Thought of the Day

Pregnancy Update

Me at 19 weeks:I'm getting bigger so much sooner with this pregnancy. I had heard that you do because your uterus is already stretched out. The above pic of me currently at 19 weeks is about how big I feel I was with Azure around 30 weeks.

Here's a picture of me around 19 weeks with Azure:
Definitely smaller (my tummy at least :)

Pregnant with Azure around 32 weeks

I love the 2nd trimester. No nausea or vomiting and not many aches or pains yet. I've been feeling the baby move consistently for a little over a week now. That is my favorite thing about pregnancy, feeling the baby move. I feel like I am finally really pregnant, not just ill or getting fat, but really carrying a baby inside me when I start feeling them move. It's such a miracle! This is when the bonding process starts for me. I have wondered if I will be able to love this baby as much as I do Azure because she was my first. But, when I feel this baby move, my heart soars and I know that I will. I'm so excited for Azure to meet her new little sibling. We find out next Wednesday if it's a girl or a boy. Stay tuned for a post that day :)

Feminisim

Recently I've been thinking about what "true" feminism really means. I get labeled as a "Femi-Nazi" at times because I have a hyphenated last name. So, people assume that I also work full time and that I put my daughter in day care so I can pursue "more intelligent" pursuits than changing diapers and playing with blocks.

I will admit that I have strong opinions on the equality of the sexes and that my blood pressure shoots up when I hear of women being viewed as less important than men. Reading about Middle Eastern culture is difficult for me.

So, what does it really mean to be a feminist? To be passionate about equality to men? Or to be passionate about being feminine? I think the world's view has interpreted feminism to really be masculinity. In my opinion, feminists don't try to be women at all, but, rather they try to be men. In their quest to prove that they are just as good as men, they try to do things that men do (or don't) like refusing to bear children.

I had an interesting conversation with a doula as I'm in the process of hiring one for my birth. She commented that it's unusual that women don't seem to have many rights when giving birth, even with the rise of feminism. By rights she was referring to how doctors (and sometimes midwives I will add from my experience) pressure pregnant women to have births that are convenient for the doctor, not the woman giving birth. And also how birth is seen as some sort of sickness that you need to go to the hospital for and not a natural process.

Because this had already been on my mind as of late I told her that in my opinion, it was because feminists are trying to be like men, and men don't have babies. A lot of hard core feminists choose not to get married because they view marriage as bondage and if they do marry, they usually don't have children because that infringes even more on their freedoms as women. The small percentage of them that do have children sometimes will opt for C-sections. Have you heard the term "too posh to push"? They would prefer to just have a surgery then to actually go through labor. Men don't have to, why should they? Equal rights!

On feminist.org they refer to those who don't see abortion as a "right" as terrorists. Clearly, the reason why feminists are not fighting for pregnant women's rights (in giving birth) is because most of them are not giving birth themselves, they are aborting their babies. I understand that there are a few legitimate reasons for getting an abortion, including rape. I honestly don't know what I would do in that situation and my heart goes out to all women who are sexually abused. In my opinion there is nothing feminine about aborting, or killing (which is a more fitting word) your own baby that wasn't planned or wanted. Nothing feminine, nothing human.

Men and women are different. We are not the same. But, our worth is the same.

"...this is an issue of equality, not sameness; it does not mean that women should be the same as men or try to do things the way men do them. Although some jobs that are traditionally masculine are now being done by women, it is possible for them to be done in a feminine way and yet be done equally as well—or even better" (James Faust, A Message to my Granddaughters).

To me feminism means glorying in being a woman and doing things that women do best, like getting all dolled up for a night on the town, talking for hours with girlfriends, laughing and rejoicing with them in their successes, listening to their sorrows and crying with them, hugging and comforting them in their pain, bearing children and feeling their tiny body move inside your own, breastfeeding, nurturing.

Let's be true feminists, not masculinists!

More silly things...

While reading some books about being a big sister and using the potty at Barnes and Noble on Wednesday, Azure pointed to the bathroom which was situated nearby and said, "Potty." "Yes, that's the bathroom where you go potty." Keeping her eye on the bathroom, she spotted some people coming out and said, "They went poop in the potty!" Lucky for me, they did not hear her. I believe we're embarking on the "embarrassing parents stage".

When I opened the book about being a big sister, she saw on the first page a picture of a mommy, a daddy, a toddler girl, and a newborn baby. She immediately said, "Baby in mommy's tummy. Azure's a big sister." Apparently she knows what's going on.

Yesterday she ate chicken and stars Campbell's soup for lunch. She loved the stars in it and ate a lot. When she was done she ran off to wash her hands and heard the soup gurgling in her tummy. "What's that sound?" I asked. She looked down at her stomach in amazement. I told her her tummy was full of soup so it was making a silly sound. She started jumping up and down just to hear it slosh around and laughed hysterically. I tried to get it on video, but apparently it didn't work :( We had so much fun laughing together. I love that I get to stay home and play with her all day. She is one of my best friends!

