I've Been Tagged!!

I've been tagged by Ayla over at Mother, Lover, Goddess (LOVE her blog, I would definitely head over and check her out).

Here are the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here are my 7 facts:

1. I have a fear of dolls. Seriously, I am deathly afraid of them. I don't know why. And it only applies to those porcelain dolls that you have to keep on a stand and never play with, you know which ones I'm talking about? The girls aren't allowed to have one, because they just freak me out too much. There used to be a kiosk in the local mall that sold them and when we would walk by it I would make the Knight walk between me and the kiosk and I would close my eyes.

2. I have double vision. I see two of everything. It makes playing pool really hard, but I love fireworks!

3. I have an addiction to sunflower seeds, but only for the shelled ones.

4. I can't use liquid white out. It annoys me. No matter how long I wait, it is never fully dry when I write over it and then it just looks really messy. I have to use the paper form of white out.

5. One of my previous jobs was as a "beer girl" at a local golf club. I would drive the beer cart around the course and sell alcohol to the players. I actually made a TON of money, because the players would get so drunk they would forget that they already tipped me and tip me over and over again.

6. I've been in 16 car accidents. That's right, 16. And that's not counting the ones I were in before I got my license. Out of those 16 car accidents, only 4 were my fault (twice I fell asleep at the wheel and hit a guardrail, and once I hit my moms car in the driveway and the fourth time I hit my friend's car in the school parking lot). I attract bad drivers, I guess.

7. I LOVE airports. I could spend all day in one. I love traveling and flying. I like to "people watch" at the airport, and try to guess where they are going and why they are going.

I know that most of the blogs that I read have already been tagged for this, so I'm going to tag the first 7 bloggers that read this and have not been tagged yet! Be sure to leave a comment so I can go read your 7 facts!

I've Been Tagged!!

Our Society and Perfection

Lately I've been in such a good mood, I surprise myself. I find that I am more centered and calm. Best of all, when the Mermaid or the Guppy start fussing or screaming, I find that I am able to approach them in a calm manner and resolve it a lot quicker and faster than when I approach them with anger or frustration.

The reason why my mood is changed is because I had to change some things around in my life. I had to change my perspective of myself as a mother, a wife, and a person in general.

You see, lately I had been feeling very overwhelmed. Between running both businesses, having the Guppy and at one point the Mermaid and the Knight being sick, and homeschooling, and the other project that my business partner and I are working on, I started to get buried. I couldn't do it all. No more were we having healthy, hot meals in the evening; rather it was a "you eat whatever I can find in a freezer that comes out of a box". The house started to suffer; now, I'm definitely not a neat freak, my house is "comfortably clean" at the most, but it had been getting bad. As in a not-healthy way. Throw into that mix the fact that we recently hit some unexpected financial bumps, and you had one stressed mama. I was biting every one's head off and freaking out in general.

It was time to take a big step back, and breathe for a bit. And so I did.

The Knight and I had a long talk about how our life looks at the moment. The Knight has been stressed at well, since he has taken on a lot of additional duties that I can't do due to my businesses, and he was being buried as well. We spent all Tuesday night just cleaning the house so that it was back to acceptable. And we talked, laughed, and reconnected. We decided that we aren't perfect. No, our house is not going to be perfectly clean - ever. Some days we will lose our temper, our kids will eat processed food, and we will slack a little bit in our goals. But, we need to give ourselves a break anyway. We're doing the best we can. And we need to take time to recharge our spirits.

Can I tell you how relieved I feel? To be able to say to myself, "You are not Superwoman; and that's okay. No one is." and believe it? To look in the mirror and realize that the person I am seeing there is far from perfect, but that I love her anyway? How could I not feel that way, when there are two little girls who wake up every day wanting nothing more than for me to be with them, play with them, and cuddle with them? If me just being myself is enough for them, then it is enough for me.

Our media and our society likes to portray this image of the "perfect" mom, whose house is always clean, kids are always behaved, who is always put together, gorgeous, and smiling. She is not real. Forget her. Don't try to be a perfect Supermom. After all, when your kids get a boo boo, or are sad, or just want to cuddle, they don't run to the Supermom on TV; they run to you, even when you are still in pj's at 1:00 in the afternoon and haven't showered in two days.

