my new motto

yes, that small mindedness makes your ass look big

thanks, Phil!

Punxsutawney Phil...Keith Srakocic/AP

I love you, man...Viva winter!

sh*t crunchy mommas say

love this from Mama Natural! if we can't laugh at ourselves...

snippet of motherhood: the good old days

Today, walking to our car after his weekly speech therapy and talking about homework, my 7yo son began reminiscing about when times were easy...afternoon preschool.

"Remember when I was little and we could just play all day at school? We just made stuff and had fun. No homework...that was pretty great"

A lady passing us on the sidewalk must have overheard and gave me a big, knowing smile. I didn't have the heart to break it to him that, well, it's kind of downhill from here if he's already feeling that way! Poor bubby...

So we are going to make some banana bread to celebrate the halfway point of the school year (tomorrow is the 90th day and they are celebrating) - and we will try to enjoy this moment, right here, right now.

Jenna's right, breastfeeding may not make the baby weight come right off

Photo Credit: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic - at Screen Actor's Guild awards

In US Magazine, Jenna Fischer of The Office says losing the weight she gained while pregnant has not been the breeze she had heard it would be, but that's OK

"I think I'm just going to be a little bit bigger for a little bit longer," Fischer said, "and that's fine with me."

Nice to see a celebrity mom telling it how it is for most women...

Read the whole article here

fierce momma

Worldwide Movement against Belo Monte dam project in Amazonia

Save them, join and share : http://www.facebook.com/petition.belomonte.en

snippet of motherhood: like mother, like son

Yesterday my middle son, who just turned 11, said,

"Mom, do you think it's time to take everything out of the pantry and get rid of what's old? It looks kind of messy."

This from a boy who has to be completely hassled to clean up his room most of the time. But he is the kid who watches HGTV with me - maybe he has inherited my nesting/organization/design urges. The funny thing is that I had been thinking exactly the same thing about the pantry the day before. I guess I have my weekend project - maybe I'll get him to help.

Homebirth upswing in the news again

Amanda Steen/NPR

Shannon Earle holds her new baby Kiera Breen Earle, moments after she was born at their home last year.

You can read about the 29% overall (more for older white women) jump from 2004-2009 on the NPR site, on "All Things Considered", but there is also a handy link where you can listen...nothing soothes me like the clear, melodic and in-depth reporting of NPR.

"It's as safe for women who are at low risk as hospital birth for low-risk women but with significantly reduced rates of preterm birth, low birth weight, unnecessary caesarean sections and also very high rates of maternal satisfaction," says Katherine Prown of The Big Push, which is advocating for legalizing midwives in more states.

Babies born at home were less likely to be born prematurely or underweight, the analysis found. And for many women with uncomplicated pregnancies, home birth can often be a fine alternative, experts say.

everybody's doing it

Love this image! And now that I'm checking out the blog, I really like it too...
As seen on BLUE MILK
Image credit: “Yo Mama” breastfeeding her daughter while sitting with her teammates from the Anarchy Angels Roller Derby Team (photo by Russ Desaulniers) via Avital Norman Nathman.

...what a (pregnant) girl wants, what a (pregnant) girl needs

gotta love it...created by Pregnant Chicken, check out "Porn For Pregnant Ladies" - handsome men saying all the things a momma really wants to hear. Even if your baby havin' days are behind you, I promise you will laugh and enjoy!

Happy MLK Day

Here's one of my favorite songs (Jack Johnson & Ben Harper singing) - I think Dr. King would have liked it as well...

#muffintop

I feel like I'm wearing the social media equavilent of mom jeans in a low rise world. (don't get me started on muffin tops)...Me - a fairly tech savvy person.
So I guess I signed up for LinkedIn a million years ago and feel like a jerk everyday when people want to "connect" and I don't even know how. Am I offending people? Should I find the info and get going on it? Can't we just stay connected via Facebook or email?
And then there's Twitter...I have an old account. The crappy thing is that someone already had doulamomma, DoulaMomma and DoulaMomma1, leaving me with @MommaDoula (edited to add that I am now @DoulaMommaKC). oy - not that I know how to tweet. I know hash tags are involved and that I thought hash tags were the pound symbol...sigh.
I feel like some old gal at the Senior Rec Center needing to get one of the volunteer "young people" to help me figure it all out.
And now Skype - need to figure that out too for a project - how will I ever remember all these passwords?

I'm feeling like pony express or carrier pigeon was not such a bad thing. How much can any one person keep up with? I'm tired and cranky and need to have more coffee...and maybe a muffin.

picture of stone tablet above is this

repost: a birthday message from Grandma

My middle son is 11 today - happy birthday to him and to Dr. Martin Luther King - I always love that they share the same birthday!
This is from maybe two years ago...

birthday greeting from Grandma

my mother-in-law sent this note with O's birthday gift and I always appreciate the time she takes to pass along these memories - no Hallmark from her!

Dear O,
I remember the night you were born - L was sleeping at our house and I woke him up after your father called to tell us you were ready to come to us.

It was very cold that night, but L was very excited and didn't mind waking and facing the cold. On the way over, when we got near the George Washington Bridge, there were detour signs because of construction.

Grandma and L got lost...

By the time we reached the birthing center, you had already arrived. I specifically remember the joy in your mother's and father's faces just looking at you!! Everyone was thrilled to welcome you onto this planet!!

Each year as you grow, I see you loving this world and all those around you as much as they love you!!

Love, hugs and kisses.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY