Lazy Posting

Why I Immunize: Part III

This is the third of a series of entries about disease prevention and medical treatments.  To understand what has been covered and why some topics are mentioned or not, please be sure to read the previous entries about hygiene practice and healthy diet choices for disease prevention. 

While no one method is perfect for all people, the next logical step for most parents in prevention of illness is choosing to provide immunity through vaccination.  Not all people will choose to participate in vaccination due to a number of concerns, but it is impossible to make a reasonable decision if valid information is not available.  I am picky about my citations here and want to avoid false information and shoddy sources; this means while I acknowledge that she is considered an authority in the anti-vaccine movement, I will not be quoting material from Jenny McCarthy

In an attempt to understand the benefits of vaccines and why a parent would take the risk of exposure or reaction, we will explore a vaccine recently in the news for achievements in the eradication of a serious problem as well as known and assumed dangers related to it; I am speaking here about Poliomyelitis, often called "Polio".

Why I Immunize: Part III - Polio and Vaccine History

On January 13th of 2014 the announcement came that India, a country known for massive outbreaks of otherwise preventable diseases because of widespread sanitation problems, was declared "Polio Free" for a full three years.  This is still being verified by the World Health Organization and other sources, but marks a huge step along the path of eliminating a disease lethal to children and adults because of the regular practice of vaccination.  Two years free of disease is often the time at which efforts to continue vaccination begin to fail in public view that the risk is already gone.

The CDC defines Polio as "a crippling and potentially deadly infectious disease caused by a virus that spreads from person to person invading the brain and spinal cord and causing paralysis.  Because polio has no cure, vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and the only way to stop the disease from spreading. The spread of polio has never stopped in Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan. Poliovirus has been reintroduced and continues to spread in Chad and Horn of Africa after the spread of the virus was previously stopped.".

The virus is spread by fecal-to-oral contamination, meaning poor hygiene is once again a factor in transmission.  While this means that proper washing of hands and other sanitary practices should be instituted to lower risks, the lack of clean running water can prove problematic.  Fecal contamination in the water supply has already shown in widespread Cholera outbreaks in even the most modernized areas, making sanitation a problem at all levels and thus an ineffective method of prevention in this situation.

The vaccine for Polio was created by Dr. Jonas Salk in 1952 and released for public use in 1955.  By 1957 the American government made their first push into inoculation by starting a well funded campaign to provide vaccines for families with young children.  At the time Polio was such a disturbing epidemic that many medical professionals flatly refused to see patients in those wards or with a suspected case.  According to numbers from the Smithsonian Institute as many as 11%  of nurses and doctors working in Polio wards in Los Angeles would contract the condition while treating those with an outbreak.  The push to use the only viable prevention was so huge that one New York City doctor reported giving an estimated 700 vaccines to children in the course of one week.

Polio Vaccine promotional poster from the Smithsonian Institute.

Unfortunately, no vaccine is without risk and the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) had some of the worst.  Children with highly compromised immune systems resulted in cases of Paralytic Polio. This is caused by the type of exposure and the use of an attenuated virus* (sometimes called a Live Virus).  Though the virus is intentionally made weaker through a preparation process it will reproduce and begin the pattern of infection to trigger the body's immune system to respond properly and build an effective protection.  As one might guess the risk lies in how some bodies may not provide timely reaction for any number of reasons and will allow the weak but present virus to spread too quickly, thus leaving an infection too large for natural solution and just as risky.

In more than 95% of the population there is no infection and the body develops the immunity as expected.  4 - 4.5% react with a-symptomatic polio which causes no complication and will be fended off in a slower building of immunities.  In the remaining 0.5 - 1% the outcome is no antigen reaction resulting in paralytic polio which may become permanent.

Much of this risk was removed when the second form of vaccine was released a few years later.  The Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) became the standard form of treatment by 1963 and was credited with the eventual removal of the disease from regular outbreaks in the population.  These vaccines use an "inactivated" strain of the virus which has been treated to prevent infection but can result in allergic reaction to the other components (neomycin, streptomycin, and polymyxin B) which are used to keep the virus in stasis while allowing the body to form antigens. 

By 1979 the widely promoted use of vaccines meant that the number of reported cases was small and reduced mainly to those areas where religious law did not allow for the use of vaccinations.  An estimation of ten confirmed cases of Polio through exposure to the wild form of the virus was given as proof of eradication due to the general population's immunity and began the theory and study of herd immunity as a viable method to control disease spread.  

