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October 6th, 2008
01:49 pm - Joining the Army -- the Army of Women
Well, I survived -- and loved -- another 39.3 miles of walking, dancing, and trudging through the streets of NYC this weekend. Altogether the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer this weekend had over 4,500 walkers and raised over $11.5 million for the fight against breast cancer. ($11.5 MILLION!!!!) A big thanks to you for all your support and work for helping me get there and get through the miles!
At the Opening Ceremony, I was thrilled to hear Dr. Susan Love talk about a new initiative, An Army of Women. Her commitment, and the commitments of hundreds of researchers around the world, will help shift the locus of research into finding out why this horrible disease strikes one in seven women. When you sign up, you are registering to be available to help researchers who are working to find the causes and cures for breast cancer. They may want a bio, they may want a blood sample, they may want a urine sample. You can choose to say yes - or no - to any requests. They are looking for women who had cancer, who haven't, who are high risk, who are (as far as they know) low risk, and every age and race.
Since its launch on Thursday, nearly 150,000 women have already signed up to be part of this Army of Women. Please be the next!
Current Location: home again, yay!
Current Mood:  hopeful
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May 20th, 2008
May 1st, 2008
02:08 pm - Well, that explains it!
Back mid-October I started doing Weight Watchers online. Sure, I had lost 20 lbs since Charlotte was born but since she was 8.5 pounds of it and since it had been 3 months of exclusive breastfeeding without weight "just falling off", I decided I would make a conscious effort. (I was just getting back into my pre-pregnant pants post-Cyrus, although still 10 pounds above the weight I started with, when he was about a year old; just in time to go into maternity pants again!)
So, I have slowly but surely been losing weight, just over 20 lbs so far. But these last couple weeks my weight has been steady, or creeping upward, without eating more and with the addition of walking several miles a week. Grr. How annoying!
Then it dawns on me. What else has changed in these last couple of weeks? Charlotte has been going crazy with the solids. And, since a baby pretty much takes in a set number of calories, regardless of their source, all that avocado and cheese was displacing breastmilk calories.
Sure enough. The number of "points" that weightwatchers would give me for "not breastfeeding" is 21 -- vs the 32 a day I had when I had the "breastfeeding" ticky box selected. I'm sure the right number is somewhere in between, since she's still nursing, just not as much. But, wow! That's a big drop!!! At 30+ points a day, I could mostly eat what I want and just watch portion sizes. Now I may actually have to think about it.
Current Mood:  hungry
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April 10th, 2008
01:10 pm - Thinking about birthin' in Bangor
No - I'm not pregnant!!! But, I did just take a 3-day training for doula-hood. (For those not into the birth scene, a doula is hired by the birthing couple to be there to support the woman and her partner throughout labor and birth. A doula can provide physical support, such as massage, emotional support, and information when needed. She doesn't do clinical stuff and doesn't replace the midwife, nurse or doctor - or her partner!)
The opportunity to take the class dropped in my lap and I'm mostly glad I did it. I am a little overwhelmed by how few options, it seems, that women in this area have for controlling their own birth experiences. I need to do a lot more thinking and research on this subject. Even though we're only about 100 miles from Portland, it's a completely different scene.
The path to doula certification (through DONA International, which used to be Doulas of North America, and is generally the most widely recognized and rigorous certification) is a long one. In addition to the training class you also attend at least three births and do a lot of reading and reflection. I may start the reading portion of the certification process soon, but it will likely be a while until I attend any births. My two kids, not to mention my husband, aren't really ready for me to drop everything and disappear for unspecified amounts of time to attend to someone else. I have four years from the training date to get certified, if I go that path, so I don't need to rush.
The biggest issue I'm trying to get my head around is if I can, in good conscious, support births at the local big hospital that are more than likely going to offend my sense of the birthing mother's rights. I will probably try to attend a birth there with the doula that ran the training as a next step. Maybe it's not as bad as I fear...
Current Mood:  contemplative
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March 26th, 2008
08:41 pm - When the temp hits 40, a girl's thoughts turn to ...
Walking 39.3 miles in a weekend to raise money and awareness in the fight against breast cancer!
( Why, what did you think I was going to say? )
This year, I'm walking for my mom. I'm walking for my friends and family who haven't been directly impacted but know someone who has been. And, I'm walking for you! Because breast cancer can impact all of us and it is only by better diagnosis and treatment - and hopefully a cure - that we can beat this disease!
If you can, please support me in this huge undertaking. I need to raise a significant chunk of change for the walk, and I need to log a lot of miles between now and then to get ready (thank goodness I can do it during a Maine summer this time, and not a Houston summer!!!).
Current Mood:  energetic
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March 7th, 2008
09:53 am - Winter Surprises
Or, Hidden Static Treasures
I love it when you're making a bed with infrequently used (flannel) sheets and you find a trove of missing wool or fuzzy socks stuck to the sheets.
Score!
Current Mood:  cheerful
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January 3rd, 2008
11:09 am - My Heart Bursts with Cuteness
Seeing #1 in my slippers, his too-short pants, with a backpack full of letters slung over his shoulder. Looking back from the hallway and whispering, while waving, "bye." And then, to top it off, turning around and seeing his shadow on the wall, so stopping to wave to it, too.
Current Mood:  touched
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December 19th, 2007
01:14 pm - Do you know what sucks?
Days without naps suck.
Current Mood:  cranky
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November 27th, 2007
01:51 pm - Gazing
Some people navel gaze. I gaze at my children's navels.
Just sayin'.
Current Mood:  enthralled
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July 24th, 2007
09:54 am - Welcome baby girl!
(![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=92.3) aroraborealis posting for razil and blivious)
Welcome to the world (as yet unnamed) little girl Blake!
Baby was born at 7:27AM July 24, 2007 after 4 1/2 hours of labor and 7 minutes of pushing. Mama and baby are doing well.
Baby is 8 lbs 8 oz, 18.5 inches long, and was born with brown eyes and lots of brown hair.
Hooray!
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exhausted