Mother's Little Helper App: Naturespace

My littlest guy is sick right now with an upper respiratory cold. Some Vicks Vapo Rub on his chest, along with some snuggles and this app is helping to keep him calm.

Naturespace: Relax Meditate Escape Sleep with 3D Sound by Holographic Audio Theater
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/naturespace-relax-meditate/id312618509?mt=8

FitBit Stride Length Calculator

Are you a FitBitter like me? Did you get one of these little gadgets for Christmas? There is also a wristband version called Fitbit Flex. I got a FitBit One for myself for my birthday last year so I've now had it for a few months. One thing I have learned since wearing this gadget is the importance of stride length. When I went to input the number though, I wanted to make sure I was doing it correctly. I found this cool calculator widget and I thought I'd share it with you. I hope you find this as helpful as I have. I believe wearable tech will grow to be a bigger hit in the coming years.

Are you hooked up yet?

Click this link if the hosted graphic doesn't load below: Stride Length Calculator

Insomnia

  

My New Love Affair With Lentils

No Voice? Use Big Words!

I recently had laryngitis for two weeks. Not only was it painful, but an even bigger challenge during our summer vacation while traveling with my two young sons to visit family and friends with even more children!

This app became invaluable for me during that time. I was able to communicate with people using this on my iPhone and iPad. I had to carefully choose my words when trying to talk to my six year old who is just learning to read, but this was a great exercise.

Big Words is a must-have tool on all your devices!

Big Words DollarApp Category: Social Networking Updated: Oct 4, 2011 16 Ratings

For Those About To Rock October, We Salute You

Are you thinking pink?
This past month, a few of my friends and relatives have given birth to baby girls. You know who you are: Congratulations!! (now stop reading my blog and get back to resting!) A few more are waiting to find out if they'll be registering for pink things. It's all very exciting. It's also reminding me of something very important.

I'm thinking about pink lately, not only for my own good, but for their little futures that are just beginning. You see, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In honor of this, I'm making my personal blog pink and posting some links that will hopefully bring about awareness for this horrific disease that affects too many people we know, love and care about.

I'm also posting this photo of my rack

because it rocks and I hope it's a reminder to you and your loved ones to do your self-breast exams each month! Have you checked today?


Stop reading and do it now. Go ahead. I'll wait.


Good. Thanks.

These knockers have now fed two handsome little boys over the past 4 years and counting. I'm pretty proud of that. I worked very hard at it and I deserve to be proud. Breasts are amazing body parts and they should be respected, protected and revered. Breasts are fabulous and functional! Don't let breast cancer jeopardize them — not mine, yours, hers or his! (Men can get breast cancer too. So you dudes need to stop gawking enough to pay attention to your own health!)

(Did you know August is Breast-feeding Awareness Month?)

It would be devastating if I ever lost these to breast cancer, so I'm constantly checking and trying to be self-aware. I have a few family members who have had different types of cancer so my risk is a bit elevated.

Do you know if you're at risk?
I urge you to visit the National Breast Cancer site and register for an Early Detection Plan. I did it. It's fast and easy. It's also a good way to set up some reminders to do your exams.

Click to Donate
I'm serious. All it takes is a click, or two or seven. Tell your friends.

Donate & Get Involved @ Komen.org

Thanks for taking the time to remember and remind. Go tell your friends!

Diaper Rash Sucks :(

Poor Keagan has some pretty nasty diaper rash so I've been letting him "air out" on a towel on the floor. Tonight we had a "picnic" in Mommy & Daddy's bedroom on a blanket on the floor so we could all hang out with Keagan while eating dinner together. (well, at least Keagan was literally hanging out!) He has been such a trooper through it all. He only cries for diaper changes, hunger and attention...the usual.

He is such a great baby! I can't get enough of kissing him and running my lips over his peach fuzz. Every time I look at Lucian, I'm reminded just how fast time goes and how quickly they grow up so I'm trying to savor this time even through the sleep deprivation, engorgement and incision pain. (Percoset is a great Mother's Little Helper right now, but it's soon time to start weaning myself off of it.)

The good thing is, it's all just temporary.

The bad thing is, it's all just temporary.

I know can't stop time, and wouldn't want to necessarily, but at least I can make memories of moments in time that will hopefully last forever :)

These are little reminders that life is tough, but we get by.

 

"This is so NOT the spa experience I was hoping for!"

(airing out diaper rash)

 

"I'd rather have a bikini wax right about now instead of this diaper rash!"

Happier Moments

I can't get enough of his peach fuzz!

Posted via email from TheMacMommy

Labor Data & Update

This is what the data looks like from the iPhone app called "Baby's Coming" which is a contraction timer app. I'm also using an app called "Total Baby" which is aimed at logging info on the baby like feedings, wet diapers, dr appts, etc. I'm actually using it now to log info about ME that I know the hospital staff will likely ask me later. It sounds awful, and truth be told, it's not pretty but when you have a c-section, you end up being monitored just like the baby and they even measure your pee and poop to make sure your organs are working once they put you back together after they extract the baby. Meds will be dosed on a tight schedule and also meals. So, I figured why not add myself as one of the "children" that needs to be logged. I just entered my last meal, meds I've taken and noted my contraction info, among other details so I'll hopefully know what answers to give nurses when they ask after I've been admitted.   

I've had to stop several times now while writing this to note my contractions and; re-copy and paste the new data!

Baby is still active and moving a lot. I really think he wants out soon.

The surgery is scheduled for 12 noon today, so hopefully we can hold out for it, but 11 hours feels like a long time to be like this so unless these contractions start spreading out like they did an hour ago, we may have to leave earlier for the hospital than planned.

The OB on call told me to try and rest up (yeah, right!) and to just report to the hospital once we have a consistant pattern of contractions lasting 1 min and 5-10 mins apart for at least an hour. Well, I can check the 1 minute duration off the list and I can also check off the 5-10 min. intervals, but the consistant for 1 hour is what I'm working on now. Also, they can not cut me open until I've not had any food for more than 6 hours. Looking at my food log in the Total Baby app, it tells me it's only been closer to 5 hrs. since I last ate. So, we couldn't even leave for the hospital for another 1 hr. anyway.

