We got a couple days of rain last week, so I went out to see if I could get some good shots of the water collecting on the grasses.
This last shot with the spider reminded me that Halloween is quickly approaching. Have you figured out what you are going to do for a costume yet?
Last year, with my bald head, grey skin, and chemo port sticking out of my chest, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to dress up as Borg. I had the costume pretty much ready to go, but I was so sick on Halloween, it just didn’t happen. They say you regret the things you didn’t do the most, I think not dressing up as a Borg will be one of those life long regrets.
Did someone just call me a nerd?
My post chemo hair is growing back with a lot more curl than I’m accustomed to. I was so looking forward to a cute short hairstyle like Winona Ryder or Natalie Portman or Emma Watson. But, no, no, no, I get Seth Rogan hair. That hair, combined with with additional weight from the steroids makes me think maybe I should just toss on a pair of sweats and and fake beard and go as Seth Rogan. No? My husband doesn’t think so either. I’ll think of something else.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen posts or tweets about breastfeeding over the past year that were not just touting the proven benefits of breast feeding, but taking a pointed, judgy stance on the issue. Statements about breastfeeding related facts might be buried in the article, but the hooks? the one-liners? they’re just polarizing rhetoric. They don’t come right out and state that you are a bad mom if you don’t breastfeed, but the wording draws the reader right to that conclusion. Some of the posts and tweets try to get funny with the issue, but they come across with the same message. They probably don’t even have a clue how their message is coming across.
There was another one today; this is an old one that makes it’s rounds every 4 months or so… “True Story: I don’t have to worry about toxins in breastmilk. And there’s never been a recall on my boobs”
My boobs were recalled while I was breastfeeding. And you can bet I lost a lot of sleep over how many cancer cells my baby ingested from breastfeeding before I knew I had cancer.
Dairy Free Fake Boob
Don’t get me wrong. I am completely in favor of breastfeeding. I believe it is the best source of nutrition and immunity support available to a baby. But there are as many valid reasons for not breastfeeding as there are in favor.
There’s no way I could list them all here – there are too many stories out there, and no way I can know them all. Breast cancer stopped me. How about adoptive mothers? Sometimes the breasts just don’t work correctly, they’re not able to produce. Have you ever wondered why the role of wet-nurse was recognized in cultures all throughout history? The world is full of incorrect ideas about AIDS and how it is spread. We stupidly avoid handshakes and hugs, while we overlook the fact that breastmilk is a proven means of spreading HIV. What would you do if you were a breast feeding mother, and found out you might have been exposed to blood borne pathogens at work? Would you stop breast feeding? It has happened.
Breastfeeding in public? I did it for 11 months. Not one incident. I did make sure that I wasn’t flashing around body parts that I wouldn’t flash around if there wasn’t a baby attached. No one was cruel to me about breast feeding in public. I’ve heard it happens, and that’s really too bad. Any awkwardness I experienced was on my own part, trying to figure out how to get the baby attached with limited visibility, etc… It wasn’t about anyone else. No, the comments came after I was no longer able to breastfeed.
If you’re a new mom, you do what’s right for you and your baby. That’s your business, nobody else’s. If breastfeeding is right for you and your baby – do it! If it’s not, don’t.
Getting used to all of the people (even strangers) who suddenly thought my body and my baby were their business was the biggest adjustment for me through pregnancy, and motherhood. Just draw a bubble around yourself, and imagine all the comments and criticisms just bouncing off that bubble. You see, no one is really an expert. Parenting is on the job training, and the skills required are different for each child. That lady who just came over and said she raised 13 kids? She’s not an expert, either. Not an expert on your baby, anyway.
Love your baby. Wake up every morning, and try again. Everything is going to be ok.
I have a face for radio, and a voice for print media, so blogging is the perfect venue for me. Orthodontics really doesn’t fit into that picture. So, when Mama Kat posted an invitation to a social media conference at an orthodontist’s office, I was intrigued, but a bit skeptical. Why was an orthodontist hosting a social media event? Also, is this something I want to get myself into?
