Christina, Author at A Mommy Story

Mar 28, 2008

Haiku Friday: Young Jedi

March 28, 2008 By Christina

Daddy-daughter time:
She is a Jedi fighter.
He is a Sith lord.

A flash of blue light
crashing against red light in
the lightsaber duel

It’s Star Wars at home
She’s never seen the movies
But it is still fun

This is what happens
When your husband’s a geek and
Shares it with your kid

To play along for Haiku Friday, follow these steps:

1. Write your own haiku on your blog. You can do one or many, all following a theme or just random. What’s a haiku, you ask? Click here.

2. Sign the Mister Linky below or at Jennifer’s blog with your name and the link to your haiku post (the specific post URL, not your generic blog URL). DON’T sign unless you have a haiku this week. If you need help with this, contact Jennifer or myself.

3. Pick up a Haiku Friday button to display on the post or in your sidebar by clicking the button at the top.

REMEMBER: Do not post your link unless you have a haiku this week! We will delete any links without haiku!

Filed Under: Aaron, Cordy, Haiku Fridays

Mar 26, 2008

The Battle Between Emotion and Logic Regarding Vaccinations

March 26, 2008 By Christina

I consider myself lucky that my children don’t go to the doctor very often. I can count on one hand the number of times we’ve taken either of them to the doctor for something other than a routine well-child check. Of course, I’ve probably jinxed myself now, and will endure a long string of ear infections, cuts and strange rashes as a punishment for bragging about that.

But even the well-child visits are stressful for me. Cordy’s visits always start with a full-blown meltdown because she is terrified of the doctor’s office. Thankfully, those are only once a year now. For Mira, however, my stress results from the mental preparation of what will happen with each visit.

I took Mira to the pediatrician for her nine month check-up the other day. The first part of the exam went relatively well: 20 pounds, 29.5 inches long. Cordy may be the Amazon warrior princess, but Mira is proving to be an Amazon in height as well. (But not quite at warrior weight.) She charmed the nurse and charmed her doctor, babbling at both of them, waving her arms and flashing wide, scrunchy-eye grins.

Then the doctor got serious, and the discussion about her vaccinations began. Mira is on a delayed schedule for vaccines, and needed one shot that day. But the one year vaccinations are looming three months in the future, and I felt we needed to establish in advance a schedule we could all agree on.

I’m not against vaccinations. I know how important they are at providing herd immunity against a collection of diseases that once claimed so many lives. As a student nurse, the logical side of me knows they are relatively safe and effective. A couple of months ago, I had the chance to speak with Dr. Paul Offit, Chief of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philly. He explained how today’s standard children’s vaccines are safer than years ago, and that no study has been able to prove a conclusive connection between vaccines and autism. The logical side of me nods in agreement. After all, I had all of my vaccinations as a kid, and I was fine.

But then the mom in me says wait. Something feels off. While there is no definitive proof that vaccines cause autism, I am still hesitant. I remember the smiley baby who babbled and chatted and acted like every other baby three years ago. And I remember how, between 12 and 18 months, her personality shifted, ever so slightly, and she slowly pulled inward, became more difficult to interact with, and developed the series of traits that would eventually lead to a school psychologist asking me if I had heard of autism spectrum.

I don’t think vaccines cause autism. At least, not entirely. There is a genetic component – there has to be to explain how one child, raised in a manner similar to his/her peers, with similar exposures to environmental toxins, can develop autism while another child experiences a typical development pattern. That genetic defect is the underlying condition, but I think there has to be some sort of trigger also. And I can see how vaccines, or mercury in the water, or BPA in plastics, or phthalates in baby shampoo and lotion, or some other environmental toxin could provide that trigger that activates the genetic problem.

I’ll admit I’m doing it all differently with Mira. I breastfed her for eight months. (Cordy wasn’t as into breastfeeding.) We use BPA-free bottles now, and she eats mostly organic foods. For vaccinations, we’ve taken it slowly, with only one or two vaccines at a time.

So when her doctor mentioned her one year vaccinations coming up, I carefully explained that I didn’t want her to have the MMR vaccine at that time, and that I saw the Hepatitis A vaccine as an unnecessary vaccine. I also mentioned that I’d rather try to get her exposed to chicken pox on our own before considering that vaccine. After I expressed my preferences, I held my breath and waited for the lecture in return.

Surprisingly, her pediatrician looked at me and said, “That’s fine. I’m OK with delaying the MMR. It’s not like there has been a measles outbreak in this area. If there was, you can bet we’d call you to revisit this discussion. As long as she gets it before school, she’ll be fine.”

Whew. She understood my conflicted feelings on vaccines, and together we worked out a long-term schedule to follow. I want Mira to be protected, but I also want to take it slowly and not overload her system.

