I see introductions are in order:
Kael David M.
8 lb 5oz
21 inches long
14 inch head! ( lets all say ouch together...)
Labor was....... intense.
Full story soon, I promise! 
June 09, 2006
June 08, 2006
While You Wait
Alas, no natural labor occurred last night, so I am off to the hospital for a nice smoothe induction.
While I'm gone, I'll leave you with this one last image to ponder. They aren't stretch marks, they are a road map OUT.. but I think nature put it on the wrong side as he hasn't seemed to notice the EXIT sign as of yet.
Sexy, huh?
Raegan measured 42-43 ( I think) with a soft tape measure , which I don't currently posess. The one stolen from Matt's workshop will have to do. Please notice that I am almost FOUR FEET around. Yikes.
June 07, 2006
Time Filler
Simple Belly Shot scrap
Raegans 1st brithday. Actually, this one is pretty cute in real life, with lots of fancy finishes and embellishments. Can't be bothered to mess with the scanner right now.
Induction-Junction, What's Your Function?
WELL....... here's too much information about my naughty bits!
Had my membranes stripped, am "soft" and 50% effaced and dialated to a 3.
Little Man is BIG.
Big enough that Doc., with my encouragement, has decided his cooking time is up.
If I don't go into labor tonight, I'm to check into the hospital tomorrow morning at 6 to be induced.
Can I get a WHOOP-WHOOP!!!!
SO............ Hopefully my next post is either "Good Gawd I'm in labor and oh-my-lordy that hurts" or "Well, we're finally home and Kael is so scrumptious, here's a picture."
Had my membranes stripped, am "soft" and 50% effaced and dialated to a 3.
Little Man is BIG.
Big enough that Doc., with my encouragement, has decided his cooking time is up.
If I don't go into labor tonight, I'm to check into the hospital tomorrow morning at 6 to be induced.
Can I get a WHOOP-WHOOP!!!!
SO............ Hopefully my next post is either "Good Gawd I'm in labor and oh-my-lordy that hurts" or "Well, we're finally home and Kael is so scrumptious, here's a picture."
June 06, 2006
Now and Then
Look how fast my little girl is GROWING!!
May 31, 2006
August 30, 2005 
She still LOVES this swing!
June 05, 2006
In Conclusion:
OK, all of my waited-for comments are in ( although if you haven't left one, PLEASE DO !) so first, take a minute to go down to the previous post and read them through.
*
*
*
*
OK, Done?
*
*
*
Here are my thoughts on this:
Re: the scenario.
Circumcision is a medical procedure with risks. They may be minimal, but there are risks. If BOTH parents can't agree to take that risk on behalf of their child, then the risk SHOULDN'T be taken. This isn't something that can be un-done. It matters not at all who wants to and who wants not to... it is the procedure that merits the debate. These two adults are equally responsible for the well-being of their child. Just having a penis of his own doesn't, in my opinion, make Dad the one that gets to choose... Either way. Dads penis has no bearing on this decision, as the decision is for the well-being of his SONS penis. Some have made the argument that the son should match the dad..... Would you still feel that way if dad wasn't circumcised and didn't want his son to be so? Also.... I don't know about YOUR sons... But a little boys penis looks NOTHING like a mans penis, regardless of foreskin status. Men are hairy, droopy, and of a larger proportion. Boys... Not so much. Especially 2,3,4 year old boys.. The only ones who will be sharing potty conversations with dad anyway. No matter what, they won't look the same. So, as ridiculous as it sounds to me, this is a decision best left to the boy at a later date if the parents can't agree when he is an infant.
The responses on the forum were entirely in favor of dad. Each and every one of these women responded with words we have seen here.. That Dad has the penis, he should be the one making penis decisions. I was SHOCKED at the number of women more then willing to take a back seat in the decisions made regarding their children. This is YOUR son too, ladies! YOU have a right to 50% of the vote!