So today, be gentle on yourself. Take some time to recharge your spirit. What I've been doing is reading a good book and drinking a cup of tea (without a baby on the boob!), or making a list of the things I accomplished that day, or the things I am grateful for. If you make a mistake, forgive yourself. If you find you are thinking negative thoughts about yourself, stop and change them into positive statements. Parenting is one of the most challenging jobs out there. But it is also the most rewarding. So never forget about the rewarding part - and reward yourself for a job well done.

I'd love to hear about your favorite ways to recharge your spirit. :o)

Our Society and Perfection

Call to Action

This is an email I was forwarded. Cytotec is dangerous when used to induce moms! Pass this along to everyone you know and help get the word out!

Call to Action: Childbirth Organizations and Childbirth Advocates, Doulas, Midwives, Health Care Providers

RE: Off Label Use of Cytotec for Inducing Labor
ACOG has pushed the off label use of Cytotec (Misoprostol) for inducing labor for over 13 years. During that time countless babies and mothers have been permanently damaged, suffered uterine rupture, amniotic fluid embolisms; many mothers and babies have died within hours of a Cytotec induction. In Sept of
2007, through the Freedom of Information Act, the Tatia Oden French Memorial Foundation requested the FDA to supply the Medwatch Forms they received for the time period Jan. 2001 through Sept. 2007, dealing with the adverse events occurring from the use of Cytotec. We received a file containing 1746 records of adverse events. Three hundred and fifty (350), 20% of these adverse events were the result of cytotec being used to induce labor. In 2004, the Tatia Oden French Memorial Foundation submitted a petition to the FDA containing 1,000 signatures, requesting the FDA to produce a medicine guide on the use of Cytotec for inducing labor showing all the adverse events that can occur. The petition has remained online and now has an additional 1,963 signatures, many with comments about mothers, wives, friends, who have lost their lives, or the baby’s life, had uterine rupture, amniotic fluid embolisms, or resulted in the baby being permanently brain damaged. Our petition remains open on the dockets of the FDA. While the FDA has issued an alert on the use of Cytotec for inducing labor, it
has not brought this alert to the media for widespread dissemination. This is NOT enough. In recent months the FDA has withdrawn many previously approved drugs from the market due to adverse events, including the possibility of death.
Because Cytotec is used off label to induce labor, the FDA has no authority to withdraw it from the market. It does however, have the authority to issue a public warning on possible adverse effects from its off label use. Adverse and catastrophic events caused by a drug are no less catastrophic if caused by a drug that has NOT been approved for a particular indication. The difference lies in the amount of information a patient/client has regarding the possible side effects and risks BEFORE they consent to use the drug. The public has a right to be informed of these side effects. The FDA has a responsibility to inform the
public of adverse effects. As health care professionals, doulas, midwives, women, families and friends of women who have been victimized and harmed by the off label use of Cytotec when used to induce labor, WE are alerting the public to the adverse events which can occur when Cytotec (Misoprostol) is used to induce labor. Please read very carefully the attached link, which contains the letter, sent to over 200,000 physicians in Aug of 2000, by Searle, the manufacturer of Cytotec. The letter clearly warns of the dangers this drug will have if used for labor induction. The letter specifically states, Cytotec should NOT be given to pregnant women. These tremendously tragic events are
unnecessary. The off label use of Cytotec to induce labor must be stopped. There are other interventions, which can and are used to induce labor. It is up to us to spread the word to the public, to health care providers, to all women of childbearing age: DO NOT USE CYTOTEC TO INDUCE LABOR.
Sincerely,
Maddy Oden Maddy Oden, Chair The Tatia Oden French Memorial Foundation
Click here to read the letter from Searle.

Call to Action

It Sounds Like A Dog Kennel In Here

I did end up taking the Guppy to the doctor yesterday and she does have croup. We didn't see our normal pediatrician, we saw another doctor, who was so kind enough to examine my daughter for a full three minutes before darting back out to rejoin the birthday party that was going on. @@

Anyways, as she was walking out the door she told me that the Guppy will be fine, call them again if she developes a fever. I took the girls home and took out my trusty book, my best friend, the book that every parent should own: Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child. Are you a parent? Yes? Then go get it.

