This one is for Bethany. :)
1. My baby frustrates me. He doesn't mean to but he does. When he gets up every two hours ALL NIGHT LONG I don't find it cute, I find it annoying. It was OK when he was a newborn but I am over it. (That being said, I still show up for every cry and usually feed him... he is pretty cute...)
2. I spend most of my mornings alternating between napping and feeding Henry in bed. That way there I get some much needed sleep. Most days we don't go out of bed until 11.
3. I am tired. ALL. THE. TIME. Even when he sleeps and we nap together, I am tired.
4. I still do not fit into ANY of my pre-pregnancy jeans and very few of my pre-pregnancy tops.
5. My baby rarely wears outfits. I am lazy so he lives in sleep suits.
6. I will use eco friendly disposable nappies rather than do a cloth nappy wash sometimes.
7. I will put Henry in his pram instead of wearing him solely depending on whether or not my outfit is conducive to babywearing.
8. I would rather my husband give Henry pumped milk in the middle of the night just so I don't have to get out bed. I am awake, I am just that lazy.
9. I NEED time to myself. I need to go out with other adults sometimes. I did it for the first time tonight and it was amazing. I felt so good to not have a huge diaper bag or a 20 pound car seat to lug around.
10. I also NEED help. I need someone to help with the cleaning and the cooking and the laundry. I am not supermum and I don't mind admitting it!
To quote Bethany: "I just wish more moms opened up and talked about the mistakes we make and the mishaps that have happened to us. I wish we'd quit feeling mommy guilt and take a real, honest look at how we're all (mostly) just trying to do our best." I couldn't have said it better!!
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Friday, 28 January 2011
Birth story.
I am lazy so here is my birth story :)
It's long..............
Henry’s birth story
08.08.10 12:30- Philip and I are at a bag pipe event two hours away from home because I figured the baby was never going to actually come out! I then go to the bathroom and realise that I have had a bloody show. I decide to wait for contractions before leaving the event.
08.08.10 23:30- I decide to go to bed as I only got four hours sleep the night before. Unfortunately I start having a bad stomach ache that feels like bad gas. They don’t seem to be coming in any pattern but they are definitely coming and going. I have a poorly stomach all night and the pains don’t go away.
09.08.10 morning- My midwife shows up during the few minutes of sleep that I manage to get that morning. She is supposed to give me a sweep but decides to do it later so I can hopefully get some sleep in case I am in labour. (Doesn’t happen...)
09.09.10 13:30- My midwife comes back to do a sweep. She examines me at the same time and we realise that I am 5 cm dilated!!! WOW. I really hadn’t had any strong contractions, just slight tightenings. She decides to go about her day which I am fine with and leave me alone (Philip is in London getting some work in case today isn’t the day).
09.08.10 16:35- My midwife rings me to see how I am doing. My contractions are about 3-4 minutes apart and lasting 40-50 seconds. I have called my lovely friend Harrie over to stay with me because Philip is stuck in traffic!!!!! Bless her, she just had a baby the week before and she was brilliant. She set me up with my tens machine and I bounced on the birth ball.
09.08.10 17:40- Philip is home!! YAY. I am still contracting every 3-4 minutes and lasting 40-50 seconds. We decide I can go into the birth pool as I am still coping well. Another vaginal exam shows that I am 7 cm dilated and fully effaced. I can get in the pool!! My friend Rachel comes over as well for support!
09.08.10 18:00- 20:00- I continue to contract well and they are getting stronger. I decide that now would be a good time for me to make use of all that gas and air they brought!! I also decide that it would be a good idea to video skype my Dad!
09.08.10 20:50- The second midwife shows up with more gas and air! I am starting to feel some pressure at the height of the contractions and things look like they are progressing really well.
09.08.10 22:45- The contractions are starting to make me want to push. I am still coping with gas and air and am breathing through them. My MW decides to do another vaginal exam to see what is going on. She finds a thick anterior lip of my cervix and decides to rupture my waters. When she breaks my waters she sees that there is meconium and I will now need to be transferred to hospital via ambulance .
09.08.10 23:11- The ambulance arrives. I put on a bathrobe and dry myself off. I am desperately clinging to the gas and air mask as I do not want to be transferred and would like to be as high as possible!!! The ride is pretty tough and my poor MW has to hold my bump the entire time. It takes about 30 minutes to get there but being strapped to a stretcher when you want to push and can’t makes it feel like a year!!
