Yesterday I mistakenly received yet another email from someone who thinks my email address belongs to a fellow Republican friend of his. I know this because the email used quotes from Barack Obama's books to "prove" his inability to lead America. And today I was asked about my feelings towards Republican Vice Presidential nominee, Sarah Palin. So now I present to you my mini political rant.
What do I think of Sarah Palin? I think her nomination was a blatant, deliberate political ploy by John McCain to gain votes from (a) disillusioned Hillary Clinton supporters, and (b) any other woman stupid enough to vote for McCain/Palin simply because he named a woman as his VP. I realize that stupid is a harsh word, but I really do believe it applies here.
I am offended that McCain's advisors think that I will vote for him and Palin simply because she is a woman. Didn't the Fox News pundits blast the women who supported Hillary for that very same reason? I don't watch Fox News, but I would suspect that suddenly they're chastising me for being a woman AND anti-Palin. Now I'm a misogynist. Yeah, right.
Look, if you believe in what Palin has supported as governor of Alaska, and agree with McCain's views on the important issues, then by all means vote for them. But I don't. I do not support overturning Roe v. Wade. I also find it hypocritical that while Palin supports her daughter's "choice" to bear a child at 17, she would prohibit other 17-year-olds from even having a choice to make. I find it reprehensible that she supported $300 per person in earmarks, yet derided the bridge to nowhere when it became a national issue (and still kept the money - nice touch!).
(On a side rant, I also find it hypocritical for Bill O'Reilly to blast Jamie Lynn Spears and her parents regarding her pregnancy, yet claim that Sarah Palin is "just like us" when she discloses that her daughter, who is also 17, is pregnant.)
The other thing that offends my sensibilities are the arguments that have been made against Obama - that he is too inexperienced to lead this country, doesn't have foreign policy experience, was a (gasp!) community organizer. Take every single argument, tweak it slightly, and it applies equally to Sarah Palin. You'll hear the Republican talking heads rail against Obama, yet you won't hear them apply the exact same logic to Palin. Partisan? I'll say.
Well, that's enough of me getting my dander up. Feel free to disagree with me on my views. It's your right as an American. But personally I'm more than a little bit tired of the political pandering. From both sides. It makes it harder for people like me, who want to know where the candidates really stand on issues like healthcare, the economy, education, foreign policy (by which I mean relationships, not against whom we'll next wage war). I'm sure most people feel the same way.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
She's baaaaaack...
The green-eyed monster, jealousy. Not me. But she's not as raging as she once was, which is good. I think. It could be the calm before a storm. I'm not sure.
I had my anatomical scan almost three weeks ago. So that means I had the opportunity to find out if I'm having my third boy or if I'm having a girl. Well, I kind of asked - I finally summoned the courage at one point to come out and say, "I'm having another boy, aren't I?" to which the tech (who I love) replied, "Do you want me to find out right now?" I told her no, but we can check when she gets to that part (she told me earlier that that's usually at the very end of her scan). So I didn't really press, but I didn't look away or tell her that in no uncertain terms I want to be surprised. Long story short, I have no idea what I'm having. At various points during the scan I thought I saw testicles, labia, and couldn't tell if I was looking at an umbilical cord or a penis. So I'll find out in about another eighteen weeks. I think I'm okay with that.
So why was Mrs. Jealousy back? I found out today that two people I know who are also pregnant are having girls. One is my cousin Jennifer. We used to be pretty close when we were in junior high, but that kind of ended when she realized that she could get lots of attention by being Drama Queen. I'd give examples but it's too ridiculous. Let's just say that I absolutely cannot picture her raising a boy. And I wouldn't be surprised if she names the baby something like Sophia, Ava, Whitney, or something equally uber-trendy and soap opera-ish. The immature part of me is kind of pissy that she (Jennifer) is getting what she wants (I can't imagine she is disappointed that she's having a girl). The other is my friend Kim. I know her because our boys (we both have two sons and are pregnant, due a week apart) have taken music classes together for about three years straight. Unlike with my cousin, I am thrilled for Kim that she's expecting a girl! She's so down to earth, no sense of entitlement or anything like that. She told me that even though the technician and doctor both told her that the baby looks like a girl - but nothing is guaranteed - she's still a teeny bit skeptical. As in, she'll paint the baby's room in a girly color but ordered gender-neutral gear just in case (she wasn't planning on a third, so she gave away just about EVERYTHING baby-related she had).