Antibody: A protein found in the blood that is produced in response to foreign substances (e.g. bacteria or viruses) invading the body. Antibodies protect the body from disease by binding to these organisms and destroying them.  

Antigen: Foreign substances (e.g. bacteria or viruses) in the body that are capable of causing disease. The presence of antigens in the body triggers an immune response, usually the production of antibodies.

Attenuated Vaccine: A vaccine in which live virus is weakened through chemical or physical processes in order to produce an immune response without causing the severe effects of the disease.  Attenuated vaccines currently licensed in the United States include measles, mumps, rubella, shingles (herpes zoster), varicella (chicken pox), and yellow fever. Also known as a live vaccine.

Booster shots: Additional doses of a vaccine needed periodically to "boost" the immune system. For example, the tetanus and diphtheria (Td) vaccine which is recommended for adults every ten years.

Community immunity: A situation in which a sufficient proportion of a population is immune to an infectious disease (through vaccination and/or prior illness) to make its spread from person to person unlikely. Even individuals not vaccinated (such as newborns and those with chronic illnesses) are offered some protection because the disease has little opportunity to spread within the community. Also known as herd immunity.

Why I Immunize: Part II

The second in the long series here in My Messy Mom world on finding ways to protect our kids and supply reasonable choices for various health practices is about the medicine of healthy food.  While I briefly touched on this is about the medicine of healthy food.  While I briefly touched on this information in part one at the end under sanitary food handling, there is a wider range of things about food that need to be considered carefully.

Why I Immunize: Part II - Healthy Diet Choices

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." - Hippocrates

I cannot in all cases say that food is the only solution, but healthy choices can and do provide the benefit of less frequent need for medical intervention in some cases.  As parents, this becomes even more vital.  Our children are dependent on their parents for providing healthy foods and building a foundation for them at infancy.  This starts with the healthy weight gain and balanced diet of a mother in pregnancy, something I am working hard on at the moment while battling through unexpected complications as we approach the final countdown to delivery.

A classic food pyramid graphic as found at Orchard Advisors,
a great source for business blogs I read often.

There are hundreds of ideas on what is the best dietary choice, all with their own debatable facts.  Personal choice about the ethics of vegetarian or vegan ideals plays as strong a part in choosing meals as the desire to find something palatable to the tongue for the moment.  I will neither preach absolute veganism nor the more carnivorous path, but suggest that just like sugars and other ingredients a path of moderation be observed.  Please consult your health professional before making any drastic changes in diet and understand that while weight does play a part in overall health, extremes of any kind come with realistic concerns.

I'm a big fan of history and learn all kinds of ridiculous trivia through nerdy interests and this lends well to fun facts about the essential foods for avoiding disease.  One of those fun facts is helpful when discussing how proper food choice can directly impact developing a serious problem.
 

Non-scurvy carrying pirate with parrot.
ⒸAkelis Studios Photography 2013

Vitamin C is well known as an essential part of establishing a healthy immune system.  While there is no viable proof that increased intake prevents infection rates, the consensus of data does support a notable shortening of cold duration and severity.  While many mammals are able to self produce balanced levels of the micro-nutrients however many higher primates are unable to perform this action internally leaving it all to balanced diet with these delicious foods, my favorite being a strawberry-kiwi smoothie.

While overdose is rare, a well known historical disease is directly linked to deficiency in Vitamin C.  I am talking here about that bane of pirates everywhere... Scurvy! An interesting issue, it was common in sailors and pirates long out at sea with less access to fresh fruits and vegetables.  The primary signs of scurvy included such visible extremes that the romanticized images of pirate life now always include the rough, discolored skin and missing or damaged teeth.  Amazingly, this deadly condition has an exceptionally simple solution that was not known at the time and provides us with a great reference for how balanced diets are vital.

No matter your take on humans as omnivores or herbivores, the need for our foods to be free from harmful chemicals and excessive toxins like those found in some commercial farming.  Vegetation as food is key to our survival on this planet to feed the ever growing population.  For this reason I suggest learning about farmer's markets near you and community gardens where your direct requests or involvement can and will influence the produce.  There is on-going debate about Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and their safety even though approved by the USDA.  Though I am far from perfect as a parent, I cannot support these things as the evidence of long term damage is far too overwhelming to be ignored and is often being silenced for financial benefit.

As for what types of produce to request, that might depend on your needs but here is a pregnancy friendly graphic I adore because it highlights the reasons for some cravings and alternative foods you may want to add to your diet if not already there.  My doctor provided me with an even more in depth version which has plastered my fridge since my first pregnancy and I am always writing in even more and I learn about homeopathic food treatments.