09.08.10 23:45- I arrive at the hospital after sucking down an entire canister of gas and air and am well out of it! The first thing I ask for at the hospital is an assisted delivery.
10.08.10 0:00- I consent to having a vaginal exam and they find that I am fully dilated but have a lot of meconium in my waters. I still feel the need to push and try to do so desperately. I can’t find a comfortable position to save my life and am in a lot of pain from the ambulance ride over. I try to lean on the sink and then try to crawl on the bed on all fours but nothing is working. My contractions are extremely painful and I am getting really tired.
10.08.10 00:35-They perform an ultrasound on me to see which way the baby is lying. It is discovered that baby is back to back with his face sunny side up. That is very discouraging to me and further spurs me on for my desire to have an epidural. I am pretty sure I start begging for one at this point because I am very disappointed that I am in hospital, on my back and having no luck with pushing. (OK so maybe I am begging for a c-section as I just want baby out and don’t really see how it is going to happen vaginally).
10.08.10 1:00- They FINALLY call the anaesthetist.
10.08.10 1:30- The anaesthetist FINALLY shows up. That is fun. I am having back to back pushing contractions and they want me to lie still on my side with my knees up to my chest. Thanks to Mum and Philip and the MW they get me into position!! Now all the monitors start and I am stuck with all sorts of tubes. I have a catheter, a BP monitor, a foetal monitor and an IV drip giving me sintocinon (2:00). (Not exactly the home birth I had imagined!!) The epidural is a super strong one but I still feel lots of pressure.
10.08.10 2:20- They decide to half the amount of sintocinon as it is too high. I am told not to actively push as they were hoping baby would turn on his own. (Again- fun times!)
10.08.10 2:35- I request a top up as the pressure is becoming very uncomfortable again!!! (15 minutes later I get my top up.... my patience is running thin!)
10.08.10 3:00- The doctor comes in. She does a vaginal exam and sees that baby is starting to come down a little bit. They also notice even more meconium in my waters (if they only knew that’s all Henry does is poo!!!)They then tell me that baby is going to be delivered in the operating theatre with either forceps or a caesarean section. This is scary as I need to be prepped for a c-section and sign a consent form. (A FAR cry from my nice home birth!)
I am at least told that I can push with my contractions and I do so to the best of my ability. I was hoping for some kind of miracle that the baby would just pop out on his own!! I also pray to my mother at this point for at least a forceps birth and not a c-section!!!
10.08.10 3:35- I am wheeled to the theatre. Philip is in scrubs. I notice that he looks hot in his scrubs even though I am rather scared and preoccupied.
10.08.10 3:43- Epidural topped up. (THANK GOD!!!!!!!!!!!)
10.08.10 3:47- They do that one two three push me onto the other bed thing and then strap me into these ski boot stirrups. VERY uncomfortable. It is super bright and there are FIFTEEN people in there. I feel like a wounded animal at the mercy of all these people. Thank goodness that Philip could be at my side the whole time. Mum had to stay in the other room.
10.08.10 3:54-After 4 pushes with a lot of help from good old Keillands forceps Henry William Mason is welcomed into the world at 8 lbs 12 oz YAY. I feel loads of pain when they are pulling him out and am so relieved that he is crying and appears to be completely unaffected by the meconium. They put him down on my belly and I give him a kiss but I can’t really hold him due to the position I am in. He goes to be with Philip
10.08.10 3:59-4:45- I deliver the placenta and all that good stuff and am sewn up for the next 45 minutes........ FUN TIMES!!!! I can feel pretty much everything even though they keep shooting me with local anaesthetic. They keep telling me it will only be another 5 minutes but I know that they are lying. The nice anaesthetist holds my hand as Philip is holding Henry (and has gone next door to show a very anxious Grammie that all is well!)
10.08.10 4:45- I FINALLY get to hold my baby boy and have cuddles.
It's long..............
Henry’s birth story
08.08.10 12:30- Philip and I are at a bag pipe event two hours away from home because I figured the baby was never going to actually come out! I then go to the bathroom and realise that I have had a bloody show. I decide to wait for contractions before leaving the event.
08.08.10 23:30- I decide to go to bed as I only got four hours sleep the night before. Unfortunately I start having a bad stomach ache that feels like bad gas. They don’t seem to be coming in any pattern but they are definitely coming and going. I have a poorly stomach all night and the pains don’t go away.
