Archive for July, 2008

I Love ACOGV!

Posted by Inexplicable Ways on July 31, 2008

I love ACOGV. I do. I found so many answers to my questions regarding women’s health. And such warmth!

Oh wait, you thought I meant ACOG as in American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists! Um, no way–not ever.

No, I love Acupuncture Center of Greenville! Today I had my first experience with acupuncture. Cassandra Nelson spent time answering my questions about how acupuncture can help women during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. She looked at my tongue and drew a picture of it; which I promptly demanded to see. My hubby and child (long tonguers) make fun of my short tongue and have thereby created a tongue “issue.”

I was nervous. I didn’t even feel the first two needles. I felt a few but it wasn’t painful. The two in my ear were unpleasant but not unbearable. Then the best part: she left me in the dark room with relaxing music. I felt warm and heavy. I left feeling as great as when I get a massage.

Cassandra was professional and knowledgeable. Now, does anyone know what a pale tongue indicates?

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments »

Three Cheers for Laura

Posted by Inexplicable Ways on July 31, 2008

Happy Day of your birth, Laura Clay!

You work harder and play harder than anyone! You taught me “you’ll never know until you ask” with all your bold ways. And I’ve watched in awe at your ability to “get things” (well, expect that one thing). You have listened to me rant and soapbox. We’ve cried while sharing so many plates of bacon and eggs. You are Nanoo to my child. You supported all my mothering choices with such enthusiasm; even the choice to quit working which meant to quit working with you. Oh great maker of cardboard playhouses and spoiler of children, enjoy your day!

Hip Hip Hurray to the only woman I know who consistently gets free chips and salsa from Chili’s! Here’s hoping you’re not on call tonight. Happy Birthday!

Posted in Family | Tagged: birthday, cardboard playhouses, Chili's | 4 Comments »

Ode to Tomatoes

Posted by Inexplicable Ways on July 30, 2008

Salsa and salads and sandwiches and sauces and soups. And biting into them right off the vine; warm from the sun with a basil leaf from the plant nearby. I want admiration for my tomatoes. I held them up to my husband and demanded he note their perfection. “Yeah, they are tomatoes.” (Though he bragged later to my mother about how beautiful they were–he did notice!). Secretly, what impresses me most: I put plants in the ground and added water. No other effort expended. Grace.

The street filled with tomatoes, midday, summer, light is halved like a tomato, its juice runs through the streets…Unfortunately, we must murder it: the knife sinks into living flesh, red viscera a cool sun, profound, inexhaustible, populates the salads…happily, it is wed to the clear onion, and to celebrate the union we pour oil, essential child of the olive, onto its halved hemispheres, pepper adds its fragrance, salt, its magnetism;

it is the wedding of the day, parsley hoists its flag, potatoes bubble vigorously, the aroma of the roast knocks at the door, it’s time! come on! and, on the table, at the midpoint of summer, the tomato, star of earth, recurrent and fertile star, displays its convolutions, its canals, its remarkable amplitude and abundance, no pit, no husk, no leaves or thorns, the tomato offers its gift of fiery color and cool completeness. –Pablo Neruda

Yes, Scott–we’re having roast for dinner. Don’t work late.

Posted in Beauty, Food, Poetry | Tagged: gardening, Ode to Tomatoes, pablo neruda | 3 Comments »

And now a word from our sponsor

Posted by Inexplicable Ways on July 26, 2008

Well, not quite–although if any companies out there would like to sponsor a family vaca…

Really, I wanted to give kudos to our carefully selected chemical-free sunscreen. I am super impressed by the way it performed on this vacation. We spent full days on the beach; Norah rolling in the sand and laying in the surf. We only applied sunscreen once before leaving our room and not an inch of ourskin was sunburned (except the parts we forgot to put sunscreen on–oops. Don’t worry, mom, Norah was slathered head to toe; I’m talking about her parents). I researched many sunscreen brands. I cross-checked EWG’s report and Safe Mama’s cheatsheet. I narrowed it down to a product I could buy locally. I had no expectations of it performing this well! It doesn’t even claim to be water-resistant. Cue the music.

Thank you Jason’s Natural for your amazing Sunbrella Mineral Sunscreen which is PABA-free and UVA/UVB-blocking. A little went a long way. And my test toddler put it to one heck of a test. You have won a loyal customer.

Posted in Natural Living, Products and Gear | Tagged: Environmental working group, jason's, paba-free, safe mama, sunbrella, sunscreen | 5 Comments »

Hydromedusae

Posted by Inexplicable Ways on July 25, 2008

What, you may ask, is a hydromedusae?