It’s a completely emotional response, and I know that. It’s possible Mira’s genetics are such that she will never develop autism. It’s also possible that no matter how different I try to make things, she will still succumb to it. Trying something different gives me hope, though. It gives me something to control in this sea of uncertainty, and I’ll cling to that hope for as long as I can.

Filed Under: Amazons, Autism, Cordy, Mira

Mar 25, 2008

You Asked, I Answered, Part I

March 25, 2008 By Christina

Wow, I didn’t expect so many questions from all of you! I’m going to have to split the answers into two posts, because 1) it would be too long to do as one post, and 2) I’m compiling and scanning some pictures to go along with answers to some of the questions about my past. Trust me, it’ll be worth it, if for no other reason than to laugh at my junior high fashion choices.

So let’s get this party started!

Julie had four questions for me:

What do you do when you’re angry at one of your kids?

Walk away, baby, walk away. (Can anyone name the song?) For those moments when I’m really angry, walking away is the best remedy. Then when I’ve counted to ten, or found some other way to calm down, I’ll address the problem.

If you were going to combine chocolate with one other food or flavor, and only ONE, what would it be?

Caramel. Yum.

Do you ever get comments on your blog that really piss you off even though they’re completely benign?

Absolutely. I try to never delete a comment unless it is truly aggressive, offensive, or just spam. Which means someone giving their own opinion doesn’t qualify, unless they’re trying to pick a fight. It sometimes pisses me off, but then I often leave the comment and let it serve its purpose to further the discussion.

Cotton underwear? Lace? Spandex?

Cotton, totally. It’s all about comfort. Lace & spandex only for special occasions.

OK, moving away from my underwear choices, Momma to LG asks:

Did you graduate from college before going back now?

Yep. In 1998 I graduated with my shiny new Bachelors of Arts in History, focusing on Tudor & Stuart Britain. Tried grad school, didn’t like it. Tried it again a few years later, this time for theatre history. I’m a few classes and a thesis paper away from that degree, but we moved and then I had Cordy, so I never got around to finishing it.

If you could take a trip anywhere, where would you go?

I’d like to see Ireland. I spent a summer living in London, and while there I saw many parts of England and Scotland, but never made it over to Ireland. I’d also love to visit India and Australia someday. Maybe I’ll throw in a return trip to Canada and we’ll call it the “British Empire” tour.

Continuing with the theme of school, Erin M asks:

What made you want to become a nurse?

The money, of course! (Just kidding.) When I had my c-section with Cordy, I had a four day hospital stay. Adjusting to motherhood while trying to recover from a c-section and initiate breastfeeding with a baby who wasn’t interested wasn’t the easiest thing I’ve ever attempted. The nurses who cared for me really made those first four days go well, and I was so thankful for their help and their advice. Just like with blogging, I feel like I can reach out and help others with nursing. I’d like a labor & delivery position, so that I can be one of those nurses that others will remember as helping them transition to motherhood. Besides, until blogging pays all our bills, it’s good to have a backup.

Hmmm…let’s move on to some lighter inquiries. How about Crackerjacksmo‘s questions:

Do you brush your teeth in the shower or at the sink?

Sink. I’ve never even heard of brushing teeth in the shower. Do people do that?

Do you prefer baths or showers?

Baths to relax, showers to actually get clean.

For what ever reason, what’s the longest amount of days you have gone WITHOUT bathing?

I think it was five days. I never would have gone that long when I had a job. But when you’re home and you and both kids have the flu? Personal hygiene takes a backseat. At least we weren’t going anywhere.

I’m liking these light questions. Let’s stick with them. Gwen asks:

OK, So I know that you are a Buffy fan. What is your favourite season, and why? What is your favourite episode and why? If you were able to sneak off for an illicit love affair with one of the cast who would it be?

Favorite season is tough. I really liked Angelus, Spike and Drusilla in Season two, but my favorite episode of all is probably “Once More With Feeling.” I’m a sucker for musicals. As for an illicit love affair, it’s gotta be David Boreanaz.

On a more personal note, has sex gotten better since you have had kids, or worse?

Whoa, what happened to the light questions? I’d have to say it got worse, then better, then worse again, and then better. (Are you still reading, family members? Yeah, that’s what I thought.) After Cordy was born, sex was the last thing on my mind. It took well over a year for me to even have interest in sex again. Everything was good for awhile, until Mira was born. I’m glad I had a VBAC, but I didn’t enjoy the third degree tear that came with it. The first time we tried to have sex after Mira was born (around eight weeks postpartum), the pain was so intense that I nearly took a swing at Aaron. We didn’t try again for awhile. Then, around the six months mark, everything suddenly got better. Can’t explain what it was. Now it’s even better than before we ever had kids.