09.08.10 morning- My midwife shows up during the few minutes of sleep that I manage to get that morning. She is supposed to give me a sweep but decides to do it later so I can hopefully get some sleep in case I am in labour. (Doesn’t happen...)
09.09.10 13:30- My midwife comes back to do a sweep. She examines me at the same time and we realise that I am 5 cm dilated!!! WOW. I really hadn’t had any strong contractions, just slight tightenings. She decides to go about her day which I am fine with and leave me alone (Philip is in London getting some work in case today isn’t the day).
09.08.10 16:35- My midwife rings me to see how I am doing. My contractions are about 3-4 minutes apart and lasting 40-50 seconds. I have called my lovely friend Harrie over to stay with me because Philip is stuck in traffic!!!!! Bless her, she just had a baby the week before and she was brilliant. She set me up with my tens machine and I bounced on the birth ball.
09.08.10 17:40- Philip is home!! YAY. I am still contracting every 3-4 minutes and lasting 40-50 seconds. We decide I can go into the birth pool as I am still coping well. Another vaginal exam shows that I am 7 cm dilated and fully effaced. I can get in the pool!! My friend Rachel comes over as well for support!
09.08.10 18:00- 20:00- I continue to contract well and they are getting stronger. I decide that now would be a good time for me to make use of all that gas and air they brought!! I also decide that it would be a good idea to video skype my Dad!
09.08.10 20:50- The second midwife shows up with more gas and air! I am starting to feel some pressure at the height of the contractions and things look like they are progressing really well.
09.08.10 22:45- The contractions are starting to make me want to push. I am still coping with gas and air and am breathing through them. My MW decides to do another vaginal exam to see what is going on. She finds a thick anterior lip of my cervix and decides to rupture my waters. When she breaks my waters she sees that there is meconium and I will now need to be transferred to hospital via ambulance .
09.08.10 23:11- The ambulance arrives. I put on a bathrobe and dry myself off. I am desperately clinging to the gas and air mask as I do not want to be transferred and would like to be as high as possible!!! The ride is pretty tough and my poor MW has to hold my bump the entire time. It takes about 30 minutes to get there but being strapped to a stretcher when you want to push and can’t makes it feel like a year!!
09.08.10 23:45- I arrive at the hospital after sucking down an entire canister of gas and air and am well out of it! The first thing I ask for at the hospital is an assisted delivery.
10.08.10 0:00- I consent to having a vaginal exam and they find that I am fully dilated but have a lot of meconium in my waters. I still feel the need to push and try to do so desperately. I can’t find a comfortable position to save my life and am in a lot of pain from the ambulance ride over. I try to lean on the sink and then try to crawl on the bed on all fours but nothing is working. My contractions are extremely painful and I am getting really tired.
10.08.10 00:35-They perform an ultrasound on me to see which way the baby is lying. It is discovered that baby is back to back with his face sunny side up. That is very discouraging to me and further spurs me on for my desire to have an epidural. I am pretty sure I start begging for one at this point because I am very disappointed that I am in hospital, on my back and having no luck with pushing. (OK so maybe I am begging for a c-section as I just want baby out and don’t really see how it is going to happen vaginally).
10.08.10 1:00- They FINALLY call the anaesthetist.
10.08.10 1:30- The anaesthetist FINALLY shows up. That is fun. I am having back to back pushing contractions and they want me to lie still on my side with my knees up to my chest. Thanks to Mum and Philip and the MW they get me into position!! Now all the monitors start and I am stuck with all sorts of tubes. I have a catheter, a BP monitor, a foetal monitor and an IV drip giving me sintocinon (2:00). (Not exactly the home birth I had imagined!!) The epidural is a super strong one but I still feel lots of pressure.
10.08.10 2:20- They decide to half the amount of sintocinon as it is too high. I am told not to actively push as they were hoping baby would turn on his own. (Again- fun times!)
10.08.10 2:35- I request a top up as the pressure is becoming very uncomfortable again!!! (15 minutes later I get my top up.... my patience is running thin!)
10.08.10 3:00- The doctor comes in. She does a vaginal exam and sees that baby is starting to come down a little bit. They also notice even more meconium in my waters (if they only knew that’s all Henry does is poo!!!)They then tell me that baby is going to be delivered in the operating theatre with either forceps or a caesarean section. This is scary as I need to be prepped for a c-section and sign a consent form. (A FAR cry from my nice home birth!)
I am at least told that I can push with my contractions and I do so to the best of my ability. I was hoping for some kind of miracle that the baby would just pop out on his own!! I also pray to my mother at this point for at least a forceps birth and not a c-section!!!
10.08.10 3:35- I am wheeled to the theatre. Philip is in scrubs. I notice that he looks hot in his scrubs even though I am rather scared and preoccupied.
10.08.10 3:43- Epidural topped up. (THANK GOD!!!!!!!!!!!)
10.08.10 3:47- They do that one two three push me onto the other bed thing and then strap me into these ski boot stirrups. VERY uncomfortable. It is super bright and there are FIFTEEN people in there. I feel like a wounded animal at the mercy of all these people. Thank goodness that Philip could be at my side the whole time. Mum had to stay in the other room.
10.08.10 3:54-After 4 pushes with a lot of help from good old Keillands forceps Henry William Mason is welcomed into the world at 8 lbs 12 oz YAY. I feel loads of pain when they are pulling him out and am so relieved that he is crying and appears to be completely unaffected by the meconium. They put him down on my belly and I give him a kiss but I can’t really hold him due to the position I am in. He goes to be with Philip
10.08.10 3:59-4:45- I deliver the placenta and all that good stuff and am sewn up for the next 45 minutes........ FUN TIMES!!!! I can feel pretty much everything even though they keep shooting me with local anaesthetic. They keep telling me it will only be another 5 minutes but I know that they are lying. The nice anaesthetist holds my hand as Philip is holding Henry (and has gone next door to show a very anxious Grammie that all is well!)
10.08.10 4:45- I FINALLY get to hold my baby boy and have cuddles.
Thursday, 27 January 2011
Mom.
This post is dedicated to my mother. She passed away on the 14th of December at the age of 46. I was 21.
Becoming a mother is the most amazing thing I have ever done in my entire life. It isn't until you have a baby that you realise what a miracle it is. I mean I grew a human in my body. It is mind boggling when you think of the journey the baby makes from a few cells to a full grown Henry.
It has also been the most emotional thing I have ever done. I never knew I even had these emotions until I had my baby. It brings up everything you have ever known about life and just turns it upside down.
It has also brought something very important from my past up to the surface. The life and death of my mother have been haunting me from the moment I found out I was pregnant. She was the first person I was supposed to call when I got pregnant. She was the first person I was supposed to call with all of my questions about my growing belly and changing body. She was supposed to be there to share in my joy when I gave birth to her first grandson.
But she wasn't.
The emotional void of not having my mother during the most important event of my life has been HUGE. Every day I want to call her. I want to tell her that I know how she felt when she held Billy and me for the first time. I want to tell her that I understand why she was so worried all these years- she didn't want anything to happen to us. I know how she felt now every time I look at my baby boy. I never want anything to happen to him either.
I want her to know her grandson and to be able to hold him and for her to be able to hold me when I am stressed or when I am so tired that I don't think I can do it anymore.
There is just so much that goes through my mind. The last time I saw my mother I was taking care of her. Her illness was a test run to see if I could handle being a mother. She was helpless and couldn't take care of herself. I would stay awake at night making sure she was breathing, just I like I did when I brought Henry home from the hospital. I needed to find empathy, patience and energy I didn't know I had. I was exhausted and I was stressed but I was taking care of the person I loved the most in the entire world- just like I am doing now.
This experience has also allowed me to view my mother's death from her perspective. My greatest wish in life is that I live long enough to see my children grow up. My mother had that taken away from her and I only know now how devastating that must have been for her. I only thought about how I felt when she was sick. I didn't realise how hard it must have been for her. She missed my college graduation, she missed my wedding and she missed meeting Henry.
I just wish she was here. Every single day I wish she was here. I want my child to know how amazing his grandmother was. I want my child to understand why I am the way I am. I want her to spoil him rotten like I know she would. I just wish she was here.
I miss my Mom.
Becoming a mother is the most amazing thing I have ever done in my entire life. It isn't until you have a baby that you realise what a miracle it is. I mean I grew a human in my body. It is mind boggling when you think of the journey the baby makes from a few cells to a full grown Henry.
It has also been the most emotional thing I have ever done. I never knew I even had these emotions until I had my baby. It brings up everything you have ever known about life and just turns it upside down.