I took some Tylenol PM and I'm starting to feel sleepy but I just don't see how I'll sleep through these contractions!

Well, that's the update for now. Nate is sleeping and I'm trying to lay down and rest in between contractions and going potty which is extremely hard to do when it feels like there is an ice pick in my bladder!!

I'm taking it minute by minute. Thanks so much for all of your prayers, thoughts, tweets, posts, and phone calls. It really means so much to Nate and I.

I'm going to keep resting while pressing the start/stop button on the iPhone app. It does really make it so much easier to rest because of the minimal effort to use the app. I can keep the lights off, Nate can sleep (which is what I need him to do!), I can lie on my side and just reach out a finger to the iPhone I have setting right here by my bedside and touch the screen.

Bags are packed and ready. Gadgets are charging. Computers are backed up. Lucian is sleeping over at Oma and Opa's house. Oma French braided my hair and alarms are set.

Rock n Roll!

Event	Details
Contraction	1:09:04 AM (duration: 1 min 30s, interval: 7 min 1s)
Contraction	12:59:59 AM (duration: 2 min 2s, interval: 6 min 19s)
Contraction	12:52:01 AM (duration: 1 min 39s, interval: 5 min 21s)
Contraction	12:45:34 AM (duration: 1 min 5s, interval: 9 min 37s)
Contraction	12:35:05 AM (duration: 50s, interval: 6 min 35s)
Contraction	12:26:48 AM (duration: 1 min 41s, interval: 6 min 1s)
Contraction	12:18:38 AM (duration: 2 min 8s, interval: 4 min 34s)
Contraction	12:12:36 AM (duration: 1 min 27s, interval: 2 min 6s)
Contraction	12:09:45 AM (duration: 44s, interval: 8 min 54s)
Contraction	11:58:58 PM (duration: 1 min 52s, interval: 2s)
Contraction	11:58:55 PM (duration: 1s, interval: 8 min 14s)
Contraction	11:48:54 PM (duration: 1 min 45s, interval: 8 min 14s)
Contraction	11:39:44 PM (duration: 55s, interval: 23 min 14s)
Contraction	11:14:44 PM (duration: 1 min 45s, interval: 28 min 45s)
Contraction	10:44:40 PM (duration: 1 min 17s, interval: 12 min 44s)
Contraction	10:31:09 PM (duration: 47s, interval: 12 min 35s)
Contraction	10:17:29 PM (duration: 1 min 4s, interval: 14 min 21s)
Contraction	10:01:55 PM (duration: 1 min 12s, interval: 31 min 20s)
Contraction	9:28:48 PM (duration: 1 min 46s, interval: 13 min 43s)
Contraction	9:13:52 PM (duration: 1 min 11s, interval: 9 min 19s)
Contraction	9:03:21 PM (duration: 1 min 11s, interval: 9 min 57s)
Contraction	8:51:53 PM (duration: 1 min 31s, interval: 7 min 38s)
Contraction	8:42:25 PM (duration: 1 min 48s, interval: 7 min 22s)
Contraction	8:33:28 PM (duration: 1 min 34s, interval: 5 min 31s)
Contraction	8:25:27 PM (duration: 2 min 30s, interval: 16 min 24s)
Contraction	8:07:05 PM (duration: 1 min 57s, interval: N/A)
Exported with "Baby's coming" iPhone application.

It's October, Don't Be a Boob!

The Month of October is a Busy Month!

Now you have the dual responsibility to check both your boobs AND your wifi connections! October is just the month designated to promote awareness for these responsibilities you should enact all year round.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It's also now National Cyber Security Awareness Month.

Check out the

Susan G. Komen for the Cure website for more information on Breast Cancer and bringing awareness.

Pink for October is a website that shows you how you can be involved by making your blog or website pink for the month of October to bring about awareness.

Don't Be a Boob!

Check your network connections in your home and make sure you are secure. Don't leave your wifi connections unlocked. Protect them with a password and try to use something other than standard WEP if you can. Know what internet safety means and teach these skills to your children.

Homeland Security has a helpful website with resources about internet safety.

Also check out On Guard Online.

My good buddies over at The Typical Mac User Podcast know a thing or two or twenty about computer security. Always a great resource to learn more about security on the Mac.

Bart Busshots is a good friend who is also very knowledgeable about computer and internet security. You can find him on several podcasts discussing the topic of security.

Watch the President's Message

Posted via email from TheMacMommy

Stylin' and Profilin' The Baby Bump

Just so you know, this story does have a happy ending....

It has taken me a long time to finally muster up the courage to ask my husband to take some baby bump photos of me that I would be willing to share with everyone. I'm now 35 weeks along and my belly bump is finally starting to round out more. I don't know why, but for some reason, I just do not like the way my body is shaped for this pregnancy. When I was pregnant with Lucian, I really loved my pregnant body. I still felt I looked more oblong than round, but at least I felt very feminine and beautiful. I just haven't felt that way this time around. I feel more rectangular than round. I have belly bump envy whenever I look at other pregnant women and they have these glorious, basketball-looking bellies that are so plump and round. Every time I look in the mirror, I feel disgusted because I don't look pregnant, I just look heavy. I feel like when I'm out and about, people don't know I'm pregnant unless they watch me waddle. To look at me in the grocery checkout line, I just don't think they see me as pregnant but perhaps a woman who maybe just gave birth or is just overweight. When I was pregnant with Lucian, I got the vibe from people that they all KNEW I was pregnant and everyone would smile at me. I loved that feeling. I don't get that vibe this time around.