For those with a pre-existing condition ,there is a need to understand where dietary elements are found and how to maintain or manage. Celiac disease, diabetic issues of type I and II, and even heart disease risks can be treated with some modifications to diet.  While not all will be cured, the need to understand the individual needs of the body and food sensitivity is essential not just in allergic reactions but blood sugar and risk control.

Some foods can be removed from all diets without ill effects and to the benefit of all.  The ever popular soda is a great example of something over indulged in and proven to hold many harmful factors.  The largest issue in this area is the frequency with which children and teens indulge, building their risk for several issues. Another in this strain is the energy drink market which has grown to cover not just an occasional boost after sports to now claim a supercharged secret to get tired bodies through the day.  The two main risks are the excessive amounts  of sugars and caffeine packed into these two items. 

Sugar can be a tricky subject in general because it can be found in basically any raw or prepared food consumed.  Natural sugars found in fruits often take a beating because of lingering misinformation from one of the many pop-diet crazes of the late 90s.  What makes natural sugars different from additives and artificial sugars is their molecular make-up and the method in which the human body responds to them.  The sugars found in natural products is known as fructose and in moderation is not only safe, but essential in establishing and balancing blood sugars for regulating energy.

Table sugars, known as sucrose, are also made from plants such as beets and sugar cane with a long historical lineage that lead to some wonderful and horrible moments.  Sugar trade has long been linked to wealth and ":the sweet life" but molasses trade was at the root of much of the slavery circle.  Because natural sugars are best grown in warm climates and slow producing, the United States places high tariffs on sugar import and the search for affordable alternative sweeteners is a long standing one.

Corn sugars are popular in the United States as an alternative because of the government subsidy provided for farmers of this crop.  Similar to sucrose, corn based sugars known as high-fructose corn syrup which are created through chemical reformulation of the natural sugars in corn, are slow to break down and promote an unhealthy balances in the body including raising the risk of obesity related diseases which can cause disruption of organ function and even organ failure or death in extreme cases.  Additionally, corn is one of the most heavily genetically modified crops being produced and event chemically altered sugars made from that maize contains all the risks highlighted before.  With obesity on the rise a direct link is being drawn between the frequency of HFCS and other chemical sweeteners.

Food can be a serious issue in American households, with an estimated one in five children facing hunger.  While I cannot fix that problem with a single blog, and boy I wish I could, some of the things I share here are ones that can address helping our kids grow even with poverty looming.  We are low income family and receive some EBT/SNAP benefits to make ends meet.  They total out to about $1.97 per day per person in most states; not something most people could live on for a month, but it is something to start with when paying rent and heating bills can take every penny.

With a diabetic, a pregnant woman, a somewhat picky toddler, and an oft-times vegetarian in the house... we have a number of tastes and needs to consider.  I am also a bit of a "foodie" and spoiled by the fact that my husband worked as a chef and in fish markets so he has really wonderful skills with seafood and grilling.  My household is omnivore driven though we avoid excessive meat consumption and participate in most of the ideas below. It does make some of the healthier food choices much more difficult on us because home farming is not always an option in the land of year-round snow.  For now I make regular trips to my area farmer's markets, fishing centers, and a great little farm near our former apartment complex.

Some of the simple rules I have found work best over the years are this:

1. Avoid foods with a commercial.  Fast foods, sugary cereals, many chain restaurants, and pretty much any sports or soft drink you see flashing their product on television has less than wholesome ingredients under that label. 
2. Start the fruits early.  Over and over I hear from friends that watch my "Tiny Monster" how shocked they are that he will not only eat but ask for fruits and veggies as a snack and pass up chocolates and cookies.  Honestly, I think this is half luck and half parenting practice on our part.  When he's being good, he gets fresh strawberries or orange slices as a reward. 
   
