One of My Faves

There are SO many mommy bloggers out there, but somehow Alexa of Flotsam has captured me lately and more than most.

First, she is hilar. WISH I could write like this. Second, she is honest. But third, it's not just that she's honest, it's that she just nails it.

Warning, this one's kind of sad, part of a string of posts that are VERY sad, reflecting on the loss of her second twin before birth. But it's also captures WHY mommy blogs matter and WHY we should all feel free to post what the hell we damn please so say:

I think sometimes we try too hard to fit our lives into the shapes of the
stories we know. I doubt we’ll ever really stop doing that, so I believe the
best we can do is to make sure there are as many stories out there as
possible. The women who have written honestly about motherhood—the
good and the bad—helped me through moments of my pregnancy when I wonderd if I’d be too anxious and overwhelmed to be a good mother. Whatever I felt, I knew that it would be ok, that others had felt it too, and had sent their reassuring lighthouse beams out into the murky waters for me. After I brought Simone home, I almost felt guilty posting about how much I adored motherhood (this is VERY ADVANCED GUILT—don’t try it at home), because I didn’t want someone who enjoyed it less to feel bad. Obviously, I was missing the point. In elementary school we had a program called U R UNIQUE, a sort of cork-board precursor to a blog. Each week a new classmate would festoon the appointed corner of the room with artifacts of herself: pictures, favorite toys, trophies. They would give a presentation of everything Them, and the display would remain up for the rest of us to look at, to see all the little ways we were the same
and different.I like French fries dipped in blue cheese dressing. My house? Is
FILTHY. Having a baby was the best thing that ever happened to my sex life. I’m
a morning person. I wish I didn’t wish I were thinner. I drink my coffee black.
My daughter was a twin. I’m sad about her brother sometimes, but not as much as
you’d think. Right now, I am happier than I have ever been.

I just love that I can sit here on an early morning before anyone's up (can't sleep - late preggo mom stuff - that I'm sure 100 other people are blogging about now). And drink my coffee and read awesome stuff connects me to other women this smart.

THIS is why Dooce was so right on the Today show, and why Kathy Lee needs to learn how to use a &$^%'ing computer.

Anyone else have this? (Libby I'm talking to you here)

I'm getting a little work done. It's quiet (Mike's doing the same and Matt's in bed and dogs are having a snow party outside).

And all I can hear ringing in my head is...
uppee uppee uppee UPPEEEEEE!
uppee UPPEE!
UPPEEEEEEEEEEE!

We taught him cutesy words like "uppey" for getting picked up and "milkies" for, well, milk.

But my how the too cute luster fades when screamed 800 times a day in your general direction. Not sure what's going on with him but all of a sudden - and all weekend long - he is all "I NEED UPPEEES and I need them NOW. NOW being EVERY 10 SECONDS. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE DOING THE DISHES OR PULLING HOT THINGS OUT OF THE OVEN. Like, NOW MOMMY!"

For one brief moment, I'll admit the quiet peace of my office is not sounding too bad tomorrow.

These Can't Be Real Laws

Imagine my horror, when reviewing some of the day's pharma news for work, when I ran across this little gem. An article about the "controversy" of public breastfeeding as ... indecent exposure?

Now. Most people reading this know I didn't breastfeed. And you may or may have not breastfed, or even had a baby. And either way, certainly you, and me (in imaginary if-Aimee-did-breastfeed-world) may or may not care to do so in public.

But little would I have guessed that had we CHOSEN or NEEDED to feed our baby, say, on an airplane ride, we might be breaking the law depending on what state we're flying over.

Out of concern that not enough women are breast-feeding, a growing number of states are passing protective laws and policies. Today 38 states give women the explicit right to nurse in public, and 23 states exempt it from public-indecency laws.

How generous of 23 states to exempt breastfeeding mothers from Paris Hilton-esque stints in the clink! How supportive! How woman-centric! How 2007!

What kind of asinine trend is this that you practically can't buy a pregnancy test without reading a paragraph about the benefits of breastfeeding, but as a country, wee don't support it.

I don't want to say it's shoved down our throats, because that implies it's a bad thing. It IS a great thing. My personal opinion? New moms should probably try it or at least do some reading or attend a class and consider it. In any event, new moms who want to breastfeed should be supported in every way to make it workable for them.

And yet the stats don't support that.

Twelve states have laws addressing women's right to use a pump to express milk at work. And the governors of New Mexico and Oregon recently signed similar legislation, which gives moms (unpaid) lactation breaks and a clean and private area to pump (not just a bathroom stall).

WOW. New moms in TWELVE whole states returning to work after a scant six weeks home with their baby (can't even go there in this post) who have committed the extra time and energy to pump at work get rewarded with ... the privilege of being allowed to pump in a toilet without getting fired.

This may seem like an odd post. I didn't breastfeed so this didn't affect me. And I don't know anyone personally who's had what I presume is the horrible "I'm gonna go hang out in the pee pee place and prepare my baby's food" experience.

But I do have a good friend who had to nervously inquire whether she'd for sure have an office she could pump in. I do have a sister-in-law who had to figure out, while in an all-day business meeting, whether it's worse to discreetly excuse herself for 15 minutes and have the Men in the room actually suspect she had to pump (that she has BOOBS and a BABY that EATS) or explode all over the conference table.

I'm posting because I'm frustrated that it's not supported like it should be - systemically, fully, and as a respected part of raising healthy kids. And I'm posting because the offshoot that affects working moms - lactation rooms, and bosses and co-workers understanding about pumping breaks - shouldn't feel like a pipe dream you can only get if you work at left leaning, cutting edge companies like Google, or one of the top five on the Working Mother list.

I'm also posting because this whole situation seems so silly ... I just had to figure out what you all thought too ... ?

As If I Don't Spend Enough Time Looking at Other People's Baby Pictures

I just enjoyed about 10 minutes of looking at TOTAL and COMPLETE strangers' pictures on this cute Mother's Day Feature on MSN. Kinda neat, kinda sappy, but all very relatable now that I'm a Mom. The newborn pictures really get me but I love the mom coaching her kids, too.

I also had a great time checking out baby Ava's new photos today.

She is a little DOLL BABY and I can't wait to meet her in person, hopefully this summer.

I am also quite certain her very proud mommy and daddy, our good friends Erin and Jeremy, could have quite a few contributions already to this 'proudest moments' feature. They are so excited to be parents. Even though I've strictly witnessed it over the Internet, it shows, it really shows, and it's so neat to see. This was my college roommate, the one who I ... hmm, better not. Oh, the one who helped me ... nah, probably shouldn't share. Anyway - GOOD OLD FRIEND OF MINE - now having baby - still not over the shock of this life stage hitting us head on.

Back to MSN: I can't begin to think of how I'd choose just one photo of my proudest mom moment (not even quite sure what that means, but I'll roll with it). But, I will (of course) now have to give it some thought and promise to post my vote soon (so, you know, those of you on the edge of your chairs and holding your breath don't actually injure yourself).

There are SO many other sweet babies I gotta blog about, Bridget, Lila, John and more! But right now I think noon is PROBABLY an appropriate time for an adult person to shower and get dressed, so it'll have to wait just now. Happy Three Day Weekend!!