Just the other week, we were getting our cars serviced. Nate and the mechanic were engaged in a conversation about kids because Lucian was with us and I think the guy said something to the effect of "is he your only child?" and of course, Nate replied that we were expecting another soon and pointing to me as if to say, um, isn't it obvious my wife is pregnant? The man very politely put his hands up in defense and said "Oh, I never assume that anymore. I got myself into a lot of trouble once because I asked a woman when she was due and she wasn't pregnant. I learned my lesson the hard way and I never assume anymore and just keep my mouth shut." Of course, it's understandable. Who hasn't been in that situation where you want to say something, but just don't because you just never know. Of course I understand and I don't fault the man at all. It just stung a little bit because it was just another reminder that I just look heavy and not OBVIOUSLY pregnant. It just bugged me.

It's Just Bumped Up

What's even more strange is that I haven't gained as much weight with this pregnancy either, so why shouldn't I be happy about that? At my last 34 week checkup, I had only gained 21 pounds total. I am really happy about that, don't get me wrong, but it's a struggle because of the strict diet I am on. Growing up, you're trained to view pregnancy as a time to indulge and NEVER a time to diet. Not for me though, there isn't much wiggle room when you have Gestational Diabetes and severe nerve compression. I think I'm mostly upset because I was ten pounds heavier when I started this pregnancy and I was really, really terrified of gaining more weight on top of that because of the nerve compression in my left leg. I've been really disappointed in myself because I didn't lose more weight before getting pregnant. I really wanted to lose twenty pounds so that when I gained the pregnancy weight, it wouldn't put quite as much pressure on my spine, nerves and joints. That didn't happen and so here I suffer the consequences of chronic pain and discomfort because I failed to reach my goal. I'm also very upset with myself because I have Gestational Diabetes again. I could have potentially avoided it if I had lost the weight I should have. So again, no one else to blame but me. I feel really sad that I could be causing this poor baby health problems because of my lack of responsibility to keep myself healthy. I'll never forget poor little Lucian and all the heel sticks they put him through and how they had to force feed him formula to get his blood sugar up. We had to stay in the hospital for five long days because of his low blood sugar and I feel like it's all my fault. I'm so nervous that this baby will have to endure that same treatment. That's another reason, of many, why I am absolutely dreading the C-section because last time, it slowed down the process of lactation so much that my milk didn't come in for seven days. Had I been able to lactate earlier, I would have been able to get Lucian's blood sugar up faster. I really, really hope it won't be as bad this time around and that I can nurse much earlier since at least I'm more experienced at it. I'm confident in my abilities, but not what all the surgery related drugs in my system will do to my milk production.

I know, I know, I shouldn't beat myself up about it, but it's hard not to. The last trimester is, well, TRYING — and tiring. I'm moody, tired and uncomfortable at 35 weeks. Unless you've been through the torment of pregnancy and delivery that I have, you just wouldn't understand. I try to enjoy pregnancy, I really, really do. I'm just venting hoping it will make me feel better. Writing about it is very cathartic for me. I really do believe that pregnancy is an incredible honor, blessing and privilege and I'm extremely grateful to be pregnant. Despite the excruciating, agonizing pain and discomfort I experienced last time, I was willing to endure it again because I believe the end product of a child is worth the struggle and then some. I'm even willing to do it again. That will really depend, however, on how well I recover from this delivery and IF my husband will ever get me pregnant again. He doesn't want me to be in pain so much to the point where he'd just rather not impregnate me. I can't blame him for being terrified. It's not only the woman who suffers but the man who has to put up with her suffers too! Neither one of us is happy to "put the other through it again" so that's something we'll be struggling with in the future. Nate, as I imagine many men do, feels helpless and extremely frustrated when he can't fix me or make me feel better.

I'm determined and stubborn, it's just that I'm not always quiet about it and I sometimes have to gripe about it to deal with the stress. I can't help but feel envious toward women who can be so active in their pregnancies and immediately afterward. My chronic joint pain and allergies just won't allow me to be as active as I'd like and it's depressing feeling so debilitated at times.

The last time I shared photos I was 23 weeks along and feeling brave because I was in the second trimester and feeling like I had "the glow." So, for the sake of comparison, here I am at 23 weeks.

I am the type of person who tries to find the positive in everything. The silver lining, if you will. After all the griping, I try my best to try to switch gears and look for something to be happy about. Now that you've read all of the negative feelings I've been experiencing, here is something positive. Like I said, I really don't like the way my body looks. Maternity clothing helps to a point, but for the most part, I just haven't found anything that I feel makes me look really nice and pregnant, motherly or feminine.....

Until now.

Maggie Maternity to the Rescue

Thanks to TwitterMoms and their RAMBO alerts, I was awarded the opportunity to blog a review of a maternity dress from Maggie Maternity. I was able to pick the color, size and style so I picked their Summer Sleeveless Maxi Dress. I picked a dress because I've never owned or worn a maternity dress. I normally don't really have many occasions to dress up, but I thought perhaps if I got a dress, maybe we would make an opportunity so I could get all gussied up to feel better. That has still yet to happen, but I have worn this dress to a parent-teacher night at Lucian's preschool so far and then again today to have my photos taken to document the pregnancy. I'm also thinking about wearing it for my upcoming Sprinkle Shower. Another reason I chose the dress is because it's very, very hot in Tucson this time of year and this dress looked like it would be very comfortable in the heat. I was right!

First of all, let me just get the few negative points out of the way. The price of this dress is a bit high-end for my personal budget, but I don't feel it's an unfair price at $75.00 because it's pretty well made and a glorious material. It washes very well and it's simple to hang it to dry. It's probably very affordable for most, but on our modest single income, it just wouldn't be practical for me to spend this much on one piece of clothing that I'll only wear a few times. Perhaps had it been my first pregnancy, knowing for sure I would wear it for another pregnancy later on and with the extra full time paycheck, possibly it could have been affordable. In our current situation though, it just makes sense to buy second-hand for less. Also, when it comes to spending, technology is more of a priority for me than clothing, shoes or makeup. That's just ME. That being said, I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to own a "pricey" new article of maternity clothing. It's a real treat.

