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

follow up to the baby Jay-Z/Beyonce produced

Get it? Produced? Because even though they are new parents, however they got there (surrogate and fake baby bump? Cesarean? Vaginal? Hard to tell with all the rumors circulating), it seems like quite the production. I do feel better about the story now that the NY Times has weighed in and not just the (Fox owned) NY Post! In that article, a new mother impacted is quoted as saying, “I guess that was the only special event happening in the hospital”.

Case in point, check out the song Jay-Z has already released (that was fast!):

Glory - Jay-Z feat. Blue Ivy Carter

For private people, it seems kind of wacky to sing about miscarriage, conception place and, well, a touch odd to discuss death by liver failure while celebrating a new baby. But also it seems like the baby is all about being an extension of them as parents. I know that's not uncommon, but it seems especially true here.

I do like the line, "life is a gift, open it up" and of course, the baby crying - sweet.

However this baby Blue got here, I hope she is healthy and happy. I also hope that however Beyonce became a mother, she feels great about it...truly.

Congrats to Beyonce & Jay-Z but damn, who do you (and hospital administrators) think you are??

Beyonce and Jay-Z are new parents...great - God bless and best wishes to you and your baby daughter, Blue Ivy Carter...BUT get over yourselves, ...parents with babies in the NICU care about seeing their babies, not you. Shame on you both and the decision makers at Lenox Hill Hospital who are putting your absurd demands for privacy over the RIGHTS of other parents/families to see their own babies.

Read news article here.

snippet of motherhood: cold hands, warm heart

My momma-heart was warmed on this frigid day by seeing my oldest helping his brothers gear up for their first evening of ski club (oldest starts next week, though he's already been boarding this season). He loaned his gear bag fairly willingly and helped my middle son figure out how to get his snowboarding boots on/strap in to board and gave advice on the mountain (he's familiar with it, having been in the same club when he was younger). Because my middle son is making the switch from skis to a board, I think he knew my youngest might be a bit envious and so it was nice to see him complementing youngest's super cool "pro looking" skis.*

Great also seeing my guys pop out of bed this morning and then rush home from school, just so excited to get out there. They didn't even care much about what snack to take and were not grubby about how much cash I was handing out for dinner. My middle even agreed to have his little brother sit near him (but not with!) on the bus.

Hope the lame pocket warmers are enough to keep them enchanted!


*here's a tip: your old gym bag with slot for yoga mat makes a great ski bag for a kid...skis slid right in where yoga mat would go. You're welcome! ;-)

Welcome baby Gabriel Raymond!

born at 7:26 this evening, weighing 8lb 11oz...we were expecting you hours sooner, counting on the fact that your birth would be like your big brother's and sister's births...you third babies so often keep us waiting and guessing! Your momma worked so very hard and as soon as you were in her arms she said, "I love you and I claim you - you are my baby!" Your proud daddy told you about the world in your first minutes - you are so loved!
I think you will be a powerful and dramatic soul given that you were born at the peak of opera music, "Flower Duet" by Lakme...so that meteor shower due tonight must be a special welcome from the universe just for you! Welcome baby Gabriel!

Happy last day of 2011!

I'm waiting on a baby and enjoying family and friend time as this year closes and another opens...
I was always told that how you spend New Year's Day is important, for it is the foundation of how you will spend the whole year. I like to put the same mindfulness into the last day of the year too:
thinking, "this is the last time I will do ___ for the year"...whether it's making coffee or making the bed, I like paying attention to the little things & enjoying them...we will never have *this* day again.


Happy Old Year & Happy New Year!


*I don't know who took this picture - it's floating around Facebook...thanks to whomever!

belated welcome to Elizabeth Maclay!

Born December 22 at 5:30pm, after a super long labor...Elizabeth, your heroic mom worked so hard while you were making your way into this world and your daddy was right there every minute using all his muscles to help your momma as she labored. 9 pounds, 1oz and is over 21 inches long - nice! So glad you made it home in time for Christmas - what a nice gift, made even nicer for the fact that you are named in honor of your great grandmother. Welcome!

Welcome Andrew Simon!

Born today at 11:34am after another fairly quick, intense labor. Your strong, brave momma got to the hospital at 9cm less than an hour before you were born. And your water broke at 11:11 - that's got to be lucky, right? And once again, your daddy knew just the right way to press on her back. Everyone was so excited to meet you - even the midwife rushed over on her day off and got there just in time. I think you are going to be an acrobat - time will tell.
You are perfect at 8lb 1oz and there is some talk of dimples! You will soon discover that your big brother is super cool - a total glass-half-full kind of person who, I'm sure, is super excited to meet you.

Welcome!

Welcome Joseph Ajay

Born this morning at 3:22am after a brief, intense labor (no time for that tub) by lantern and Christmas tree lights*. Only three contractions of pushing and you were born, nibbling the doctor's finger while entering the world! There is a picture of your mom smiling peacefully just before you were born because she knew it was time to meet you. She is a rock star!

Your proud poppa knew just how to do the hip squeeze your momma needed and was calm and right there every minute. Your grandma got to kiss your toes when you were only moments old.

You are a nursing champ, making your momma (a newly minter La Leche League leader!!) so happy.

What a big, beuatiful boy, 9lb 3oz, with lots of black hair and eyebrows. Your big sisters are going to love you so!


*the hospital was testing it's backup generator, so most of the power was off.

snippet of motherhood: makes my heart melt

Bananas with brown spots...no one around here wants to eat them that way. They usually go into the freezer for smoothies or future baking. Today, however, I decided to seize a rare moment of quiet and see if my middle kid wanted to learn how to make banana bread.

I'm sure they would figure this kind of stuff out if they need to, but I want to know that they will be men who have a few cooking techniques under their belts and can properly fold fitted sheets and any of the other stuff I feel compelled to show them...

As we were cooking, he said something that made me so glad,

"Mom - did you ever notice that food cooked at home tastes so much better than any other food you can buy?"

This from my non-eater. I love that kid, and I'm glad he gets the value of home cooked food...at least food containing chocolate.