It has also brought something very important from my past up to the surface. The life and death of my mother have been haunting me from the moment I found out I was pregnant. She was the first person I was supposed to call when I got pregnant. She was the first person I was supposed to call with all of my questions about my growing belly and changing body. She was supposed to be there to share in my joy when I gave birth to her first grandson.
But she wasn't.
The emotional void of not having my mother during the most important event of my life has been HUGE. Every day I want to call her. I want to tell her that I know how she felt when she held Billy and me for the first time. I want to tell her that I understand why she was so worried all these years- she didn't want anything to happen to us. I know how she felt now every time I look at my baby boy. I never want anything to happen to him either.
I want her to know her grandson and to be able to hold him and for her to be able to hold me when I am stressed or when I am so tired that I don't think I can do it anymore.
There is just so much that goes through my mind. The last time I saw my mother I was taking care of her. Her illness was a test run to see if I could handle being a mother. She was helpless and couldn't take care of herself. I would stay awake at night making sure she was breathing, just I like I did when I brought Henry home from the hospital. I needed to find empathy, patience and energy I didn't know I had. I was exhausted and I was stressed but I was taking care of the person I loved the most in the entire world- just like I am doing now.
This experience has also allowed me to view my mother's death from her perspective. My greatest wish in life is that I live long enough to see my children grow up. My mother had that taken away from her and I only know now how devastating that must have been for her. I only thought about how I felt when she was sick. I didn't realise how hard it must have been for her. She missed my college graduation, she missed my wedding and she missed meeting Henry.
I just wish she was here. Every single day I wish she was here. I want my child to know how amazing his grandmother was. I want my child to understand why I am the way I am. I want her to spoil him rotten like I know she would. I just wish she was here.
I miss my Mom.
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
culture shock.
You are getting two posts today because I am stuck in bed with something horrible going on with my back. AND this was my original post idea but I thought it was rude not to explain to Laura how I ended up here. :)
Here goes.
As recently as a year ago I didn't pay much thought to whether or not I would get my baby circumcised. It is the normal thing to do where I am from (MA) and I kind of wanted my baby to look the same as everyone else if and when we moved back to the States. I also was CONVINCED I was having a girl so I just really didn't give much thought to the subject.
This proved to be a very lucky turn of events for Mr. Baby. When he popped out and was a boy I just went with the flow. Here in the UK it is the norm to leave your baby in his NORMAL state. I thank my lucky stars every day that this is the case because I just defaulted the decision to let him look the way his Daddy does.
Fast forward to about a month ago. I joined all of these pages on facebook about natural parenting and breastfeeding and happened upon a few debates on the issue and decided to do my own research. What I found has shocked me and educated me on a matter that I now hold very dear to my heart. I have found that there really is no reason to circumcise any infant (male or female). In fact, in the US it is ILLEGAL to circumcise a female baby. Why the hell is it legal to circumcise a male?!?! I mean, REALLY? WHY? Obviously in the most dire of medical circumstances where the penis might fall off or something, then by all means- go for it. BUT it is very rare indeed that that might happen.
What upsets me the most is the lack of information on the subject in the States. I consider myself to be a pretty educated person but the thought of circumcision not being normal and not being at all beneficial to my baby did not even cross my mind. THIS SCARES ME. People need to think about this. This needs to be brought up over and over again. The medical profession in the US needs to stop treating routine infant circumcision as if it is no big deal. It is a very big deal. I will post some educational link but the few key facts that stick out in my head are:
1.The foreskin is extremely sensitive and especially important for sex later on in life. When you choose to cut off your baby's foreskin you are damaging his future sex life. Now, that is unfair and should not be your choice. (And from a woman's point of view- it DOES make a difference!)
2. Babies die from this procedure. LOTS of babies. Why would anyone risk death for a cosmetic procedure?
3. It is NOT your penis. Therefore you should have NO say in what happens to it. How would you feel if someone strapped you down and took something completely healthy off of your body for no reason? (Kind of repetetive from number one but, HELLO, it's NOT YOUR PENIS! This one really upsets me).
4. It is not more hygenic. It takes three seconds to clean it when you're older. Babies' foreskins don't need anything done to them at all. You clean it like a finger. It is MORE hygenic as it protects the glans from poo and pee!!
5. It doesn't protect from penile cancer or STDs. Do the reasearch. In fact, I have done some for you and will include it at the end of this post.