The second and last constructive criticism I will give this piece is that I'm a bit disappointed with the bust area. Now, this is not necessarily the fault of the dress-maker because I am large-busted and ALWAYS have trouble with clothing, but I do believe a dress sized at an Extra Large should be equipped with a bit more room in the bust area as women who wear this size do tend to be larger breasted. I probably would have been better fit in a 1X or women's size 16/18 for the cut of the top of this dress. It is really hard to find a bra that will work with this dress because of the way the straps and neckline are shaped. Bras for breasts of my size (currently a 42 DD — and bound to get larger once milk comes in! ugh!) are cut with much larger cups, thicker straps and higher cleavage lines for support. I did manage to find a suitable nursing bra in black with a lower neck line and much thinner straps that wouldn't stick out, but then the sides near the armpit area still showed because of the larger cup size. Also, the stitching under the bust line on this dress could be a little more reinforced due to the weight of the breasts it's meant to support. I found myself tugging a little to get my breasts to fit in the area better and I was afraid of tearing out the stitching. I think if the bust of this style dress could be modified, it would be perfect. As you can see in the photos, my solution was to pair this dress with an unbuttoned blouse to hide the bra from showing. It might even be nice if Maggie Maternity were to design a cute, short-sleeved jacket to go with this dress for those of us with larger arms and bigger bust lines. Those are just my suggestions.

Now, on to the best part.

I have to rave about this dress now and NOT because it was given to me for a review. Honestly, I have to rave because remember all the depressing stuff I wrote about before? When I put this dress on, it really lifts my spirits. All those negative feelings melt away. I feel pretty, feminine and motherly when I wear this dress. The fabric is incredibly soft and keeps me cool and comfortable in the heat. It accentuates my belly bump and makes it look ROUND for a change! I feel like I finally look pregnant while wearing this dress. When I wore it a few weeks ago to our son's parent teacher night at his preschool, I loved the way I looked and felt in it. There was one other pregnant woman there and for the first time I did NOT have belly bump envy!! I actually felt good about the way my belly bump was being "presented" — if you will.

I don't know if that makes any sense to anyone else, but that's how I feel when it comes to dressing up my belly bump. Bellies should be worn with pride and up until now, I haven't felt like I could really do that before. So, with the exception of a few enhancements I would make for larger-sized women, I would definitely recommend this maternity dress to others. It gets TheMacMommy stamp of approval :)

Thanks again, Maggie Maternity for helping me to feel good about my new shape!

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from TheMacMommy

World Diabetic KID'Z Day

In about a month from now, it will be World Diabetic KID'Z Day

Here is a "heads up."

Please visit http://www.globaldiabeticawareness.org (also http://www.diabeticlifewon.com) for more information.

Posted via email from TheMacMommy

Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Reviews

via cosmeticsdatabase.com

This looks like a very helpful site. I'm going to browse it looking for products for our new baby that will be safe. Has anyone used this site before? Your reactions?

Posted via web from TheMacMommy

World Habitat Day

About Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity International is an ecumenical Christian ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has built more than 300,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 1.5 million people. For more information, visit www.habitat.org

Living With Gestational Diabetes

A day in the life.
Lucian likes to help Mommy put a test strip in the meter.

Posted via email from TheMacMommy

Belly-Eye View

Posted via email from TheMacMommy

AMA on Health Care

Just for Laughs

Apparently the American Medical Association has weighed in on
the President's new health care package ....

The Allergists voted to scratch it, but the Dermatologists
advised not to make any rash moves.

The Gastroenterologists had sort of a gut feeling about it, but
the Neurologists thought the Administration had a lot of nerve.

The Obstetricians felt they were all laboring under a
misconception. Ophthalmologists considered the idea shortsighted.

Pathologists yelled, "Over my dead body!" while the
Pediatricians said, 'Oh, Grow up!'

The Psychiatrists thought the whole idea was madness, while the
Radiologists could see right through it.

Surgeons decided to wash their hands of the whole thing. The
Internists thought it was a bitter pill to swallow, and the Plastic
Surgeons said, "This puts a whole new Face on the matter."

The Podiatrists thought it was a step forward, but the
Urologists were pissed off at the whole idea.

The Anesthesiologists thought the whole idea was a gas, and the
Cardiologists didn't have the Heart to say no.

In the end, the Proctologists won out, leaving the entire
decision up to the Assholes in Washington.

Does Not Play Well With Others

Yeah. Take a look at the post below on my Blogspot blog. It looks like crap. It probably has something to do with my template and internal coding. This is where I grow tired of Blogspot. It just doesn't play well with others.

I've also tried copying and pasting the raw HTML from my Moms Gone Geek blog and Blogger borks it every time!

So frustrating!!

Posted via email from TheMacMommy

Testing My New Posting Workflow

I'm in the home stretch now with this pregnancy and nesting is really setting in. With that brings this uncontrollable urge to get my ducks in a row and tie up loose ends before the baby gets here because I know I won't have the time and energy to invest in it later.

So, it's all got me thinking about my current blogging workflow. I haven't been blogging as much as I'd like to over on my Blogspot blog and it bothers me. I was really hoping I would have documented this pregnancy journey more than I have. I really want and need to blog more but, I've found the Blogger UI to be so very cumbersome that's it's been a real turn off to me. It feels more like a chore to blog using that UI and platform. Many have tried to convince me to use other methods like Wordpress or Tumblr. I've tried them all out — all the ones that didn't cost anything to run, that is. I've been blogging publicly since 2007 and since that time, I have never paid for hosting. Not really sure I want to start if I can find a suitable free solution.

A few weeks ago I finally got an iPhone. It was a huge deal for me and I wanted to blog about it more and just haven't gotten around to it. There are so many blog ideas floating around in my head right now but I just can't get motivated enough to get them out and onto my blog on a more regular basis. Now that I have an iPhone, it's opened up a whole new mobile, and portable world to me. I now find myself looking for ways to blog using my iPhone. Since Posterous is basically hooked up to email, what could be easier than composing and email message on my iPhone and using this as a blogging tool?