Yeah, so in a nutshell–it is a jellyfish–but not the stinging kind. In the evening, this part of the beach is invaded by them. Norah calls them “lily-pads” and was terrified by them until Scott coaxed her into poking them and then began a discus throwing contest. The water is clogged with them.

Since I was looking down into the ocean to avoid the rather unpleasant bumps against my legs and squishes beneath my toes of these drifting jellies, I found treasures!

Ah, I don’t want our family time and vacation living to end.

Posted in Family | Tagged: hydromedusae, jellyfish, seashells, shark's tooth | 2 Comments »

Oregano’s First Cousin

Posted by Inexplicable Ways on July 21, 2008

On vacation. My child is trying to return all the sand to the sea. My husband is playing. I’m thoroughly salted, languorous, and sun-dazzled. And thankful I finagled a friend to chop my hair before the ocean tangled with me.

May whatever breaks be reconstructed by the sea with the long labors of its tides. –Pablo Neruda

Posted in Family | Tagged: Cocoa Beach, pablo neruda | 5 Comments »

It is here.

Posted by Inexplicable Ways on July 16, 2008

We’ve heard whispers about it. We’ve cringed at the very thought of it. And it is now on the market. The super-dooper do-it-all gadget that will revolutionize birth (and malpractice) has arrived. Duh-duh-duh-dummmmmmb: BirthTrack–a monitor that clips to the mom’s cervix providing constant monitoring of every move and every inch of progress.

Check out this post that sums up all of BirthTrack’s fancy features and glaring problems. As my friend, Carey, so cleverly noted–too bad they didn’t think to design it with an MP3 player for mom’s and baby’s listening pleasure.

Posted in Birth | Tagged: birth interventions, birthtrack | 11 Comments »

Charlotte Church and Ricki Lake?

Posted by Inexplicable Ways on July 15, 2008

What do they have in common? They have both been singled out by the medical community as influencing women to have homebirths. The difference? While Ricki Lake was raked across the coals by the AMA and ACOG, Charlotte Church is being upheld as a role model. In fact, the Welsh Assembly Government had a goal to INCREASE home births by 10%. Welsh homebirths have, in fact, increased 25%!

Isn’t it interesting that while American medical groups are making resolutions to outlaw homebirths, their peer group across the Atlantic are trying to increase homebirths? And isn’t it interesting which countries have the best outcomes? Did you know a mom or baby is more likely to die in childbirth in the US than in Europe (or even Havana!)?

Doesn’t the AMA have bigger issues than the 1% of US babies born at home?

Posted in Birth | Tagged: ACOG, AMA, charlotte church, homebirth, RCOG, Wales | 3 Comments »

I’ve always fancied the word “doppelganger”

Posted by Inexplicable Ways on July 14, 2008

My husband seems to have several look-a-likes.

For the longest time, we picked on him because he looks like David Phelps. Scott HATES southern gospel music. Passionate dislike. He cut his curls off once, I’m certain, because I posted a Phelps picture on facebook and tagged him. Some of our friends really thought it was Scott.

Now, he has a more appropriate twin. Check this comparison:

This one is Sam Beam. We’re lately loving Iron and Wine so I felt safe to post this one. Hopefully, he won’t cut his hair in response. On the other hand, hopefully he won’t grow a beard that long either! On an interesting note, they were, in fact, born the same year in the same state. Spooky, huh? Yeah, not really. But they could have been classmates.

Posted in Music | Tagged: iron and wine, sam beam | 1 Comment »

What does a postpartum doula do?

Posted by Inexplicable Ways on July 12, 2008

Anything my client asks me to do.

Yesterday, at a lovely postpartum visit, I blew up balloons. Lots of balloons for the big sister’s birthday party. My lungs got a work-out!

At one postpartum visit the mom wanted me to hold her baby so she could shower. She put me in a chair in front of the TV, handed me a precious little bitty one, and even offered me sweet tea!

The most difficult task I’ve been asked to do? Iron a former military man’s white dress shirts. I don’t even own an ironing board and I have no idea what to do with starch. I could only tell the client that I ironed with love.

I’ve dusted furniture, walked dogs, played with toddlers, worn babies, processed birth stories, checked latches, shared a pot of coffee, washed diapers, and even given a homeschool lesson. Whatever a family needs. I love entering into the family rituals for this short precious time like no other.

Posted in Doula | Tagged: postpartum doula | 8 Comments »

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