insignificant) and they called me "anal".

First of all, I'm pregnant, so I reserve the right to be 'anal". I also reserve the right to pee a hundred times a day, sleep if I get tired, and eat pretty much whatever I want.
Second, maybe I'm so "anal" right now because I'm constipated. Pregnancy does things to a womans body that most men would go their wholes lives without electing to know about.
It could be that I'm "anal" because I'm about to put on at least 30 pounds, if not more, and probably just in my butt alone. Add in another 20 for my boobs, and 15 for everywhere else, and the sum is that of an "anal" woman.
My "anal" behavior could also be attributed to the fact that I throw up at regular intervals throughout the day, and I just don't have the patience to "stomach" your moods.
Lastly, I might be "anal" because I'm INSANELY tired, and I just can't get comfortable enough to sleep.

So, okay, maybe I am "anal" today. And you know what? I'm okay with that.
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Teen Pregnancy in America

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As a 22 year old first time mother, I remember how hard it was having just one baby in the house. When Dylan first came home from the hospital, all he would do was nurse, sleep, and poop. And then he'd do it all again 15 minutes later. I rarely slept, I changed diaper after diaper, rocked him, nursed him, and cried a whole lot. Now, at 25, with another child on the way, I feel a little more prepared. This time, I almost feel ready to have another baby.
What is really bugging me is society's take on teen pregnancy. First of all, the MTV show '16 and Pregnant' is not really a show I meant to watch. But after watching 'The Pregnancy Pact' on Lifetime (check it out!), I became curious as to what teens today are exposed to in terms of pregnancy and birth control.
Barely 15 minutes into the show, I started getting the feeling that I was watching little girls glamorize teen pregnancy. The girl I watched was skipping school, shopping for her baby. What in the world does that teach young girls today? That having a baby means a vacation from school, shopping for cute pink socks every day? That can't be right!
I'm afraid the innocence of youth can only be reserved for those under 10. Public schools are teaching sexual education at a much younger age now, and private schools don't seem to really teach sex-ed at all, much less the consequences of having a child too early in life, focusing on abstinence and the biblical principles behind it instead.
Having a baby is TOUGH! I was there, and I wasn't even a teenager! I can tell you all about it. There's diapers to buy, formula, toys, wipes, bottles, and clothes. There's constipation, vomiting, sleepless nights, and that's all BEFORE the baby comes. You don't sleep or eat when you want to anymore. You cry for no reason. You're at the mercy of a 8 pound bundle of poop and boogers. It's absolutely exhausting having and supporting a baby. My husband and I had almost no money; we could barely afford to keep the lights on in our tiny apartment. If it hadn't been for the blessings from our loving and generous families, I don't know how we would have survived.
These teen girls aren't married. Some seem to think the "baby daddy" is going to automatically take care of the two of them. But, let's remind everyone that the child's father is only responsible for the child. Now these girls have no one to go work to pay the bills for them while they stay home to raise the baby. If they're working or going to school, the baby is being raised by other people, not exclusively by the mother (which I find is more and more of a sad reality for hard working middle class families, but that's a topic for another day). Statistics are showing that more and more teen mothers are dropping out of high school, and even less are continuing on to college. These young mothers are doomed to a life of almost-poverty, with no education and no solid income, relying on the government food, housing, and welfare programs. Is that an environment that a child should be brought up in?
While it's true that no child is ever a mistake, some babies shouldn't have come into this world as they have, born to teenagers. These young girls and boys are barely able to take care of themselves! I applaud the boys and girls who do step up and face the consequences of their choices, but wouldn't it just be better if we taught our youth that teenagers are TOO young to be raising children?
So, MTV, instead of showing us what it's like to be '16 and Pregnant', shouldn't you be showing us why we SHOULDN'T be getting pregnant at 16?
Sent From my Verizon Wireless Blackberry Curve