   
3. Mommy is not a short order cook!  We make at least two vegetables with every meaty main dish and he is expected to eat a little of it all off his plate.  I don't force him to clean his plate, nor do I allow him to get away with eating nothing and then crying for a snack later.  On the rare occasions when we go out he is expected to display good behavior and eat what we order for him or it comes home in a doggie bag and he will be seeing it later.
4. Make it at home.  One of the most well known culprits for poor eating habits is the frequent thought that fresh or wholesome food takes too long to make and fast food is the only answer.  For years I worked retail-photography chain(s) in malls with a horrible menu of all the big name baddies for food.  I took to stopping at the salad bar in the supermarket and making a large salad with all the fresh fixings to bring home, then splitting it into Tupperware to bring to work.
5. Say no to the GMO.  Unfortunately simply buying "organic" may not avoid GMOs as the seeds are already altered before they ever reach the soil and do not require pesticides, making them ideal for organics.  Visiting local farmers and asking direct questions about the foods they produce is your best solution if able.  Other options will require research and sometimes cost more so it will need to be a choice of cost to reward.
6. Find a happy medium.  We could never go 100% vegan in my house, I'm too fond of my Italian heritage to forgo the joy of eggplant-parmesan or the deliciousness of gelato.  But in interest of health and budgeting we do at least one meatless meal per week.  I happen to be a big fan of the Moosewood Cookbooks that my mother used regularly while I was young and now own a number of veggie-friendly recipe folders of my own or refer to some great websites for new ideas.
7. Everything in moderation!  This phrase can be applied to a vast many evils, but food is a very good place to apply it.  My preferred demo of this dietary rule is alcohol consumption; specifically the very important topic of knowing that excessive drinking can cause disease and death, but limited amounts can actually promote positive health benefits in some cases.  While kids are too young to drink and should not be given alcohol, they are prone to over indulging in other things and learn from their parents.  Teaching skills like portion control and replacing poor nutrition items with positive food choices to make healthy eating natural from an early age.

Spare Time

I think, perhaps it is just an illusion or a dream, but I think there was once a time when I had that mythical gift... SPARE TIME!

Perhaps it was just back in the days when I was crazy enough to believe life would never get better than those long walks on the beach behind my college apartment and I had no idea how the world would change.  Now my life is filled to a point of insanity and showers, toilet breaks, and hiccups need to be scheduled with military precision just to get through the day.  I would sell a lung for a nap, seriously...

In an effort to learn how to save time I wasted an epic amount of that precious stuff trying to learn some tips from the wilds of Google.  While I would love to write an article in the style of Cracked.com on how not to do what I just did, this is not that article. 

You see, I did manage to come down with an abundance of the stuff unexpectedly when complications with my current pregnancy lead to "Bed Rest" orders from the doctor.  This is about all the things I would like to do in my free time if I manage to get off of of the couch, recliner, bed or chair in the kitchen (I'm still cooking dinners and trying to be productive).

1.  Take the toddler to a farm.  How about it? Sunshine, cows, photo ops all over, and plenty of manure for my son to face plant in because he has all the grace of his mother.  Actually, before we had kids my husband knew I love to volunteer at or visit the local SPCA barns because it gives me a chance to give back to the horses in honor of my beloved pony long gone.  Now I want my kids to grow up knowing that though our food does come from those pigs, chickens, and cows, they are lovely animals that deserve our respect too.

2.  Swimming at the beach.  Ever had the joy of spending hours just watching other tan-less bodies flounder in the waves?  I live in a state known for our beaches and bars.  It is fun to know I am not really so iridescent that I glow in the sun, but getting to stand in the waves is a great reminder that none of the superficial things matter in the grand scheme of things.  Also, the smell of salt air is wonderful for the soul.

3.  Photographing birds in flight.  I love watching birds fly, butterflies too actually.  We have a cute little bird feeder up year round at the window and many of our visits to the botanical gardens are exercises in my husband dragging me out of the butterfly house after they start bugging us that closing time passed three hours ago.  I love flowers and want a garden to attract plenty of the lovely flying beauties, both insect and avian when we have the room for the garden of my dreams.

4.  Growing roses.  I guess this should go with the lack of room to have a garden listed above, but time is also a factor.  Being able to go spend those long hours with my fingers in the dirt and not have it all end when a particular neighbor who was super concerned with his lawn not looking green enough talks the condo association into spraying lethal crap all over the common areas leading to our plot.  Not only did it mean bringing my then crawling little man outside was a problem for exposure, but the delicious edibles I had planned to harvest and the tall blooms of flowers all became spotted in toxic nasty.

5.  Ice skate more often.  This is the land of winter.  Snow is on the ground and we have had some days of bitter cold causing big trouble lately.  We are also home to some of the best ice skating and hockey playing locations in the country.  I miss having the chance to go do figures and laps on the ice to clear my head in the cold.

So, what are your favorite things you would love to do once you find the free time?

Tiny Monster: Picking an Online Identity for Kids

My son's birth announcement photo.  Perhaps the one and only time he
posed and stayed exactly as I wanted while taking the picture.

