Rant Post

  I ABSOLUTELY HATE BULLIES! I do. I can't stand it when people I know, love, and respect join in with a bully and repeat their words and actions. Now, I know I'm not perfect and have bullied many times out of ignorance and/or fear, but it really irks me when someone is so adamant that they won't apologize or say, "Yea, I guess I see what you're saying. Even though I don't agree with that person's choice(s), it's not my place to cast judgement." What is so hard about the saying that statement and believing it? Why are we so quick to judge and fear and cast out others that are different than us? If we as a society are so hell bent on becoming better than we were, leaving behind us our paleolithic habits and social constructs, then why can't we stop bullying?!  Why do we continue to teach the next generation that it has to be one way and not another.

 Ugh, I guess this is all just a losing battle because there will always be people that care to judge you, classify you, and ridicule you based on outward appearances and what you have or have not. This instinct to judge used to be useful to our survival, now it's just a way to destroy us from the inside out.

Are you a Home-Nudist?

Oddly enough, everywhere I look there have been discussions about whether or not to be naked in front of your kids. My guess is that this stems from anti-bullying discussions, preaching self-love, and of course, we first have to change how we teach our children how to react to and cope with these every day issues.

 My son is almost 2 and even at this young age I know he has noticed that my body is different from his own. He sometimes pokes my bottom or pinches my breast because he's noticed that there are different parts of me other than the arms that hold him or the voice that soothes him. Now is the time to teach boundaries. Not because it's wrong to touch, touch is a sensory, but because he's at an age when observation is learning and learning is about as involuntary as blinking. So I try to purposely teach him through my actions. Especially self-esteem. I want him to know that it's okay to cry, to be upset. Okay to be confused or angry and it's okay to have a body different from my own.

 We don't hide our bodies from Mikah. There will be days when we just won't get dressed at all and even don't put a diaper on Mikah. Which is a good thing for all of us. (Allows our skin to breathe and helps with his potty learning.) I had a hard time loving myself and my body for years. I still do every now and then because I'm overweight. Still, my guys love me for me and that's all that matters. Even though I had hard pregnancies with Ein and Mikah, it still created two beautiful babies. How can I not have appreciation for that?

 Growing up, I knew what my father's body looked like. He wasn't perverted about it and after a certain age he covered up more, but there was no body shaming in our home. It was a part of every day life and it made home feel comfortable and safe. A refuge from the growing social demands of the outside world. Maybe my views about my body really stem from my cultural beliefs. Growing up we embraced, as much as we could, our Native American heritage. Our community did camps and summer programs for native youth that allowed us to learn about our ancestors and their beliefs. To pass on traditions and almost forgotten knowledge. The natives did not find revulsion in their bodies, only mystery and connections with a Creator and the rest of the world. Why can't we go back to embracing ourselves?

 We plan on not being intentional about our naked bodies, but at least mindful when it comes to Mikah so that we leave him with a positive, non-perverted memory and a positive self-image. How do you plan on encouraging positive self-images? Do you have a different point of view than my own? Do you have the same goal but a different path? Please be respectful.

Grammar Snob

 Are you a Grammar Snob or somewhere in between? I'm more laid back about it myself. I know someone somewhere is going to make a mistake so I don't usually point out those misgivings unless they make me mad or are just acting plain stupid. The exception to that would definitely have to be political ads, business signs/ cards, or the quizzes you find on Facebook.

 I mean, COME ON! Errors like that are kind of unforgivable. Unless you are a small Mom and Pop business, or whatever, then there should be some air of professionalism that makes grammatical errors unacceptable. I bring this up because of the Facebook quizzes I've been taking. Some errors are just plain silly but, I figure someone would have seen and rectified the error after, oh I don't know, the first 10,000 hits. Did no one tell them that 'comprimising' was spelled wrong?

 This means that I intentionally don't share something if I notice an error. I know, I know. Petty, very petty. I just can't help it. I probably think that I'm changing the world by not sharing. I'm silly that way. So, what are you? What's your pet peeve, if this isn't it? We all have our annoying quirks. SPILL IT!

P.S. Did I leave any grammatical errors? ;)

Food sensitivities

Ugh, so Mikah-man and I have a sour stomach, though his is far worse. He's actually throwing up. Not all day but definitely at night. Smells awful and spreads everywhere. I tried giving him peppermint water last night and he threw that up too. Bah. No sleep here yet if you looked at Mikah right now you'd swear he was at the peak of health the way he's running around the house.