I'm now exploring iPhone apps and methods I can use to make my iPhone a good intermittent blogging tool.

These are some random questions, thoughts and ideas I have about using Posterous to possibly replace my current blogging method using Blogger.

Text Formatting

One of the things I enjoy about blogging and using Blogger, is the ability to "typeset" and format my text. Right now, I'm writing this post using Mail.app. I can format, on a limited basis, some of the text, but then I'm not sure how that translates onto the Posterous site. I think it depends on which template you use or if you know how to tweak the HTML code. This is something I'll certainly be exploring.

Subject Lines

I was thinking I wouldn't use a subject line, but then I got to thinking about archiving these posts using my email client, Mail.app. Thinking about archiving workflow. Perhaps I should create a new Mail.app folder for these posts.

Do I really want to do that? The way Mail.app archives messages isn't exactly pretty. Maybe I don't keep the emails and find some other way to just archive the Posterous blog.

Will Posterous come to replace my Blogspot blog?

Now that I'm trying out Posterous, I'm feeling more abitious and more motivated to blog more regularly because of the method by which I'll be using to actually get a blog posted in various places like my blogspot blog, facebook, twitter, friendfeed, etc.

Inserting photos and movie clips

Seems easy enough using the Photo Browser in Mail.app to insert the photos. Haven't yet tried movies. Will try that next.

I was just reading a Posterous link submitted by Robert Scoble. I left a comment explaining some of my current thoughts on this process and activity.

Here is one of my YouTube videos just to see how it handles the link.

I'm wondering if I can somehow create some sort of graphically pleasing template using Mail.app so that it would load proper design elements into the Posterous Post as well as my Blogger layout.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from TheMacMommy

It's Time to Play Breastfeeding Soap Box!

To play along, first you have to read the title of this blog post with that Muppets Game Show Host character's voice in your head.

Ok. I'm torqued about this conversation stirring over the woman who was fired (in 2005) for taking unauthorized breaks to pump milk. It hits close to home with me because I left my full time job over something similar. While I commend Ms. Allen for making the choice to breastfeed her child, I believe she could have made other choices in addition that would have suited her and her son's needs better rather than causing herself undue turmoil, but hey, we live and we learn, right?

First let me just say that this story has been spun several different ways till Sunday. According to The Columbus Dispatch article, along with some other references with credible citations, the woman was fired for taking unauthorized breaks, NOT for pumping her milk. Let's get the story straight here, folks. Her employer never said she couldn't pump her milk, they did say she would have to do it on their terms at the times they specified and there wasn't any wiggle room.

According to the details of the case (the ones I've read and believe to be cited properly — keep in mind, I wasn't there) — the woman took on a temp job (I remind you this was just a temp job, she wasn't making partner in a law firm) and she negotiated the terms of her employment regarding her needs for taking breaks to pump her breasts during authorized times that were approved by her supervisor. After some time, she discovered (as we all do, because we're freakin humans, not machines) that these break times were not sufficient for her pumping needs.

Duh. I'm sorry, but unless your breasts are bionic, who can pump reasonably within 10 minutes time?

She was not granted any more flexibility when she asked about adjusting her break times.

Ok, real shocker there. This was a production job and she was a temporary employee. Not a whole lot of flexibility for something like this when you're on an assembly line making gloves and umbrellas. So, what did she do, she took unauthorized breaks to pump (read by the employer as "sneaking") and then got caught and penalized for it.

Now, no one should be penalized for draining their painfully engorged breasts just like no one should be penalized for having to drain their bladder. Pumping, however, is not the same as a bathroom break or a smoke break or any type of break. It's really not a break at all. Your body has to work and burn a tremendous amount of calories. It is medically and physically necessary to pump at regular intervals and not every woman can drain her breasts in 10 – 15 minutes, so why anyone thinks they can get away with being told by an employer when they can and can't pump is beyond my understanding. Perhaps it's because pumping and the details of proper breast care and milk management are beyond the scope of most employer's understanding anyhow. After all, it's not really the job of the company to educate themselves on all things health related like pumping breast milk, or insulin injections or blood testing for diabetics, is it? We're talking about personal health management here and there are privacy issues at stake. This means it's up to the individual to manage their own health care needs. Be responsible for yourself.

Sometimes I feel women have been brainwashed over the years to think that we can just do it all and it will all work out perfectly. Just give us a device that replaces a natural function of our bodies and we can do anything we set our minds to. We don't need no stinking ovulation, menstruation, or lactation! What a hassle? As if! Come on, body, I HAVE to go to work, punch in and check out. I have no time for these processes! Imagine all the money we as a nation spend on drying ourselves up with all of these devices, products, drugs and procedures that basically just de-feminize us over time while others spend money on devices, drugs, products and procedures to make the perfect woman plastic, plump and juicy. Just what the hell does it really mean to be a woman anymore if I have to make a choice between denying my body it's natural processes or turn myself into a machine so I can run with the big dawgs?

And then we wonder why marriages fall apart, our children suffer in schools and our health care is failing us.

This coming from a geeky mom who has in fact tried to do it all while pumping. I am Super Lactation Woman, hear me Moooooo! I can leap mountains in a single bound, manage 160 computers on a network at the same time, put out fires, make phone calls, email instructions, fix a problem remotely with a few clicks of the mouse, consult employees, create Excel spreadsheets and print them correctly too — all while attached to my breast pump!! All the while I was doing that, once I got the hang of it, it was great and I was able to pump 20 ounces a day while at work. I was so proud of my little cooler filled with mommy juice and couldn't wait to put it in the fridge all neatly labeled at day care the next morning. That sounds pretty impressive to the working woman and I did feel very accomplished.