So yes, I did have pangs of jealousy for a short while today. And yes, I would still like the experience of raising a daughter as well as raising sons. And I will probably be upset to hear "It's ANOTHER boy!" at the delivery. I will likely suffer postpartum depression again and go to therapy again. What can I say? I'm human. But I know that despite those things, if I am having my third boy, I will love him as much as I love my first two (I love them and the hubster more than anything on this Earth). I know that I am given the children I am supposed to raise, and that they were given to me for a reason.
I'll get over it. Eventually.
I had my anatomical scan almost three weeks ago. So that means I had the opportunity to find out if I'm having my third boy or if I'm having a girl. Well, I kind of asked - I finally summoned the courage at one point to come out and say, "I'm having another boy, aren't I?" to which the tech (who I love) replied, "Do you want me to find out right now?" I told her no, but we can check when she gets to that part (she told me earlier that that's usually at the very end of her scan). So I didn't really press, but I didn't look away or tell her that in no uncertain terms I want to be surprised. Long story short, I have no idea what I'm having. At various points during the scan I thought I saw testicles, labia, and couldn't tell if I was looking at an umbilical cord or a penis. So I'll find out in about another eighteen weeks. I think I'm okay with that.
So why was Mrs. Jealousy back? I found out today that two people I know who are also pregnant are having girls. One is my cousin Jennifer. We used to be pretty close when we were in junior high, but that kind of ended when she realized that she could get lots of attention by being Drama Queen. I'd give examples but it's too ridiculous. Let's just say that I absolutely cannot picture her raising a boy. And I wouldn't be surprised if she names the baby something like Sophia, Ava, Whitney, or something equally uber-trendy and soap opera-ish. The immature part of me is kind of pissy that she (Jennifer) is getting what she wants (I can't imagine she is disappointed that she's having a girl). The other is my friend Kim. I know her because our boys (we both have two sons and are pregnant, due a week apart) have taken music classes together for about three years straight. Unlike with my cousin, I am thrilled for Kim that she's expecting a girl! She's so down to earth, no sense of entitlement or anything like that. She told me that even though the technician and doctor both told her that the baby looks like a girl - but nothing is guaranteed - she's still a teeny bit skeptical. As in, she'll paint the baby's room in a girly color but ordered gender-neutral gear just in case (she wasn't planning on a third, so she gave away just about EVERYTHING baby-related she had).
So yes, I did have pangs of jealousy for a short while today. And yes, I would still like the experience of raising a daughter as well as raising sons. And I will probably be upset to hear "It's ANOTHER boy!" at the delivery. I will likely suffer postpartum depression again and go to therapy again. What can I say? I'm human. But I know that despite those things, if I am having my third boy, I will love him as much as I love my first two (I love them and the hubster more than anything on this Earth). I know that I am given the children I am supposed to raise, and that they were given to me for a reason.
I'll get over it. Eventually.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Wading through
About five weeks ago I had my first trimester scan, and the sonographer (I think) slipped and told me what I'm having. I'm more annoyed with her because she barely said two words to me during the whole thing, and when she does, she tells me the baby's gender WITHOUT having asked me if I wanted to know. What if I was dead set on being surprised?
So, without saying too much (you can figure it out by reading through old posts), I'm attempting to make peace with having to say goodbye to something I've wanted for as long as I wanted children of my own. And it's very painful. I spent at least two nights sobbing into my pillow and then felt guilty that I'm so upset by this. I realize that this is not the worst thing in the world to have to face, especially since I've been able to get pregnant so blessedly easily, but this is still painful.
How do you gracefully say goodbye to something you want for yourself so badly while you watch others, even some for whom this would be the "worst case scenario," get it handed to them? I can only imagine that this is how women with fertility problems feel. God give me strength...
So, without saying too much (you can figure it out by reading through old posts), I'm attempting to make peace with having to say goodbye to something I've wanted for as long as I wanted children of my own. And it's very painful. I spent at least two nights sobbing into my pillow and then felt guilty that I'm so upset by this. I realize that this is not the worst thing in the world to have to face, especially since I've been able to get pregnant so blessedly easily, but this is still painful.
How do you gracefully say goodbye to something you want for yourself so badly while you watch others, even some for whom this would be the "worst case scenario," get it handed to them? I can only imagine that this is how women with fertility problems feel. God give me strength...
Thursday, July 17, 2008
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It's almost 11pm, so why am I still awake? Jack has camp tomorrow at 9am. I really need to get some sleep.