We all do it.  In this digital age there is hardly a day that goes by when we parents are not checking our facebook or sharing those cute snapshots of the kid doing something.  I'm guilty of being *That Mom *.  You know what I mean, the one that has an obsessive number of albums documenting everything from the first ultrasounds to his most recent slapping of some crayons on paper that prove his the next Picasso.  I make sure to balance the "perfectly posed cute" with "look at this giant wad of gum he tied into his hair while I was trying to pee with the door closed".

This morning a friend and fellow mom shared an absolutely brilliant piece that appeared last February on another great parenting blog.  This article covered something many parents in the technical age are guilty of, depicting their parenting life as *so perfect*.  The writer described it as lies by omission... we use cool filters to make it look like everything is awesome and hide the spots where the newborn just vomited an entire feeding full all over that new onesie. 

I do it too as a portrait photographer working with kids and brides to make everything picture perfect!  That photo of my son up there, that hat is covering the fact that his cute little baby butt had constant diaper rash until we figured out the right combination of cream, diaper type, and detergent for his delicate little infant skin.  Years later, I am still posting him all over the interwebz like a cool kid but with one big detail still in omission... Unless you spend time around us in person, chances are good you'll never know his name. 

A baby monster.

I posted the first camera phone images to facebook from the less than relaxing new location on the maternity floor.  Those cute, wrinkly faced images came along with the one and only time I ever shared his birth name and have long since been changed to reflect the nick name we keep for him. I have friends, co-workers, even family we are not exceptionally close to and only rarely see that know him only as "The Tiny Monster".  The name came about while I was pregnant and not yet aware of the gender of the tiny person attempting to kick an opening through my belly button like one of those creatures that haunted my nightmares for months after watching a certain scifi film.  

It is cool over time his name has proven to stick even off the digital realms because, well, it fits him so well as a toddler.  His babysitter, our friends that spend any time around him, even my parents who have seen the true evil look in his eyes that comes out when he is plotting to draw on the walls with my expensive artist's pigment pens.  

But it helps in another way too.  

You see, we are all guilty of over sharing as parents in the digital age.  From the moment we have counted those ten little fingers and toes the proof of their existence pops up on the live feeds of our entire social circle.   This means that any random bloke on Twitter, Facebook, Google, Vine, YouTube, (and whatever else I missed listing but is part of the social media insanity) is going to know all about them.  I'm not saying your child will be facing the public awareness craze of pop-culture personalities who feel the need to post selfies or even allows documenting for a TV series(I'm looking at you Snooki and Kim Kardashian), but any child who's mother is tweeting from Labor&Delivery is going to face the reality that their whole life is out there for the world to see.

Don't want to believe me, here's everything you could learn quick glance at your previous posts:

1. Birth Date: This one is seriously easy, when did you post that first picture with the "He's finally here" tag?

2. Gender: This is normally obvious well before birthdate because unless you fall into the slowly dieing group of parents not finding this out with "the big ultrasound".  If you do decide to wait, that first picture and post of the new family member is a pretty safe bet for figuring it out.

3. Name: Unless you choose to do what we have and use only a nickname, this is also often found right on that first little birth announcement post.

4. Hospital/Location: Not a big deal until you start to consider what I am listing now is not only obvious from just that first week is all you will need to apply for a copy of the baby's birth certificate... the first step to identity theft.

5. Parents Name(s): I'm sure you can guess this is one of the most obvious details for that identity theft thing I mentioned above.  It is also a good detail if you are just going for the creepy stalker factor that comes in with recent problems of child abduction. 

6. Home Location/Address: You know that little "Hometown" tag you get from profiles, yeah, consider that when you tag the location where you live and make it obvious that you are the primary parent.  This info is now out in the world and means that a dishonest person has an easy in for finding any of the many expensive items in your home left unattended while you are in the hospital with a newborn, or getting a track on that cute little bundle of joy.

I could keep going, but honestly now I want to run back and check that my profiles are all safely set to not sharing anything with anybody because I know how dangerous it is to have that out on the web.  What should we adults really be doing?  

Well, following the guidelines listed here are a good way to keep things smart and safe.  Limiting the insane sharing of details online is a great starting point for everybody, your own safety is included in that part too.  Using a nickname for kids and never listing the name of schools, day cares, or other daily activities where people can find a way to contact your child is another great idea.