6. Most of the world is full of intact men. It is NORMAL.
7. I am not a religious person and therefore don't really see that as a valid excuse to cut something off of your child's body that is supposed to be there. I have glanced over some articles that talk about the current method of circumcision being far more barbaric than what is talked about in the Bible, however. When I have more time, I will look into it.
I am really passionate about this because it really needs to be spoken about in the US. Doctors are making money off of this. There is no other reason for it to be done. NONE! I just feel for all the men in my life who won't ever know any better because someone else made the decision for them. (I don't blame my parents or grandparents because they clearly just didn't know any better. I didn't know any better until a month ago.) I do not judge your previous actions IF you really just didn't know any better BUT now you do.
PLEASE do some research for any of your future sons! PLEASE. The only reason I wrote this post is so maybe someone will read it and take the time to do the research rather than just trust the doctors!
This is genital mutilation and it needs to stop.
My educational link:
http://www.infocirc.org/facts.htm
And just FYI- this is my blog and therefore is my opinion (though I do back it up with facts). If you don't like it- write your own blog. If you want to say something positive, then go ahead. And by all means if you have any questions, please ask.
Here goes.
As recently as a year ago I didn't pay much thought to whether or not I would get my baby circumcised. It is the normal thing to do where I am from (MA) and I kind of wanted my baby to look the same as everyone else if and when we moved back to the States. I also was CONVINCED I was having a girl so I just really didn't give much thought to the subject.
This proved to be a very lucky turn of events for Mr. Baby. When he popped out and was a boy I just went with the flow. Here in the UK it is the norm to leave your baby in his NORMAL state. I thank my lucky stars every day that this is the case because I just defaulted the decision to let him look the way his Daddy does.
Fast forward to about a month ago. I joined all of these pages on facebook about natural parenting and breastfeeding and happened upon a few debates on the issue and decided to do my own research. What I found has shocked me and educated me on a matter that I now hold very dear to my heart. I have found that there really is no reason to circumcise any infant (male or female). In fact, in the US it is ILLEGAL to circumcise a female baby. Why the hell is it legal to circumcise a male?!?! I mean, REALLY? WHY? Obviously in the most dire of medical circumstances where the penis might fall off or something, then by all means- go for it. BUT it is very rare indeed that that might happen.
What upsets me the most is the lack of information on the subject in the States. I consider myself to be a pretty educated person but the thought of circumcision not being normal and not being at all beneficial to my baby did not even cross my mind. THIS SCARES ME. People need to think about this. This needs to be brought up over and over again. The medical profession in the US needs to stop treating routine infant circumcision as if it is no big deal. It is a very big deal. I will post some educational link but the few key facts that stick out in my head are:
1.The foreskin is extremely sensitive and especially important for sex later on in life. When you choose to cut off your baby's foreskin you are damaging his future sex life. Now, that is unfair and should not be your choice. (And from a woman's point of view- it DOES make a difference!)
2. Babies die from this procedure. LOTS of babies. Why would anyone risk death for a cosmetic procedure?
3. It is NOT your penis. Therefore you should have NO say in what happens to it. How would you feel if someone strapped you down and took something completely healthy off of your body for no reason? (Kind of repetetive from number one but, HELLO, it's NOT YOUR PENIS! This one really upsets me).
4. It is not more hygenic. It takes three seconds to clean it when you're older. Babies' foreskins don't need anything done to them at all. You clean it like a finger. It is MORE hygenic as it protects the glans from poo and pee!!
5. It doesn't protect from penile cancer or STDs. Do the reasearch. In fact, I have done some for you and will include it at the end of this post.
6. Most of the world is full of intact men. It is NORMAL.
7. I am not a religious person and therefore don't really see that as a valid excuse to cut something off of your child's body that is supposed to be there. I have glanced over some articles that talk about the current method of circumcision being far more barbaric than what is talked about in the Bible, however. When I have more time, I will look into it.
I am really passionate about this because it really needs to be spoken about in the US. Doctors are making money off of this. There is no other reason for it to be done. NONE! I just feel for all the men in my life who won't ever know any better because someone else made the decision for them. (I don't blame my parents or grandparents because they clearly just didn't know any better. I didn't know any better until a month ago.) I do not judge your previous actions IF you really just didn't know any better BUT now you do.
PLEASE do some research for any of your future sons! PLEASE. The only reason I wrote this post is so maybe someone will read it and take the time to do the research rather than just trust the doctors!