Quote Wall

Check out the new quote to the right highlighting Azure's extensive knowledge of Book of Mormon prophets.

Finally back home

On our last day of road trippin' we stopped in Nashville and saw the temple, making that a total of 19 temples that we saw/drove past on our trip. We stopped in Chattanooga, TN for lunch and saw some sites before heading home.It was so fun to see Azure's reaction as we turned into our complex. "Azure's house!" She exclaimed. When we opened the door, she walked into her room and said, "Azure's room, Azure's toys, Azure's crib, Azure's potty..." It was so cute. She was happy to be home. We were happy to be home. Sleeping in a different hotel room every night for a week was getting a little old.

After a few nights home, we pulled out her big girl bed. Not just the mattress this time, but the whole package, including the bed frame. We left her crib out just so she had the option of sleeping in it if she wanted to. She hasn't gone back. She's done very well in it. She looks like a real person now sleeping with a full sized pillow and adult sized sheets. I was a little teary eyed as I snapped these photos realizing she's not a baby anymore. Good thing we have another one on the way, because I am getting baby hungry again :)

Me at 15 weeks

Since we've been home we've gone swimming a few times in our pool and also at the YMCA. They have a fun splash park area and a 2 foot toddler pool that Azure loves because she can stand up in the deep end. Though, we do have scattered thundershowers practically everyday and when there's thunder, they close the pool. Just our luck and impeccable timing, whenever we decide it's a swimming day, it starts thundering about 10 mins after we arrive at the pool.

Last Saturday we decided to go to Hilton Head, SC, about a 45 min drive from here. It's a nice resort town and has one of the nicest public beaches I've seen, and I've been to my fair share of public beaches being from CA. Lucky for us, it actually didn't rain while we were there. It was sunny and nice. We bought a beach umbrella, got new sand toys for Azure (since we left ours on our Key West trip), packed a lunch and snacks, and were having a great time.
That's when it happened. All 3 of us went to play in the water. I was on one side of Azure, and Charles was on the other. We swung her over the waves as they came and she laughed with delight. Azure suddenly cried out, "Owie! Hurts! Pie! (foot)" I grabbed her to look at her foot, when I felt the wretched sting on my leg, then legs. Jellyfish. Yep. Hurts. Owie. Big owie. I carried her as I ran to shore to the lifeguard tower so he could spray our owies with vinegar and ammonia. It helped initially. Azure cried for about 5 mins and then was okay. Luckily it got her on just the top part of her right foot.
Charles came out unscathed, but I was the main victim of the jellyfish attack.



These pictures were taken a little over an hour after the incident, so the swelling had come down some. Azure's picture was taken almost 7 hours later so her's doesn't look that bad at all. After about 2 hours the pain went down considerably.

But, we did not let this ruin our day! We ate at a delicious pizza place that we can't wait to go back to, shopped at the outlets on SC's tax free weekend and scored some great deals on Fall outfits for Azure, and some maternity capris for me. And last but not least, we got this Weezer CD for free. One of my and Charles' all time faves.All in all, it was a good day.

Almost back to Savannah

After Nauvoo and Carthage, we headed to Springfield, IL, home of Abraham Lincoln. We took a tour of his home. Again, I was reminded of how I'd really like to be a tour guide. We'll see if that ever happens.Lincoln's desk where he corresponded via letters with political leaders at the beginning of the Civil War, before the inauguration and moving to the White House. I really admire Lincoln and his example of endurance. He was a good man. He boldly testified of his belief in God, and his reliance on prayer and faith to help run our country. I wish our political leaders today still did that.

We had lunch at an old house renovated into a cafe. It was a "cute" atmosphere and the food was delicious. Wish I remembered the name to recommend to all who pass through Springfield, IL. Eating good food on the road for a nauseated pregnant woman was such a blessing.

Our next stop was St. Louis. This was our 2nd time there, but our first time being there together. I first went for the film shoot, which I realize I haven't written about. Charles had also passed through on his way to Idaho Falls with Azure. We stopped in The Hill, where my great, great grandparents lived. I absolutely love this neighborhood! The fire hydrants are painted red, green, and white to represent the Italian flag :) I showed Charles the lot where my great grandparents were killed in a house fire saving my grandmother's life. (More about this story on the show that you'll have to watch come October!)

We also stopped at 2 cemeteries where my family is buried.

It was an emotional day, coming from Nauvoo and Carthage reveling so much in church history, to go to St. Louis and revel in my own personal family history. One thing seemed certain- we owe so much to those who have gone before us.

We spent the night that night in Tennessee. Which means we drove through 5 states in one day: Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee. Wow! We were exhausted. I'm grateful to Charles who drove most of the way back. He drove all that day until 1am when we reached our hotel, with no complaining. He is a good man.