So there it is... I call my son "The Tiny Monster", I don't share the name of our home town, and I over share about his self feeding habits because if you can't humiliate your kids with those cute spaghetti-in-hair photos as a toddler, their teen years will be devoid of good reasons to complain about you talking to their first girlfriend/boyfriend.

I'm fairly sure he was supposed to be eating mashed potatoes and meatballs with peas.  Yes, I feed
him in the nude after he learned to lift and "paint" under the bib with his food... I'm not a fan of
laundry even on a good day, so this lowers the rate of complete mess clothing to wade through.

Mommy's Messy Life

Well hello again interwebs,

Have a few minutes to yourself? GREAT!  I envy you right now.  So, to make your few minutes of freedom from laundry, toys, and the endless "Mommy I need..." or "Daddy can I..." here's a fun little story about how you're not alone feeling like being a parent is an endless uphill run on a treadmill with no off switch.

Sit down. Relax. Have some coffee. 
Not this one though...
This is MINE!

In 2010 I made the biggest mistake of my life... I relaxed long enough to fall in love and be happy with a great guy.

Alright, that doesn't sound like such a bad thing does it?  Well, it really isn't, until you consider the timing.  I was three-ish years out of college, living just north of NYC, working at an endless corporate nightmare job doing the best I could to make my payments for my loans, and living with this amazing man who I had the vague feeling would not be the kind to continue the cycle of ending it when the honeymoon period was over and he saw the clear crazy I had stored up from a lifetime of work and self esteem issues.  

Seriously though, you cannot imagine how wonderful it was to know that I could trust him not to give me the stink eye for spending a very rare day off in nothing but ratty pajama pants and a sports bra while I swore at the computer and shot digital zombies like my life depended on it.  This man saved me from living in my car when the relationship I had pretty much given up my dreams for failed from a serious lack of personal responsibility on both sides.  And when he was done saving me from that crap-tazm... he went and proved that the guy I had unintentionally friendzoned was actually the person I should have been dating the whole time.

I'm fairly sure I had unknowingly stamped this on his head years before while dating
Mr. I'm-The-Guy-Your-Parents-Want-You-To Bring-Home. 

Yeah, I fell hard, and I relaxed long enough to think "hey, this getting married someday idea might not be a lost cause like I thought".  So we started looking for an apartment closer to my new job and he apparently started cooking up a scheme to propose on what he knew was routinely the worst day of the year in my relationships.  It was a bumpy but fun little ride up until the point when I went to the doctor about the nausea and stomach cramps that had started plaguing my life thinking I had yet another stomach ulcer from my chronic overachiever lifestyle.

While it was honestly far more technical, I'm fairly sure this is how the doctor's answers actually sounded in my head:

Our son's gigantic kicking feet.

"Surprise, there's something living in your uterus!  That birth control you figured was doing the trick doesn't work so well when you expose yourself to certain photo developing chemicals as part of your line of work.  Cool beans though, you're now home to something cute and tiny and vaguely kidney bean shaped.  Here's some pamphlets on how being a human incubator is going to cause you emotional and physical distress at times.  Now off you go so I can see to the next patient."

So there I was, handing the most amazing guy in the world a pee-stick with two lines and praying he would do something other than freak out.  It took him about ten minutes to compose words but he finally was able to tell me he was happy and that we should figure out what we wanted to do from there.  I admit, I had a bit of an explosion in my brain at that point, but once we both had full use of our vocabulary we took the time to decide if we would go through with being parents or explore other options.

Two years later and we're married, and genuinely happy.  We don't have a perfect life by any means.  There are things I would LOVE to have money for, like paying off those school loans I have piled up or maybe getting a professional manicure for the first time in my life... What?  I've just never had the time or money to get one done, don't give me that look!  And no they are not "man hands" thank you.

As I was saying, our life is good but realistic.  The cat or dog or toddler occasionally pee on our bed and routinely take over the couch so I get to sit on the bean bag chair and watch nothing but endless cartoons.  I go to make a sandwich and find out that somebody ate all the damn tuna without telling me to get more while making a shopping list.  The diaper pail still stinks because apparently the toilet is some sort of soul-sucking demon out to eat my child and though he will pee in the bathtub it is impossible to consider using the potty like the rest of the world.

Life is real.  Messy, confusing, wonderful, and very very real.  So, welcome to the insanity.  You're not alone and I invite you to take a few minutes to laugh at the things I share because that is the beauty of being a parent.  You have your own tiny entertainment to provide hours of stories for others to laugh at while you shake your head and clean up the mess.

- Mommy J