Anyways the symptons for croup outlined in the book pretty much match the symptons that the Guppy has perfectly so I'm convinced. The book gave some homeopathic remedies and some suggestions of teas she can drink that I'm going to start her on today, plus I'm going to do some of the accupressure that they recommend as well. I did some last night before she went to bed and she actually slept better than she has in the past two months. She's still sleeping, so we'll see how she feels when she wakes up. I'm going to do some accupressure and teas with the Mermaid as well, because although she isn't as sick as the Guppy she still does have some congestion and a little cough. Combine her cough with the Guppy's distinctive croup cough and it really does sound like a dog kennel in this house.

Goals for today: take care of sicky kids, stick to weight watchers, prepare for my doula workshop on Saturday, and find some way to get rid of the damn fruit flies that have suddenly infested our house!

It Sounds Like A Dog Kennel In Here

And It's STILL HERE

The bug is still here. I haven't slept for weeks and I'm going a little stir crazy.

The Mermaid has basically gotten over it but the poor Guppy is still stuffed up and miserable. And she has developed this horrible cough that I am not liking at all. I'm going to call her doctor today and see if it is something to worry about.

Grrrrr.......

So that has been my life for the past two weeks: wiping snotty noses and changing diapers. I've got one client who is due any day now and I've got my workshop coming up this weekend that I have to prepare for. Hopefully once the girls are well again some of my sanity will return to me!

And It's STILL HERE

And the Bug Goes 'Round....

There's a nasty bug going around in my area. Playdates are being cancelled, children are staying home from school, moms are cancelling their meetings to take care of their children.

The bug has now hit our house. Thankfully, I got it before the Guppy, so at least my breastmilk will work to help protect her. Stuffy nose, sore throat, and a terrible cough. In all the other cases in my area, a stomache bug was thrown in for good measure, so I'm hoping that part skips our house.

Having all of us get sick has made me realize how blessed I am. I work from home, doing what I love, and I'm here for my kids. That's the bottom line, right there: I am here for my kids. That's my priority.

I look at how other countries, and how they value family. I look at how, in some countries, the mother gets paid maternity for six months and the father gets paid paternity for six months. I look at how children are valued in a culture, and how a new mother is celebrated and not just forgotten.

In other countries, when a child is sick, the parent simply stays home to take care of them. That's it, that's the bottom line: They are there for their children.

I remember when I was growing up, my wonderful mother, who worked so hard, could sometimes not be there when I was home sick. Not because she didn't care, or didn't want to, but because she had to be at work. Calling in to stay home with a sick child was not an option for her. I remember once in first grade how terrible I felt. My stomach was rolling, my head dizzy. I went to the nurse's office and she called my mom. I remember hearing the tears in my moms voice when she told me that she could not come pick me up, because she couldn't leave work. It was always my grandparents who picked me up and took care of me until my mother could pick me up when she got out.


Even now, I hear stories from friends who work full time. Stories of being called into the boss' office and given a lecture before they can leave work to pick up their sick child from daycare. Mother's who end up in a bind because their daycare will not take a sick child, but there is no one else to babysit and so they have to risk their job by calling in.

I'm sure that there are a lot of women out there who work in situations where their boss is very flexible and understanding. That's great. But too many aren't flexible, too many aren't understanding.


When did our culture lose sight of the importance of the family? When did our culture decide that making a profit was more important than raising the future generation? When did our culture decided that a new mother should be back at work at six, or even three week post partum, long before she has had time to adjust to motherhood?


When will we see change? We want to see more people like Carla Moquin. We want to see more baby-friendly workplaces like with Mothering Magazine. We want to see more companies realizing the importance of family, and realizing that putting profits before people is not going to help us in the long run.

And the Bug Goes 'Round....

Spills and Splatters of My Day

~Well, the Guppy is doing much better. I think most of her teeth has popped through, but there must be one or two that haven't because she is still slightly cranky and clingy. But she did let me get some sleep last night again, yay!

