Taking back your brith

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38129344/ns/health-pregnancy/

This article was so startling and real (and not to mention astounding that it was run on msnbc), it really hit me. I felt for this woman. It made me wonder how often this actually happens? People are so lucky to be able to do birth the way that they want to (be it at home, in the hospital, natural, induced...) that experiences like hers are baffling, tragic, and awful. A woman should never be traumatized by the birth of her child. She should be overjoyed, proud, excited. I hope her next birth does go the way she wants it, the way it should be.

on my mind....

-living in the pacific northwest. not any time soon mind you. but it will happen. as long as i can get a job. inspired by parasol party's recent trip. and twilight, of course.
-vacation in new orleans - this would be a vacation filled with eating. thats about all i want to do there. eat. and search for vampires. and stay in a really nice, southern mansion.
-vacation to lakes/on lakes and lake vacation homes. perhaps next summer....
-redecorating/rearranging - babys room done. front room done, jack's room is next. just going in there makes me want to throw many things away and start all over. hold me back.
-birthday party planning. like i said, post to come.
-menu planning. cooking. eating at as many new restaurants or old ones that i love (Aziza, Sheba, Olio). i am determined to try the strawberry beer at can can's (and have another brisket hash benedict - the stuff dreams are made of). today checked off major Tan A shopping trip and vietnamese bakery for banh mi. the bread was INCREDIBLE and the hot sauce made it awesome. brunch tomorrow - TBD but in the running: stronghill and lamplighter. and lovely husband is letting me go sans baby. tomorrow could be awesome. plus i'm making egg rolls and dumplings. which making isn't so awesome but eating them is.
-birthday gifts for nieces, nephews and daughter. i like to make their birthdays special since christmas is always such a clusterfuck.
-new babies! so many friends having babies recently. very exciting!!
-making it up to the mountains soon. and some sort of peach/berry picking while there would be nice.

baby birthday - one month away

The baby's first birthday is coming up in a month! I cannot believe this little fat thing will be a year old. And she's so incredibly different from a year ago. It is absolutely amazing how much growing a little human can do in their first year. craziness. And with her birthday coming up, I get to do two things I love the most: plan a party (woodland theme!) and shop. first the shopping:

these are awesome, but really unnecessary:

from: http://www.tiffanyard.com/prints.htm

definitely one of these:

she's not walking yet, hopefully she can push this thing along. and i really want to get her her own chair like this:

and most definitely a zoobie. she's also really starting to get into baby dolls and stuffed animals - so maybe a webkin. she loves st hug them and say "awwww". shes turning into such a little girl and not a baby!

i will make a separate post for the birthday party plans. I've already enlisted a planner and a cake master.

I took the baby on a playdate with another fat,blonde, blue-eyed baby (cuteness overload) to stony point to lay in the fountains. we were a little worried it would be a bit much for them - but they both LOVED it. merit had the best time sticking her finger into the water spout and then promptly and repeatedly getting sprayed in the face. but, more importantly, while we were there i stopped into anthropolgie and found two dresses that i must stalk until they go on sale:

and this swim suit that i have been watching for months and still hasn't gone on sale:

ah, if only i had a large gift card to spend there.....or if it was MY birthday.

Nursing rights and following a new pediatrician

There was a recent Giving Birth with Confidence blog carnival focusing on nursing rights. I myself have never had a problem nursing in public - well, never a problem with someone kicking me out of a restaurant, etc. personal problems, yes. When I first ventured out of the house with baby at 2 and 3 weeks old I was extremely hesitant to nurse. Not exactly because I was shy, but more because she and I still did not have the hang of it. The problem was, we were out with my sister in law who, after five kids, was a pro at whipping out the boob anytime, anywhere and keeping herself well covered. So when I got a lot of shit from both her and my husband for not doing it in public, I worked very hard to become super comfortable with it - especially with doing it without any sort of nursing cover. I started with the blanket over baby. Then I finally got myself a nursing cover and attempted to use that when in public. But it just became a hassle. As she got older and I didn't have to support her head as much it became much easier. I shed the nursing cover (which my sister in law also scoffed at) and am now just as comfortable as that mother of five. Probably a bit too comfortable b/c I will now nurse whenever and wherever. I try to be conscious of who I'm around (for example, I nursed in a different room when at a co-workers house, who's wife and neighbors I had met for the first time) and don't get too worked up if I do need to move into another room. Although many advocates would claim my actions were limiting my right to nurse in public, I don't really mind. And often, around friends who don't have children, I ask if they're comfortable with it before I start. Which is funny, b/c out in public, at a restaurant for example, I have no problem nursing. I guess I'm willing to be a little more discreet with people I have to see everyday. But they get used to - as my brothers did after awhile and soon its no big deal. And its nice to know that.

We're shopping around for a new pediatrician. Jack is the one going to all the appointments and he is not impressed by the doctor we go to. Sure, he's a good doctor, and home birth friendly. But according to Jack, "he doesn't tell him anything he doesn't already know or could look up". And we have an issue with another doctor in the practice. The problem with finding a new pediatrician - there are very few who are truly home birth friendly. My home birth group ("Nancy moms") have a running list of doctors they go to that Nancy recommends. Our current pediatrician is on that list. This new pediatrician we are considering is not. But the things I'm learning about him suggest he eventually could be... he is very pro breastfeeding, seems to be willing to attend to different vaccine schedules (not that we care much about that as we vaccinate on a slightly alternate but relatively CDC friendly schedule), and, from what I've been able to find out, has no negative opinion towards home birthing. I'd still like to talk to him before we decide. He has a couple of other pros - self proclaimed soccer fanatic, a twitter account under the name Dr Spiky Hair (is that a pro or con? not sure yet - I'll follow him and find out!), and we know his brother so we can get some inside dirt on him. Hopefully Jack will be willing to pursue this and quit his bitching about the current doc.