Kat would be there, and I trust her judgment (or at least if it turned out to be lame, she’d be an entertaining companion with whom to endure lame), and it was just exactly in my price range: free. Also motivating, I would get to talk to grownups; as a SAHM blogger, that is a rare and precious occurrence. Other mom bloggers to talk to? I’m in.
So I sequestered my paralyzing fear of dentists into a small dark corner in the pit of my stomach, and braved up. After all, it wasn’t like I was going in for treatment, right?
I was still curious about what social media had to do with orthodontics, and I have to admit, there was a part of me that was picturing the requirement to sit through a time-share sales pitch before getting to go one the 2 hour booze cruise. As it turns out, there were no time-shares, and no booze. This all played out before noon on a Saturday morning.
I walked in, said hi, and they took me back to take an impression for my teeth whitening tray. Wait, what? The little ball of fear in my tummy churned a bit. But it was just an impression… quick and easy. No drills, needles, or reprimands about flossing, and the need for more frequent dental visits. I had forgotten that the swag for this little gathering included a custom fit teeth-whitening kit. Awesome!
So what was this all about? What was the orthodontics angle? It turns out that Dr. Molen is quite the savvy orthodontist. He recognizes the power of social media and mom bloggers, and also made the connection that most of his patients have moms or are moms. So if he provided a space for mom bloggers to come together and talk about blogging, maybe they would blog about their experience in his office… Hey, look what just happened here.
Kat put together a great presentation on blogging basics that covered everything from “should you start a blog?” to finding your niche (which I still haven’t done) to monetizing your blog. The discussion came at a timely point for me, because I’ve been putting a lot of thought into how I’m making money from blogging. Thanks to her presentation, I think the best choice for me personally is to use my blog as a showcase for my writing, a portfolio of sorts, to generate paid writing opportunities elsewhere, rather than focusing on paid product reviews and advertising. Perhaps I should start proof-reading and using spellcheck as well?
After Kat finished up, Dr. Molen stepped up and took a few moments to dispel some myths about orthodontics. I have to admit that I was holding on to some incorrect ideas about what orthodontics entails. I really thought it was only about straight teeth, I had no idea of the artistry involved, or the impact on the entire face.
I also came away with some specific red flags to keep in mind in case my daughter ever needs orthodontics. I know now to turn and run if any orthodontist wants to fit her with headgear like I wore through 5th and 6th grades.
Are you laughing at that poor 11 year old in the picture? It’s all right, Internets, I embrace my inner awkward.
By far, the best part of the entire experience was the time we had to sit around and chat. There were, I believe, six of us bloggers in attendance, so it was a small enough group to really have a nice chat. I would have enjoyed more time chatting.
I would have enjoyed more time chatting so much that I wonder if other Seattle bloggers would enjoy time chatting in the real world. What do you think? Is anyone else interested in meeting up in a coffee shop for some “Coffee Talk”? (Admit it, you said that in a Linda Richmond/Mike Meyers voice.) No agenda, no presentations, no entrance fee… just bloggers meeting up somewhere in the Seattle area to get a cup of coffee or glass of wine and talk blogs, SEO, parenting, privacy, trolls, and anything else that happens to be on our minds. Is there enough interest to set up a Meetup? What do you think?
I want to send out a big thank you to Dr. Aaron Molen at Molen Orthodontics. Thank you for thinking of us, coming up with a completely original idea, and making it happen. I’d love to see more of this. And to the other ladies in attendance, @youcanstayhome, @improperlykeli, and @BitingMyHand, it was so lovely to meet you!
I thought I’d share these poppies for a little color bling for this end of summer post.
Monday was our seventh wedding anniversary. Seven years, and I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. I know I’m lucky to spend my life surrounded by so much love.
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