Wow. That was personal, wasn’t it? To further insure my family will never read my blog again, let’s go next to Mrs. Flinger, who gets straight to the point with what she wants to know:

Who usually initiates sex in your marriage? And if it’s not you, how do you deal with that?

I’d like to say we have a 50-50 split when it comes to this, but it’s more like 80-20 in his favor. Does it bother me? Nah. I’m happy to let him initiate most of the time, and when I’m really in the mood, well, that would be the 20% where I’m willing to initiate.

Thank goodness you can’t see me blushing on the other side of the screen. Oh hell, you know me better than that. I’m not blushing at all. Moving on to Jennifer‘s question:

Most embarrassing thing you ever did after a little too much sauce…

Well, my first experience with alcohol was New Year’s Eve when I was 16. My friends spiked the punch and thought it would be funny to not tell me. I like punch. Too much. I apparently threw myself all over a guy at the party, who showed up with a date. She left early, though, and before the night was over, I kissed him. I dated him for six months after that. I wouldn’t have been embarrassed, since I didn’t remember, but my friends were sure to show me the pictures. Oh lord. Not only drunk, hanging off this guy, but also half-wrapped in streamers, too.

Next up, Mbkimmy asks:

If you could change your life to be anyone doing anything anywhere with kids or without – would you?

Tough call. Some days, I’d rather be anyone else but myself. Well, maybe not Britney. But then there are days like yesterday, when I got to be a part of this:

…and I’m perfectly happy being where I am.

And to wrap up part I, I turn to Tracey, who asked:

If money were no object, would you have any more children?

I think we’d probably have one more. We’ve always planned that Aaron would have a vasectomy when we are sure that we’re done. We considered it after Mira was born, but now we’re holding off. Money is really the biggest hurdle to having another child. While I hate the first trimester, I generally like being pregnant. And a part of me feels like there is one more child who should be with us.

What would you do with a week, hell, a MONTH with no kids or family to take care of? Just time, time, time ahead of you…

Just trying to think of an answer to this question makes my head spin. I can’t even imagine having that much time anymore. I’d probably sleep in every morning, take long walks, spend hours shopping at the mall, trying on clothes without anyone whining, relax on the couch with trashy TV, and of course, blog without guilt.

That’s it for tonight, folks! If your question didn’t get answered tonight, it will be answered in the next Q&A post, which will be up later this week.

Filed Under: clearly insane, me me me, TMI

Mar 21, 2008

Haiku Friday: Spring Break

March 21, 2008 By Christina

I’m on Spring Break, but
with two kids to care for its
not much of a break

Tomorrow is the
start of Cordy’s Spring Break, too.
My stress is doubled.

It wouldn’t be so
bad, except the weatherman
is predicting this:

Rain, rain, rain and rain
So much for hitting the zoo
Indoor fun only.

Still, it could be worse –
It could be the forecast from
Two short weeks ago:

(If you haven’t yet, feel free to ask me a question. I’ll start answering them in a day or two.)

To play along for Haiku Friday, follow these steps:

1. Write your own haiku on your blog. You can do one or many, all following a theme or just random. What’s a haiku, you ask? Click here.

3. Pick up a Haiku Friday button to display on the post or in your sidebar by clicking the button at the top.

REMEMBER: Do not post your link unless you have a haiku this week! We will delete any links without haiku!

Filed Under: family time, Haiku Fridays

Mar 19, 2008

100 Things You REALLY Want To Know About Me

March 19, 2008 By Christina

The other day I was reading through another blogger’s “100 Things About Me” post, and I have to admit I found it kind of…limited. (No, it wasn’t yours – I liked yours. Or yours – yours made me laugh. It was someone who probably doesn’t even know I exist.)

There were some interesting tidbits in there, but some of the things I wanted to know the most were missing. I mean, your first pet’s name is fine, but what if I wanted to know the most inspiring place you’ve ever visited?

I considered doing one of those 100 Things lists for myself, but when I started to write it, I found myself constantly deleting things. Oh, no one cares that I used to eat the freeze-n-eat popsicles by the 100-count box every week as a kid. Or that I had a really bad perm in 7th grade.

So instead, I’m going to leave it up to all of you. This is your chance to play interviewer and ask me anything you’ve wanted to know about me or my family. Leave a comment with your questions and I’ll reply to all of them. No question is too off the wall. (I’m really asking for it, aren’t I?)

I’d say that I’m going to limit it to 100 questions, but that would assume I’d get more than 100 questions. Or 10 for that matter.

So, uh, don’t leave me high and dry, OK?

Ask a question?

Filed Under: me me me, meme time, TMI