Alyca made most of the points I would have made in my argument with "dad". It is a purely cosmetic procedure. This is agreed on across the boards medically. This is why the AAP doesn't recommend it. This is why the majority of "foreign" countries don't practice this procedure. I think, sadly, a lot of parents agree to this procedure simply because it is common. Women today were raised with circumcised men.. Our brothers, lovers, and friends are all circumcised. It was the "thing" to do. No questions asked.
When it comes to your children....
ASK QUESTIONS.
WHY should this be done? WHY was it done in the past? Do those reasons still apply?
The answer, in my home, is NO.
Medically, there is no reason for this to be done. In this country with the resources we currently have, there is NO reason to proceed with the permanent alteration of little boys. The most persuasive study done in favor of circumcision is one based on African culture. The full article can be found
HERE. Keep in mind that in this culture multiple partners are common and regular bathing isn't. The reason this study was favorable was one of simple math. If you have more folds of skin present then infected body fluids have more places to collect. If those folds of skin are holding that infected fluid on a gland where they are easily absorbed ( ie: the glans) then yeah, duh, there is a higher chance of infection. HOWEVER... Teach your son not to be promiscuous. Teach him to bathe.
In short, teach your son to be as clean and moral as you would teach your daughter to be.
"Much too familiar with their sons penis"
Believe me, this was one of the biggest hurdles I faced when we were making our decision. Even after reading medial report after report.. Even after making the decision NOT to circumcise.. This was an issue with me. I am somewhat modest, as is Matt. We want to leave our sons privates as private as possible. The, several studies later, several reads later... A lightbulb turned on. The washing of his gentiles need not be any more invasive then the washing of Raegans. A wipe with a wet-wipe as an infant, a swipe with a washcloth in the bath, and regular bathing is all that is required. Little boys are no different then little girls in this regard. We know to wipe front to back with our wee ladies... do the same with our boys. We know to keep poo with the poo and the pee with the pee.. No wiping one into the other... Just do the same with all children. There is no special care needed. Clean your daughters labia, clean your sons penis. No big deal. All of the sudden this isn't an issue. Society taught me that an uncircumcised penis was dirty and required all these procedures to keep clean. That just isn't true. A normally clean man will get just as many yeast/bladder infections as a normally clean woman. Just like I wouldn't remove my daughters labia to make her vaginal area easier to clean, I wouldn't remove my sons foreskin to make his penis easier to clean.
Also, according to the latest research, only 60% of infant boys in the US are being circumcised, and that number is falling. This alleviates any and all fears of my son being teased in the locker room as an adolescent... Another common worry. He'll match half of his classmates. That's good enough for me!
OK, so that's it for now. Now, if you have chosen to circumcise your son or are simply in favor of the procedure, please don't take MY opinion as a judgment on YOUR decision. An informed decision is always a good one, and this decision is one in which the family dynamics play a large part.
Thoughts? Comments?
*
*
*
*
OK, Done?
*
*
*
Here are my thoughts on this:
Re: the scenario.
Circumcision is a medical procedure with risks. They may be minimal, but there are risks. If BOTH parents can't agree to take that risk on behalf of their child, then the risk SHOULDN'T be taken. This isn't something that can be un-done. It matters not at all who wants to and who wants not to... it is the procedure that merits the debate. These two adults are equally responsible for the well-being of their child. Just having a penis of his own doesn't, in my opinion, make Dad the one that gets to choose... Either way. Dads penis has no bearing on this decision, as the decision is for the well-being of his SONS penis. Some have made the argument that the son should match the dad..... Would you still feel that way if dad wasn't circumcised and didn't want his son to be so? Also.... I don't know about YOUR sons... But a little boys penis looks NOTHING like a mans penis, regardless of foreskin status. Men are hairy, droopy, and of a larger proportion. Boys... Not so much. Especially 2,3,4 year old boys.. The only ones who will be sharing potty conversations with dad anyway. No matter what, they won't look the same. So, as ridiculous as it sounds to me, this is a decision best left to the boy at a later date if the parents can't agree when he is an infant.