However, the whole time I was doing this, my mind was NOT on my precious son. I was mentally distracted trying to cover over the heartache I felt each day I had to leave my baby with strangers so I could go to work. Whenever I took him in to the day care (a room filled with cribs and crying, neglected babies plopped in swings, high chairs, and play pens — in other words, a tiny little prison camp) I would try to nurse him before putting him in his crib to sleep. Then I would dart out so as not to be late to work, imagining my little angel just laying there sleeping the whole 8 to 10 hours while I worked. I couldn't bear the thought of seeing him just laying there crying with no one paying attention to him except for to put out fires like feeding and changing diapers. I also hated the idea of how hard it was for me to pump that precious, liquid white gold only to have some other woman cuddle and feed my son the milk out of my body from a plastic liner and silicone nipple.

It was just all so unnatural, I couldn't stand it!! When I started getting sick and couldn't recover, I knew I was going against the natural grain of things and I had to make changes. My body was literally screaming out to me to stop the madness and succumb to the primal urges of being a mother.

I feel some people lose sight of the fact that draining your breasts while you are lactating is a natural, biological need as well as a health care need which becomes interrupted when you are working and away from your baby. Pumping is a mechanical intervention which attempts to narrow the gap between working mother and child. When you mix working outside the home with lactation, it's often not a good match no matter how hard you try. (Not saying it isn't possible, I know women who have pulled it off very gracefully. I attempted to be one of them.) It just interrupts the natural cycle of biology and primal instincts. When it comes to lactation, there just is no replacement for a real baby just like there is no true replacement for breast milk. Pumping is to proper breast care management as formula is to breast milk replacement. It's a best guess, but it's not the real thing, so you get what you pay for. In the end you do the best with what you have to work with given the circumstances in which you find yourself. Keep in mind that those circumstances are many times within our own control and changes can be made to compensate to get what you need to be healthy. No one said the balancing act would be easy. Nothing is guaranteed. Be careful about expecting entitlement.

I just feel perhaps the mother involved in this court case might not have planned enough for what pumping at work would really entail. How could she? It's not a perfect science where everyone magically knows what to do. It takes practice and coordination. Maybe she didn't educate herself enough beforehand and just thought it was a mechanical process? Maybe she felt too intimidated and under pressure to ask for more than her employer was willing to offer when it came to her health needs? If she really wanted to breastfeed and it was that important to her, I think she should have made her health needs a priority over that particular job. Did she really, really need that temp job to make ends meet? Couldn't she have sought out some type of assistance? Reason I ask these questions is because I find it hard to believe that a temp job had such a high salary that she could justify all of the costs of going to work like childcare, transportation, etc. Maybe she had family helping her with childcare, who knows, but something's gotta give somewhere along the line.

I'm not clear or sure if she was given a warning and did not comply, but either way, she broke the rules that were handed down to her instead of trying to negotiate further or simply bow out and look for another place of employment. That's my beef.

Do I think her employer was right in not allowing her to adjust her pump schedule? I believe the employer made decisions based on the best interest of its company, not the employee. Is there something wrong with that? It depends on the company. No one is forcing you to take a job there. It's a job to make money just like any other. You're there to do a job and get compensated for it. Period. If the job isn't conducive to pumping, then GET ANOTHER (TEMP) JOB, stay at home, or give up breastfeeding.

What frustrates me is that everyone is stressing over this woman who (4 years ago this happened, mind you) was fired for taking unauthorized breaks, not over whether or not this woman made the right choice about taking on this temp job in the first place rather than staying home to breast feed her son OR find another job that was more conducive to breastfeeding. The jobs are out there, not many, but they are out there. You have to look, ask and be diligent. This case was not really about them not allowing her to pump her milk. It was about her not complying with the conditions in which they DID allow her to pump her milk. Like I said, if she felt the terms were insufficient then she should have made a choice of the job over the pumping. It's a sad reality that it comes to that, but that's the way it is. We can not expect employers to make these kinds of adjustments for us. We must be the ones to make the adjustments ourselves. If we keep accepting the fact of having to go to work and not demanding more out of life, then corporations will keep dishing it out and we'll keep eating it. I don't think the answer lies in companies making room for nursing mothers. I feel the answer lies in longer maternity leaves so a woman doesn't have to pump while at work. A woman should be able to take enough time away from working to do what is natural and then return to work when it's more manageable and the child is better equipped to be separated from mom like when they go to school.

Now, I really disagree with part of the court's ruling on whether or not breastfeeding is or is not a condition of pregnancy. According to the court's decision, they say that "... [Allen's] condition of lactating was not a condition relating to pregnancy but rather a condition relating to breastfeeding."

That one really burns me, but I believe it's a separate issue than that of Ms. Allen's not following the rules she was given.

Ok, so let me try and wrap my mind around this one. So, lactation is a "condition" because a woman chooses NOT to take drugs to dry herself out or open herself up to the risks of infection if the milk is left to build up until the lack of supply and demand is enough to stop the process of lactation. I'm really, really pissed at the notion that the courts deem lactation as a "condition" as if it's a bad thing, as if it's like acne or psoriasis that can be "treated" with drugs or other interventions to prevent it from happening. What the firetruck?

The court's decision on this aspect of the case wasn't very well thought out. I mean, I'm no judge, but I have lactated enough to know better than a judge that there is a lack of critical thinking involved here and it is just plain wrong and not factual. I'll be interested to see how that whole ball of wax plays out. While they're at it, I'd really like to know which came first? The chicken or the egg?

Everyone has to make choices that are in their own best interest or in the best interest of someone they care for or manage. The employer and corporation has to make choices that are in the best interest of their ability to make a profit. Otherwise, why be in business if you're not after a profit? Sometimes the choices they make involve sacrificing employees. Everyone is replaceable.

The mom has to make choices that will directly affect the well-being of herself, her children and her family. IN THAT ORDER. Everything else is secondary, especially a job. It costs money to work. It takes sacrifices to go to work. Only you can decide if those extra costs and saccrifices are a better choice for you over staying home and making different kinds of sacrifices in order to do that.