~The Knight is so incredibly upset that the Patriots lost. He took the Monday after the game off from work so he could mourn.

~ I've been really busy with my doula business and with my Arbonne business. My doula workshop is coming up fast and I am so excited! I also have some other things going on with my Arbonne business. I love that I'm able to have a career while staying home and homeschooling the girls.

~ The Mermaid has been doing great with her schooling. Sometimes I think that she may not be picking some things up, but a week later she will completely surprise me by discussing the topic that I thought she had missed. I really think she has a "To Do Later" box in her brain, where she simply takes the things that she processes and puts them in the box to completely understand later.

~ My dear friend and I are cooking up something big that will enable us to reach out into the community in a way that we have never been able to before. I am so excited, but the process is slow so far. I will divulge more details as the process speeds up.

~ The Guppy is so close to walking it's amazing. For those of you that don't know, we had to help her to learn how to crawl correctly before we could encourage her to walk. She was constantly putting all of her weight onto the left side of her body and crawling the "butt-scootch" crawl, which was causing her left leg to turn in. She now crawls correctly 99.9% of the time, thanks to help from Amajoy. Now she is happily cruising furniture and stands on her own, she just needs a little more confidence before she is willing to take that first step. She's also starting to try to say specific words, which she had stopped doing for a while. I'm also amazed at how much of what we say to her she understands. Sometimes I have to remind myself that children this young are like sponges, soaking up and processing everything they see, hear, touch, and taste.

~ I'm setting a goal. I'm not sure how much I can stick to it, but I'm going to set the goal anyway. My goal is to blog at least once a day. No matter what. Even if it's just a two word entry, I will blog. This blog has saved my sanity many times, it is the best way I know to process my thoughts and feelings and share with the blogging community. I don't want to lose that part of myself in this hectic time of our lives.

That's it for now. I'll be blogging more often, so if you were a regular and left because I wasn't blogging as much, stick around! I love comments and feedback!

Spills and Splatters of My Day

My Husband Thinks He Is So Funny

Me: "How do you spell nuisance?"

The Knight: "S - H - E - L - L - Y"

The Mermaid: "HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

My Husband Thinks He Is So Funny

Excuse Me, Sir, But Have You Seen My Sanity?

It's been a while.

Things have been a little overwhelming in our house the past two weeks. I had been blogging a little about how the Guppy is teething and is very clingy and cranky, and also how she is not sleeping at all.

Well, it only went downhill from there.

The Mermaid came down with this mysterious cold/slight stomache bug. It was frustrating because it was one of those ones that we simply could not get rid of. It wasn't too horrific, she was able to continue on to play and learn, but it was enough of a nuisance that she was cranky and that we missed our homeschooling and playgroups for two weeks.

Add to that the fact that the Guppy's teething got worse more than I ever realized it could get. One day this past week she was screaming so much that I was convinced she was dying and took her to the pediatrician's office. Turns out it was just her teething and lack of sleep that was getting to her. The pediatrician, at least, was very sympathetic as she explained that not only was the Guppy getting in two of her teeth on the top, but she is getting in all four of her molars as well. Poor baby, no wonder why she was screaming!

But, things have improved the last two days. While the Mermaid still has a slight cough, other than that she is fine. And the Guppy's teeth finally, finally broke through her gums so while she still has been slightly grumpy and clingy, for the most part we have our joyful, happy baby back.

I even got some sleep last night, Hallelujah!

So, today the Superbowl is on. The Knight is an absolute hard-core Patriots fan. We got ourselves some shrimp, some wine and beer, and some chips and dip and are planning on spending the night home with the girls, cheering on our favorite team.

In the meantime, the laundry has been neglected for a couple weeks and is threatening to revolt. The rest of the house doesn't look so bad thanks to the Knight in shining armour, but I've got an incredibly amount of email to reply to and phone calls to return. (If you are one of the people who called and left me a message, I'm so sorry I couldn't call you back until today. I myself hate it when my phone calls don't get returned, so I know how you feel!) I also have to do some catch up work on both my businesses and put my doula bag back together.


GO PATRIOTS!!!

Excuse Me, Sir, But Have You Seen My Sanity?