The responses on the forum were entirely in favor of dad. Each and every one of these women responded with words we have seen here.. That Dad has the penis, he should be the one making penis decisions. I was SHOCKED at the number of women more then willing to take a back seat in the decisions made regarding their children. This is YOUR son too, ladies! YOU have a right to 50% of the vote!
Alyca made most of the points I would have made in my argument with "dad". It is a purely cosmetic procedure. This is agreed on across the boards medically. This is why the AAP doesn't recommend it. This is why the majority of "foreign" countries don't practice this procedure. I think, sadly, a lot of parents agree to this procedure simply because it is common. Women today were raised with circumcised men.. Our brothers, lovers, and friends are all circumcised. It was the "thing" to do. No questions asked.
When it comes to your children....
ASK QUESTIONS.
WHY should this be done? WHY was it done in the past? Do those reasons still apply?
The answer, in my home, is NO.
Medically, there is no reason for this to be done. In this country with the resources we currently have, there is NO reason to proceed with the permanent alteration of little boys. The most persuasive study done in favor of circumcision is one based on African culture. The full article can be found
HERE. Keep in mind that in this culture multiple partners are common and regular bathing isn't. The reason this study was favorable was one of simple math. If you have more folds of skin present then infected body fluids have more places to collect. If those folds of skin are holding that infected fluid on a gland where they are easily absorbed ( ie: the glans) then yeah, duh, there is a higher chance of infection. HOWEVER... Teach your son not to be promiscuous. Teach him to bathe.
In short, teach your son to be as clean and moral as you would teach your daughter to be.
"Much too familiar with their sons penis"
Believe me, this was one of the biggest hurdles I faced when we were making our decision. Even after reading medial report after report.. Even after making the decision NOT to circumcise.. This was an issue with me. I am somewhat modest, as is Matt. We want to leave our sons privates as private as possible. The, several studies later, several reads later... A lightbulb turned on. The washing of his gentiles need not be any more invasive then the washing of Raegans. A wipe with a wet-wipe as an infant, a swipe with a washcloth in the bath, and regular bathing is all that is required. Little boys are no different then little girls in this regard. We know to wipe front to back with our wee ladies... do the same with our boys. We know to keep poo with the poo and the pee with the pee.. No wiping one into the other... Just do the same with all children. There is no special care needed. Clean your daughters labia, clean your sons penis. No big deal. All of the sudden this isn't an issue. Society taught me that an uncircumcised penis was dirty and required all these procedures to keep clean. That just isn't true. A normally clean man will get just as many yeast/bladder infections as a normally clean woman. Just like I wouldn't remove my daughters labia to make her vaginal area easier to clean, I wouldn't remove my sons foreskin to make his penis easier to clean.
Also, according to the latest research, only 60% of infant boys in the US are being circumcised, and that number is falling. This alleviates any and all fears of my son being teased in the locker room as an adolescent... Another common worry. He'll match half of his classmates. That's good enough for me!
OK, so that's it for now. Now, if you have chosen to circumcise your son or are simply in favor of the procedure, please don't take MY opinion as a judgment on YOUR decision. An informed decision is always a good one, and this decision is one in which the family dynamics play a large part.
Thoughts? Comments?
June 02, 2006
Topic= Debate.
As you may know, I am a moderator on a Pregnancy and Parenting forum. This topic came up for discussion, and as I have an opinion on the topic, I responded. The answers the other ladies gave surprised me... so I wanted to post the debate to you.. I am curious as to your opinion, so please give it! Here's the situation:
Pregnant with a boy, the mother of the child is strongly opposed to the idea of circumcision. The father, on the other hand, is strongly in favor of the procedure. Both are passionate about their viewpoint.
Who "wins" and why?
If the result was a matter of a vote, who would you vote in favor of, and why? Father or mother?
Now this isn't a matter of what YOU would do with your child, but rather who has the stronger say in this issue, and why you feel that way.
I'll share my opinion after I've gotten some responses!
OK.... Debate!