On the other side, for many women, the choice to work over staying home is important and does contribute to the well being of herself, her children and her family because of the long term investment and how it will affect the outcome of her family in the long run. For some women, the short term upbringing time is a time they CAN and/or are willing to sacrifice in order to be a good provider, especially when they are the sole provider. What if you spent your entire life preening your career as a lawyer or teacher? It's hard to step out of those positions. When that's the case, we make the necessary adjustments.

My personal ruling on this whole thing? QUIT THE TEMP JOB. STAY HOME AND DITCH THE PUMP. A temp job is not worth this much aggravation. Choosing to work at this job was an unwise and unhealthy decision for this mother and she should have cut her losses and moved on. Either find a different job or make the sacrifices to stay home and nurse if it was such a priority for her. I'm not saying every woman in this position should or can quit their job to stay home. I'm not saying every mother should be a stay at home mom either. I just think this story got a little twisted out of control and it could have been avoided.

Perhaps she felt like she had no choice but to sneak breaks in order to pump because she couldn't bear the thought of asking supervisors for more time because she felt weak. Again, if that's the case — GET ANOTHER JOB.

Pumping while at work is not easy and especially when you don't work in an environment that is conducive to it. Some women have it made. I've worked at places where they actually had a designated pumping area complete with comfy couch and designated refrigerator! These jobs are out there, but you have to look and ask. If a job does not have these accommodations, it's not their fault, you will have to create an environment yourself — but you will first need to clear it with your supervisor and make your intentions clear.

Before I left on maternity leave with my first son, I had my office and areas all scoped out and set up. I consulted with other co-workers who had done something similar and my working environment was supportive. My co-workers and supervisors were caring, supportive and understanding. Unfortunately, it didn't stay that way. When I came back from maternity leave, 8 short weeks later, I was transfered to another site. After all, Family Leave Act DOES guarantee you'll have a job to come back to, it just might not be the same job or the same place.

BURN.

When I returned to work, I was totally unprepared. I had to start all over again with a whole new staff and surroundings. It SUCKED. I tried to negotiate all sorts of arrangements. I even tried to see if I could be transferred back to my original location. Again, an employer does what it thinks is in its best interest, even at the sacrifice of an employee regardless of the job they are doing. (I was well liked and was told I did a great job.)

Employees are replaceable.

So yeah, I've been there, done that. It's painful to think about what I had to go through to get to where I am today. Think dark storage closet. Bugs. Germs. Pressure. Stress. Mastitis. Infections. Angry co-workers with no sympathy. Angry parents not understanding why my door had to be closed at times. One parent even attempted to insinuate that I might have had students in my office behind closed doors. People are afraid of what they can't see out in the open but for some dumb reason, my administrators thought it better to NOT disclose the real reason why I needed privacy. Yeah, that makes sense. Make a parent worry when all they needed to know was I was providing for my own child.

Ultimately, I quit my job so I could breastfeed. (I didn't get fired, but I was "asked to resign" and I did so happily after the way I was treated.) That's the choice I made and I'm happier for it. Trying to pump at work was a truly awful experience and people were real jerks about it enough times to make it taxing. (and I worked with mostly other women who had children in an education setting so it's not just men who don't understand.) To me, that job was just not worth sacrificing my health, my son's health or any of our happiness. We all must make choices based on our priorities in life. If breastfeeding is a priority for you, like it was for me, and your work environment does not make it comfortable, then you may need to make a choice and compensate for that decision. I personally don't think involving government or even your employer in many situations is going to change anything about the stigma attached to this. It's sad, but a reality. If you really want to breastfeed and be successful at it, then don't work full time unless you have a good working relationship and environment. Trying to force the issue will just stress you out more in the long run.

Whoever says breastfeeding is not essential or necessary, that is an OPINION not based on FACT and it's that attitude that perpetuates the reasons why breastfeeding is not the "norm." For me, it WAS a medical necessity, to pump and not just for 15 mins. either. It disturbs me when people think that pumping should only take 15 minutes to complete. This is just not true for most people whether or not they realize it. You're a human, not a machine for crying out loud. You're not completely draining the breast and getting the hind milk out and it's only going to diminish your supply over time if you follow that course. You must also take into account time to walk to the location and back, set up and clean up time and any interruptions along the way that make it take longer. If you're only taking 15 min breaks to pump, that means you're really only pumping for 10 mins and in lots of cases, that's not nearly enough time to get the job done properly. Why even pump at all?

When I tried to pump at work, I DID work extra time to make up for my breaks, so in the end I was working the same amount of hours as anyone else and then some. However, the time it took out of my day each day kept me from being there when people needed me during normal working hours and that wasn't fair to them either. Towards the end, I was able to work out a better schedule because I was able to pump at my desk while working and had a partition put up for privacy. I arranged it with several co-workers who needed to consult with me during times while I pumped that they could meet with me while I was pumping if they were female (or an understanding male) and weren't squeamish about seeing the tubes hanging out of my shirt. I was completely covered, the only thing they saw were the tubes and machine and so long as they didn't mind, it made it a little easier. This worked well for a little while, but in the end it just wasn't a good enough solution because too many people who were squeamish about the idea complained about my need for privacy and my inability to just get up from my desk and come to them.

It just wasn't a good fit for any of us. I was there to do a job and provide a service for which I was being paid. They needed me to be available and approachable by all, not some. The adjustments I made to try and incorporate my health needs were not good enough. In the end, I made the decision that these employees along with this type of job was just not conducive to my need for breastfeeding. I decided that my son, my happiness and our health mattered more then a job and being accepted by peers. Our family has made many sacrifices, but the best part is we're happy and that's all that matters.