Nothing new or exciting to post today. My friend S, who's due around the same time I am, had her amnio today. Although her 13-week scan looked fine, her bloodwork came back questionable so she opted for amniocentesis to rule out a chromosomal problem. Prayers to her and the munchkin that all is well.
Until next time, keep on surfin.
Nothing new or exciting to post today. My friend S, who's due around the same time I am, had her amnio today. Although her 13-week scan looked fine, her bloodwork came back questionable so she opted for amniocentesis to rule out a chromosomal problem. Prayers to her and the munchkin that all is well.
Until next time, keep on surfin.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
My weekly race against time
I probably haven't written about the CSA I belong to because I didn't think it was particularly newsworthy, but writing about it will make two days in a row that I will have posted, so here goes.
This year, I decided to join a CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and what a CSA consists of is a farmer who grows crops and a group of shareholders who prepay a certain dollar amount to fund the farmer who then uses the money to purchase supplies and grow the crops. The shareholders then receive an equal share of the crops as they're ready. Ours started in May and continues until some time in the fall, depending on what's still growing, etc.
The CSA has been a terrific experience, so far. We've enjoyed some vegetables we've never eaten before, like bok choy, kale, and garlic scapes (they make a delicious pesto, by the way), along with some old favorites like snap peas, green and yellow beans, all different kinds of lettuce, and zucchini. The major drawback is that we get so much produce each week that it's a race against time to finish it before it goes bad. Unfortunately I've had to pitch some foods that I didn't get around to cooking, like cauliflower and cabbage (not favorites, can you tell?). I hate throwing food away, so this part is stressful for me.
Will I join again next year? I don't know. I really enjoy knowing that I'm getting fresh, locally grown produce every week, but I would prefer to have more control over what I get so little if any goes to waste. If I could pay less but get nothing but salad mix, green beans, snap peas, broccoli, scapes, zucchini and tomatoes, I'd be a very happy shareholder. But that's not how it works. Maybe the solution is just to hit the farmers' markets; that way I know I'm getting what will be eaten. Fortunately I have plenty of time to figure that out.
This year, I decided to join a CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and what a CSA consists of is a farmer who grows crops and a group of shareholders who prepay a certain dollar amount to fund the farmer who then uses the money to purchase supplies and grow the crops. The shareholders then receive an equal share of the crops as they're ready. Ours started in May and continues until some time in the fall, depending on what's still growing, etc.
The CSA has been a terrific experience, so far. We've enjoyed some vegetables we've never eaten before, like bok choy, kale, and garlic scapes (they make a delicious pesto, by the way), along with some old favorites like snap peas, green and yellow beans, all different kinds of lettuce, and zucchini. The major drawback is that we get so much produce each week that it's a race against time to finish it before it goes bad. Unfortunately I've had to pitch some foods that I didn't get around to cooking, like cauliflower and cabbage (not favorites, can you tell?). I hate throwing food away, so this part is stressful for me.
Will I join again next year? I don't know. I really enjoy knowing that I'm getting fresh, locally grown produce every week, but I would prefer to have more control over what I get so little if any goes to waste. If I could pay less but get nothing but salad mix, green beans, snap peas, broccoli, scapes, zucchini and tomatoes, I'd be a very happy shareholder. But that's not how it works. Maybe the solution is just to hit the farmers' markets; that way I know I'm getting what will be eaten. Fortunately I have plenty of time to figure that out.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
So Much to Say... except not
I know, I know, I've been really horrible about keeping my blog up to date. And to think that I started one so that I would have a reason to write regularly. Nope, not working. Neither is that gym membership I purchased - hasn't gotten me to the gym once.
But anyway, as usual, I digress.
The most exciting thing that's happened lately is that my parents have moved to town. They've been trying to move up here for almost two years, except that their house hadn't sold until just recently. At first I was excited, then nervous. You know the kind of nervousness you get when you realize you're about to get what you've been wanting for a couple of years? That's how I felt. But so far it's been really great. I've seen them just about every day over the past two weeks since they moved, but it strangely doesn't seem like too much. I just have to make sure I don't take advantage of the situation and burn my parents out on helping me with the kids.
In related news, I feel that I need to brag a little bit. I am blessed with amazing parents. Really. I love them dearly, and I think we have a great relationship. And they get along well with the hubster, too. I couldn't really ask for more.