This is genital mutilation and it needs to stop.
My educational link:
http://www.infocirc.org/facts.htm
And just FYI- this is my blog and therefore is my opinion (though I do back it up with facts). If you don't like it- write your own blog. If you want to say something positive, then go ahead. And by all means if you have any questions, please ask.
How I ended up here
Firstly, I am writing this from my iPhone so I will do my very best to catch any autocorrects!
This is for Laura.
I will now give the actual story as to how I ended up here. Please keep an open mind as mine is pretty far out there (at all times).
It all started in June of 2007 when I went to visit this amazing psychic. I was teaching high school at the time but had no job for the upcoming school year. My soul was literally aching to travel (cliche- but there is no other way to explain it). I had just come back from Bermuda and was desperate to move there so I went to the psychic to see what she had to say.
Let me interrupt the story to explain that this woman is no "Madam Zelda," turban wearing, crystal ball looking, weirdo. She is a lovely woman who has an incredible gift.
Back to the story...
She told me that I'm supposed to move to England. I was pretty dismayed at this news as England is not known for its pink sand and warm weather. She also told me that my mother (dead) had a husband picked out for me and that I'll meet him before my 26th birthday. I reluctantly decided that a husband might be better than pink sand and applied to the first teaching agency that I saw online. I figured that if it was fated, then I wouldn't need to do anything else. I was right! I got a job and moved over in August of 2007. The job I got is how I met my husband- exactly one month before my 26th birthday. I knew he was the one from the first second I saw him. We were married ten months later. The end.
This is for Laura.
I will now give the actual story as to how I ended up here. Please keep an open mind as mine is pretty far out there (at all times).
It all started in June of 2007 when I went to visit this amazing psychic. I was teaching high school at the time but had no job for the upcoming school year. My soul was literally aching to travel (cliche- but there is no other way to explain it). I had just come back from Bermuda and was desperate to move there so I went to the psychic to see what she had to say.
Let me interrupt the story to explain that this woman is no "Madam Zelda," turban wearing, crystal ball looking, weirdo. She is a lovely woman who has an incredible gift.
Back to the story...
She told me that I'm supposed to move to England. I was pretty dismayed at this news as England is not known for its pink sand and warm weather. She also told me that my mother (dead) had a husband picked out for me and that I'll meet him before my 26th birthday. I reluctantly decided that a husband might be better than pink sand and applied to the first teaching agency that I saw online. I figured that if it was fated, then I wouldn't need to do anything else. I was right! I got a job and moved over in August of 2007. The job I got is how I met my husband- exactly one month before my 26th birthday. I knew he was the one from the first second I saw him. We were married ten months later. The end.
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
I literally have no idea what I am doing...
I have decided to finally put my English degree to use and write something. I am hoping it will help keep me sane during these impossibly long winter days in England. At the moment the sun rises just before 8 a.m. and sets just after 4:30 p.m. That is not enough sunshine for me! I am seriously considering taking Mr. Baby on a holiday. Eight and half hours of sunshine is just not normal.
So I will write this even if no one reads it as talking to myself is something I tend to do all day anyway.
This first post is more of an introduction. I hope to comment a lot on the strangeness of living and parenting in a culture that is vastly different to the one I grew up in. I also plan on writing about my daily adventures with Mr. Baby. EVERY day is an adventure and a learning experience.
I have a lot of strong views on subjects that I am passionate about. I am a total intactivist and will definitely write a whole blog about that soon. I am passionate about natural parenting and spend way too much time trying to figure out how to live my life in a more natural manner. (I can spend HOURS reading about cloth nappies/diapers and how to clean my house without using any chemicals. What did I do with my time before now?!)
So, in closing this first post, I want to explain the title of my blog. I am originally from the States and now reside in a little medieval town in Kent, England. Pretty much daily I need to answer the question, "How did you end up here?" It is interesting because I need to think about the journey that has brought me over 3,000 miles away from my home and my family on a near daily basis. I still don't really know why I decided to move away. It was a total whim. I knew I was bored and stagnant at home and just decided to go with it. I guess it was the right decision because I ended up with a loving husband and a beautiful baby boy. It never ceases to amaze me how one decision can completely change your life.
On that note, good night. I PRAY Mr. Baby sleeps so that I can stop being such a frazzled mess and can be nicer to my husband.
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