There will be other jobs, but there will never be another chance to breastfeed and bond with my babies. Jobs come and go, really, they do — but babies don't keep. Figure out what you really, and truly NEED to get by in life and compensate accordingly. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. You would be surprised at just how much it really costs overall to work full time. Sometimes I feel we're all just a little bit brainwashed by the Corporate world and the expectations make us lose sight of what really and truly matters. We keep on putting up with it, so it keeps getting dished out. Unless you change this cycle, then you only have yourself to blame. You CAN make adjustments to get what you want out of life and it's not like it's permanent! Government involvement is not the solution. Employer intervention is not the solution. Make a choice and adjust accordingly. If it doesn't work, try something else. Don't expect the world to revolve around you. Carve out your own life and be your own center. The world just might be a better place for it. :)

Dear Family

I'm frustrated. Pissed off. Fed up. I've called my mom and left a message for the last time. I just can't do it anymore. I can not deal with the constant rejection any longer. I've now lost track of just how long it's been since she's called me or written. I'm tired, pregnant, cranky and sick of not getting any feedback. I can not stand the negativity surrounding this pregnancy. This should be a happy time for me. It's not. The lack of relationship with my family is sucking the life out of it for me. I can't stand it.

She's not the only one that's set me off. I don't feel like I have a family anymore when it comes to my side. (Nate's family has been wonderful to me.) I feel like I've been discarded. Written off. It's all MY fault that I live so far away yet they are the ones who encouraged me to broaden my horizons. Now I have, I'm happy and doing well and they still refuse to be happy for me.

No one wants to come visit us here despite the efforts and sacrifices we have made to travel out there and spend quality time. I'm sick of all the excuses. All you need is air fare. We will house you, feed you and transport you. Stop complaining that you can not afford to travel. We somehow manage to do it and we make a lot less than you. We're getting by because we're resourceful and challenge ourselves to be responsible. We choose to prioritize family, relationships and happiness. It's not always easy to do when there is a lack of reciprocation. It just makes it that much harder.

Suck it up.

Get your priorities straightened out, people. You all like to preach about religion and what is right and what is wrong. You're all such perfect Christians yet don't even support your family members let alone friends and neighbors. You'd rather complain about them because it makes you look and feel better about yourself. You complain about our society yet do nothing about it. You're all a bunch of hypocrites who really need to take a good, long look in the mirror and ask yourself how you can be better and what you need to do about it to be happy. Stop being so effing miserable! It's simply not good for you. You want better health care? Take care of your own health! You want to be happy? Make a choice.

Dear Family,

You know who you are. And if you don't, please take a moment to pull your heads out of your asses long enough to think about whether or not you may be "one of them."

I'm done.

I'm finished calling you. I'm finished writing to you and sending you pictures and trying to keep the lines of communication open to our relationship. It's YOUR turn. I'm waiting, but I won't hold my breath. It's not fair to my immediate family to see me stressed out all the time because you don't call or bother with me. It's not fair to our little boy who doesn't understand why his family doesn't bother with him. He doesn't really know you that well anyhow, so it's no skin off his back — but it really shouldn't be that way. He's THREE and could care less about the cards or money you send him. It's a band-aid, but it's the cheap kind that doesn't stay on very well. Our unborn child might come into this world never getting to know you and that is very, very sad. I hate to admit that I wonder if it's better these kids never get to know you so that they don't have to experience the hurt of being rejected by you like I have.

I call, I write, I blog, I post photos and videos, I network socially. I even have an audio podcast they could subscribe to for free and listen in to what I've been up to — and, God-forbid, MAYBE even learn something? I make myself available.

I AM AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT yet I get none from you.

When I first got involved with social networking, it was with the thought that if I put myself out there, I would be able to communicate more easily with my family — those people whose blood we share running through our veins. Every social networking service I try out, I think about whether or not this could be something my family and close friends could benefit from. I'm always looking for an easier way for them to get in touch with me that won't cost them anything but their time. I long to see photos and videos of THEIR kids and families. They all have digital cameras and cell phones yet don't want to invest the time learning how to use them. Most of them have computers and at least know how to use the internet, so lack of technology on their part is no excuse. They also have cell phones with long distance built into the package so a simple phone call would be nice.

I know phone calls are rough because most times of the year there is a three hour time difference. Anyone knows when you're raising little children, time on the phone is just not something we invest in. I can understand why people don't call anymore because they think I don't want to be bothered. I feel the same way and it's why I don't call much of the time either.

I now have another way for you to call me. I now have a Google Voice number. It means, if you're on your computer reading this, you can click this icon, put in your name and number and call me for free. You can also leave a message for free. You can use the long distance built into your cell phone service to just simply dial the number too. It's 918-246-6669 or just remember 918-24MOMMY.

Electronic forms of communication now allow us to shift time by being able to communicate at times that are convenient for us. In my case, that is everyone else's 3:00 am most times. It's not like I don't have an answering machine though. Voice mail is the same thing. Sometimes I waddle just fast enough to get to the phone when it rings and I actually answer it! It wouldn't hurt to actually try calling me and letting me know when is a good time to call you.

I love to share photos and movie clips. I love to use Skype. (My Skype ID is TheMacMommy) I thought these would be great ways for my friends and family to be able to still see Lucian grow up. Now with another baby on the way, we're much more ready to go with this compared to the time when Lucian was born. If this baby were born today, family members could see him within hours if not over the next few days. Both my parents have computers with Skype. All my grandparents and other family members have to do is to go visit with one of them and arrange for a time to be on the computer at the same time. Why is this so difficult? Why has it not become a priority to make time for this on a regular basis? Why must it be like pulling teeth? If you don't make the time for it, then stop bellyaching over not getting to see your grandchild/nephew/cousin, etc. grow up. My family and I do everything we can to open these lines of communication with you — all you have to do is make yourself available.

I get more feedback from strangers on the internet than I get from my own mother, father, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and other relatives. Isn't there something off about that? My "internet family" has been helping me to keep it together and I am eternally grateful for that. I just wish more of my "in real life" family and friends would get involved.

If this message has offended you, then you just might be "one of them."

Make a choice. Do something about that.

Life is just too short.

Love,

Melissa and Family