Apartment pics

I've taken a few pictures of the new apartment. It's still a work in progress, but it looks awesome even when it's messy! You can click the thumbs to see the larger picture.

When you first walk in, you are in the living room:





From the living room, you can walk out on to our balcony/deck. Can you spot the weiner dog? (It's Emmie...)





Next to the living room is my favorite place in the house - the kitchen. I like to work from the island. The photo on the island was a birthday present from the twin girls I used to nanny.







Just off the kitchen is the laundry room complete with our new washer and dryer courtesy of Beloved's parents. Next to which is my huge walk-in pantry.





Across from the kitchen is our office. It's supposed to be a dining room but we'd never use it as that. It's probably the most messy place in the apartment.



To the left of the living room is our hallway which leads to the bathroom and bedroom.





We have a huge oversized garden tub. I love it.



The bedroom is still kind of plain, but it will get better soon.




I'm off to NY to visit with my family until Tuesday.

Thoughts on the book

I just finished reading Pushed: The Painful Truth about Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care by Jennifer Block. It really amazes me how much pregnant women are subjected to in the medical mode of birth. What's more is that I'm shocked at how much evidence exists against the current model of care for pregnant women, yet the hospitals and obstetricians continue to dominate the playing field. The ACOG continues to refute the safety of any birth other than the ones which occur in a hospital despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

The thing I find most surprising is that the issue of pregnant woman's rights remain under-addressed from feminist circles. As feminists, we discuss the paramount importance of choice for women -- mainly pertaining to abortion. My body, my choice. But it seems that mantra only applies to women who don't want to continue a pregnancy. Those words should apply at all times. At all times, it is a woman's body and ultimately her choice. Pregnant or not.

So why haven't feminists taken up the issues Block presents in her book? Why are we complacent that 1 out of every 3 women will be subject to a major abdominal surgery? Block raises an interesting point about our European sisters who have a much lower C-section rate...are their uteruses simply better equipped than ours? Is it really true that 1/3rd of all women are incapable of vaginal (normal) births? Why are we satisfied at turning women away for care because they want a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section)? Block also raises the point that by prohibiting VBACs (hospitals, malpractice insurers, and OB/GYNs) we're essentially forcing women to consent to a repeat c-section. How's that for reproductive choice? I am dismayed at the lack of outrage on behalf of feminists regarding a system so stacked against women.

The main thing I'd like to know is why...why the need for such control over women's bodies? Clearly if it's in the best interest for relatively low-risk women to deliver with midwives, and the OBGYNs complain they are over-worked, why put up such a fight? It makes me nauseous how this traditionally female authoritative knowledge has been taken away from midwives and placed with OBGYNs. The widely-accepted authoritative knowledge rests primarily with the medical community and midwives are the deviation.

In reading this book, I have reaffirmed my decision to enter this field -- to help women. I feel women's health issues are my calling. I specifically chose midwifery, rather than becoming an OB/GYN. I want to make a difference here and I believe I can. I will be one of the strong women who will help to bring about change. I just don't want to get sucked in a shitty system that routinely violates women's reproductive rights.

We're home

It's been a little more than a week since my last post and a lot has changed. The movers came on Monday around 10am. We were pretty much packed up and ready to go. The weather, however, had other plans. There was a huge line of thunderstorms that prevented our movers from loading the truck until around 2ish. Once they left, we had the rest of the day to clean and wrap up final details. We left our apartment on Tuesday morning, had breakfast with my family as a final send-off and embarked on a 10+ hour drive. The trip can be summarized in photos.

Emmie asleep in the car in VA.


Emmie and Graisen asleep in the car in NC.


Emmie asleep in the car in SC.


Emmie asleep in the car in GA.


They pretty much slept the whole entire way here. They awoke only to get out and stretch their little legs, potty, and drink some water. What a life.

I will write more later.