In unrelated news, I decided to download the Cockroaches' album from itunes. If you don't have small children, you probably have no idea who the Cockroaches are. But you might have heard of the Wiggles. Well, two of the Wiggles, along with their manager, were members of the Cockroaches. And a bunch of Wiggles songs are adaptations of Cockroaches songs. So I figured, what the heck. I've already started down that slippery slope by downloading Greg Page's album, why not the Cockroaches? I'm listening to it right now, and I'm really enjoying it. It's great 80s pop, which is right up my alley.
That's it for now... Ciao amici.
But anyway, as usual, I digress.
The most exciting thing that's happened lately is that my parents have moved to town. They've been trying to move up here for almost two years, except that their house hadn't sold until just recently. At first I was excited, then nervous. You know the kind of nervousness you get when you realize you're about to get what you've been wanting for a couple of years? That's how I felt. But so far it's been really great. I've seen them just about every day over the past two weeks since they moved, but it strangely doesn't seem like too much. I just have to make sure I don't take advantage of the situation and burn my parents out on helping me with the kids.
In related news, I feel that I need to brag a little bit. I am blessed with amazing parents. Really. I love them dearly, and I think we have a great relationship. And they get along well with the hubster, too. I couldn't really ask for more.
In unrelated news, I decided to download the Cockroaches' album from itunes. If you don't have small children, you probably have no idea who the Cockroaches are. But you might have heard of the Wiggles. Well, two of the Wiggles, along with their manager, were members of the Cockroaches. And a bunch of Wiggles songs are adaptations of Cockroaches songs. So I figured, what the heck. I've already started down that slippery slope by downloading Greg Page's album, why not the Cockroaches? I'm listening to it right now, and I'm really enjoying it. It's great 80s pop, which is right up my alley.
That's it for now... Ciao amici.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Either Really Slow, or Really Optimistic
That's a good way to describe me and my current predicament. Well, not actually a predicament, but...
I'm pregnant. Again. Yes, faithful reader, you read right. Bambino numero tres is on its way. And lately, the boys' energy level has me wondering what the hell I was thinking, having unprotected sex the day I thought I was ovulating (turns out I was off by two days, but that's entirely beside the point).
I won't give an exact due date since my children and my body choose to ignore them. What can I say, except that I'm a slow cooker. Jack was thirteen days late, and Ted showed up eight days late. I'm anticipating that this one will be Baby New Year 2009 at St. V's hospital.
Maybe it's my age, but this pregnancy has been much rougher than my first two, and on par with the previous one. From week five on, morning sickness reared its ugly head and only last week very slowly began to loosen its grip. Oh, it's still holding on, but it's no longer constant. Small consolation, but I'll take it.
So that's why I've been Miss Crankypants for the past two months. And I've only just started telling people. I feel more guarded this time around, mostly because of the miscarriage. I just didn't need anyone (read: my mother-in-law) all in my face about how things are progressing if the results weren't going to be good. Not after last time.
Yeah, so hope springs eternal. Like: Maybe it's a girl (but probably not). Maybe it'll be calm (but, again, probably not). Maybe I'll go into labor on my own this time (yeah, don't count on that). Honestly, I'm just praying that the baby is healthy. That's really most important.
I'm pregnant. Again. Yes, faithful reader, you read right. Bambino numero tres is on its way. And lately, the boys' energy level has me wondering what the hell I was thinking, having unprotected sex the day I thought I was ovulating (turns out I was off by two days, but that's entirely beside the point).
I won't give an exact due date since my children and my body choose to ignore them. What can I say, except that I'm a slow cooker. Jack was thirteen days late, and Ted showed up eight days late. I'm anticipating that this one will be Baby New Year 2009 at St. V's hospital.
Maybe it's my age, but this pregnancy has been much rougher than my first two, and on par with the previous one. From week five on, morning sickness reared its ugly head and only last week very slowly began to loosen its grip. Oh, it's still holding on, but it's no longer constant. Small consolation, but I'll take it.
So that's why I've been Miss Crankypants for the past two months. And I've only just started telling people. I feel more guarded this time around, mostly because of the miscarriage. I just didn't need anyone (read: my mother-in-law) all in my face about how things are progressing if the results weren't going to be good. Not after last time.
Yeah, so hope springs eternal. Like: Maybe it's a girl (but probably not). Maybe it'll be calm (but, again, probably not). Maybe I'll go into labor on my own this time (yeah, don't count on that). Honestly, I'm just praying that the baby is healthy. That's really most important.
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