 Where do toddlers get this energy? I don't get it! Bottle up what he has and sell it to me because I'm currently trying to melt into this chair. We never should have eaten that potato salad but it was sooooo good! It started off innocently enough... Boiled eggs, potatoes, diced pickles, mustard, and mayo blended together in yummy goodness. Mikah, though, can't tolerate anything remotely acidic let alone pickles.I forgot about the pickles being in there, though, and gave him his own bowl full of the stuff. Then, all of the eggs in it acted like a gallon of milk and, let me just say, Mikah's farts are no longer safe. So he pretty much has lava diapers. I think most of the pickles have passed though, being that this was days ago, and the rash is disappearing but now the vomiting is replacing it. Oooooh joy!

 On top of all this, my car is broken. Yep. My sister and I went out of town about an hour away for a baby shower and my car suddenly decided it didn't want to shift out of reverse. Instead, the gear shift broke. Meaning the shift will move but not the gears. My husband and father-in-law are, hopefully, going to manually shift it to drive so hubs can drive it back home to get it fixed. So, yea, good thing we put money in savings every year. It never builds up but it's there. haha

C'est la vie!

Scared Sid Less

As you may know, if you read my bio, this blog is about my experience with  infant loss and how I live my life after it. I also try/want to keep as open as possible on the subject so that people affected by infant loss and 3rd person parties alike will no longer feel it's a closed subject or feel alone. So here is something I want you to know today:

 Scared Sid Less was created by a family that lost their beautiful son, Cullin, to SIDS. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) or Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) is a silent killer. To quote the CDC, "Sudden unexpected infant deaths are defined as deaths in infants less than 1 year of age that occur suddenly and unexpectedly, and whose cause of death are not immediately obvious prior to investigation.

Each year in the United States, about 4,000 infants die suddenly of no immediately, obvious cause. About half of these Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUID) are due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), the leading cause of SUID and of all deaths among infants aged 1–12 months."

 "SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants aged 1–12 months, and is the third leading cause overall of infant mortality in the United States. Although the overall rate of SIDS in the United States has declined by more than 50% since 1990, rates for non-Hispanic black and American Indian/Alaska Native infants remain disproportionately higher than the rest of the population. Reducing the risk of SIDS remains an important public health priority."

 Imagine waking up one day to greet your little one and finding them unresponsive. This horrible syndrome/ disorder or what ever you wish to call it leaves more families scared, helpless. and lost than some of us care to know. That's why we need to be aware. To join hands, if not to fight this, than at least to join hands with parents and families affected. Let them know that they are not forgotten nor are the babies they lost. It's the worst feeling in the world to feel like you are alone in your pain or that you must suffer in silence. NO MORE! Let us shout that there is life after infant loss!

 How can you do that? Most organizations like Scared Sid Less are non-profit and thrive on donations that helps keep them and other initiatives, like Camp Cullin, open to those in need. These donations take the power away from SIDS and puts it back in your/hers/his/our hands. The silence must end.

MommyCon Reminder

 Hiya folks! Just a quick friendly reminder that if you wish to go to MommyCon but are worried about price then you can use my discount code: BRITTSBLOG in the promo code box at the time of purchase to ease your wallet's suffering! You can use it for any event except for pre-sale tickets and VIP upgrades.

 Don't forget to tell your friends!!

It's Mardi Gras!!!

 Hey everyone, iiiiiiit's Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday!!! What's that? Well you can click here for a brief history of this holiday. And yes, in Louisiana, it's a holiday. That means kids get to stay home from school and SOME business close early.

 Growing up in southern Louisiana meant you knew how to say, "Throw me something, Mister!" by the time you were 4 years old. You understood that whatever you caught quite possibly had a resale value or you saved all your best ones to show off at school. That was better than showing off your new Nike shoes or FUBU jacket. When I was older I was allowed to go to the more "adult" parades and instead of getting beads and plastic coins I was thrown underwear and roach clips with bright feathers attached. Oh those were the days!

 Mardi Gras is NOT what you see on Bourbon Street. I mean, yea, there are parade routes that cater to your wilder side and on the French Quarter I'm sure any place with a bar makes a killing, but I can remember going with my grandparents and sisters to The Little Rascal's parade. A GREAT non-profit krewe centered around the city's youth. Click here for pictures of the parade and more info.

 Did you know that Mardi Gras isn't only celebrated in New Orleans or Louisiana? Even here in East Texas people celebrate it. They have different versions like Muddy Gras, where you can go muddin' in your four wheelers or trucks through the mud and pretty much just have all out redneck fun, or some places, like Jefferson, TX, even have their own parades. Outside of the U.S. there is Brazil. They celebrate Carnaval and is the most traditional sense of Mardi Gras rooted in Roman Catholic rituals.

 So, did you learn something today? Do you understand the difference between saying going to Mardi Gras and going to a Mardi Gras parade? (chuckles) That's good. Now, get your groove on! Mikah and I will probably be making Mardi Gras Cookies. I'll update this post if it works out.

Laissez Le Bon Temps Rouler! That means, " Let the Good Times Roll!"