*No, this has nothing to do with our particular household. Our decision has already been made! I was just surprised at the responses of the other women and was curious as to what the people I know in real life think about this issue.
Pregnant with a boy, the mother of the child is strongly opposed to the idea of circumcision. The father, on the other hand, is strongly in favor of the procedure. Both are passionate about their viewpoint.
Who "wins" and why?
If the result was a matter of a vote, who would you vote in favor of, and why? Father or mother?
Now this isn't a matter of what YOU would do with your child, but rather who has the stronger say in this issue, and why you feel that way.
I'll share my opinion after I've gotten some responses!
OK.... Debate!
*No, this has nothing to do with our particular household. Our decision has already been made! I was just surprised at the responses of the other women and was curious as to what the people I know in real life think about this issue.
June 01, 2006
Reasons to be Totally Thrilled that I'm Still Pregnant and Show No Real Signs of Becoming Less Pregnant Any Time Soon:
1: Big babies are healthy babies, right?
2: More one-on-one time with Raegan... even if I'm too huge/tired/grumpy to really play much.
3: Newborn size diapers are spendier per diaper then size 1 and up.
4: Could maternity clothes BE more comfortable?
5: I'm excused from reproach when my belly hangs out the bottom of the now too-small aforementioned maternity clothes.
6: Does anyone REALLY LIKE shaving their legs?
7: Same goes for the naughty bits?
8: When else, in your LIFE, will you be allowed to leave Coldstone Creamery with $23 in icecream without being moo'd at as you walk away with your jumbo bag of butt-dimple making goodness?
9: All the time I'd want to catch up on scrapbooking! Who needs sleep?
10: Each and every cleaning impulse leads to major room sterilization. Not nesting, just hopeful thinking.
11: When else will an outie be "cute"?
12: Each day pregnant is one day closer to end of term for Matt.
13: Each ( weekend day) pregnant is .625 hours more in paid vacation time.
14: I can change my mind at Starbucks even after they have started making my drink. Indecisiveness is a GREAT exploitation point!
15: I get to walk funny. No one thinks I'm walking out a wedgie.
16: Granny panties are comfy. Big and covering, loud prints, squishy and soft. You can't beat the comfort of a huge floppy pair of Granny panties.
17: One word. NAP.
18. I currently only change 5.... maybe 6 diapers in a day.. depending on poo-time.
I'd like a longer list... so if you've got any ideas you'd like to add, please let me know! Every day new positives must be found! I could potentially still be pregnant 25 days from now. Yes... I need a longer list.
2: More one-on-one time with Raegan... even if I'm too huge/tired/grumpy to really play much.
3: Newborn size diapers are spendier per diaper then size 1 and up.
4: Could maternity clothes BE more comfortable?
5: I'm excused from reproach when my belly hangs out the bottom of the now too-small aforementioned maternity clothes.
6: Does anyone REALLY LIKE shaving their legs?
7: Same goes for the naughty bits?
8: When else, in your LIFE, will you be allowed to leave Coldstone Creamery with $23 in icecream without being moo'd at as you walk away with your jumbo bag of butt-dimple making goodness?
9: All the time I'd want to catch up on scrapbooking! Who needs sleep?
10: Each and every cleaning impulse leads to major room sterilization. Not nesting, just hopeful thinking.
11: When else will an outie be "cute"?
12: Each day pregnant is one day closer to end of term for Matt.
13: Each ( weekend day) pregnant is .625 hours more in paid vacation time.
14: I can change my mind at Starbucks even after they have started making my drink. Indecisiveness is a GREAT exploitation point!
15: I get to walk funny. No one thinks I'm walking out a wedgie.
16: Granny panties are comfy. Big and covering, loud prints, squishy and soft. You can't beat the comfort of a huge floppy pair of Granny panties.
17: One word. NAP.
18. I currently only change 5.... maybe 6 diapers in a day.. depending on poo-time.
I'd like a longer list... so if you've got any ideas you'd like to add, please let me know! Every day new positives must be found! I could potentially still be pregnant 25 days from now. Yes... I need a longer list.
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