TMI pt 2

**Warning male readers...turn back now**


So, months back I wrote a blog post entitled TMI and I urged my man friends not to read it.

One good friend emailed me and said "Uh....I shouldn't have read that."  And I said "I warned you."  And he said "I know, but I was curious."

I'm sure he thought it was going to be a post giving all the secrets to pleasing a woman sexually....and then he was severely disappointed to read that it was about menstrual cups.  :)

Well, here is my warning again, in plain English: Men do NOT read this post.  Unless you like reading about vaginas.  The inside of vaginas.

Okay, if they haven't turned back now, it's their own fault!

So, today I'm going to talk about IUDs.  IUDs, if you don't know, are contraceptive devices that are inserted through your vagina and up into your uterus. They are left there for YEARS! to prevent pregnancy.  (5 years for Mirena*, 7 years for Paraguard*)

I'm not going to get all medical on you here.  If you want to know more about IUDs, you can google them or read about them on wikipedia.  And if any of the facts I give you are wrong, sorry, I'm not a doctor.

I'm just going to share my own personal experience here.  In my layman's terms.

First, I'll tell you what birth control we have used and why we stopped.

The Pill.  I used the pill for 10 years with great success. But for some reason when I restarted the pill after I stopped breast feeding, I just kept forgetting to take it.  I tried to take them when I brushed my teeth in the morning, but I was even forgetting that sometimes (don't worry, I keep a back up tooth brush and paste in my desk at work just for this reason).  I thought the habit might come back if I just gave it time, but I was on it for about 6 months and STILL kept missing pills.  This was no bueno for a couple that got pregnant with twins the exact month she went off the pill.

Nuva Ring*.  I actually really liked the Nuva-Ring.  My doctor gave me 3 or 4 rings to sample, and I was very happy with them.  I especially liked the "set it and forget it" convenience that I so badly needed, and I experienced none of the possible side affects.  But it was $45 a month.  Not to be crass, but Superman and I were just not having $45 worth of sex a month.  I know, I did the math.  We needed to up our monthly copulation averages, or find another route of contraception.


Condoms. I was surprised that Superman was willing to go for this method, considering we had dumped condoms long ago into our courtship (we were monogamous and got tested for all the STDs first young ladies!), and I always just assumed men hated condoms.  But this was a cheap method that was pretty effective (we used it for over 2 years with no pregnancies!). However, there are some draw backs.  Just to name one....While we typically had a healthy supply in our bedside table, we were terrible about having them with us outside of the house.  And there were the occasions where we felt spontaneously amorous, but lack of protection kept us from being able to act on those impulses.  (Hey, we are married, not dead!)


I had heard about IUDs before, but had heard mostly negative things about them.  I had a few friends/acquaintances who had used them and complained of terrible cramping and lots of break through bleeding, and in the end had had them removed. (Actually, one said hers came out!)  So while the concept sounded great (insert a device, minimal hormones, last for 5/7 years) I couldn't bring myself to look past the bad reviews.  But overtime, the more I thought about the IUDs the more I thought: if they are as bad as my friends say, why are so many women still using them?  Then I thought back to all of the negative reviews I'd read about the Nuva Ring after I had already started it.  I had experienced none of the symptoms and complications those women reported.

So I decided that the only way to know for sure if the IUD would work for me, was to give it a try.

At my next annual visit to my OBGYN, I let her know that I would like to try an IUD.  We talked about the pros and cons of Mirena and Paraguard, the two leading IUDs and she sent me on my way with literature and instructions to call me when I started my next period.  (The IUD is inserted during the last days of menstruation, since the cervix is softer.)  Also, during this time, her office staff would contact my insurance to find out what they would cover for each of my two choices.

Here is a break down of my choices:

Mirena

• A plastic device that uses a very low dose of progesterone locally into your uterus.  Now, my doctor wanted me on very low or no hormone birth control, so originally I was not considering Mirena because of this, but it turns out that Mirena is okay because it doesn't use estrogen, and because the hormone is distributed locally and very little of the hormone gets into your actual blood stream.
• Lasts for 5 years
• Because it uses hormones, majority of users report lighter periods (less cramping, lighter flow, less days) and many users report that periods go away completely after about 6 months.

Para Guard

• A plastic device that has copper coils.  The best I could understand was that no one knows exactly why the copper works, but that they think it kills sperm.
• Lasts for 7 years
• Many users report that their periods are actually heavier and longer than before insertion.

Both devices are 99% effective at preventing pregnancy.  And as it turns out, both were covered 100% by my insurance company.  All I had to pay for was my actual appointment for the placement (just a doctor's visit co-pay) and the cost of my 6 week post-placement check up exam (another doctor's visit co-pay).  So for me, that was $80 for 5 or 7 years of birth control!


So, I decided that I was going to try Mirena.  The idea of lighter (and possibly no) periods just sounded too good to pass up.  So, the first day of my menstrual cycle in December, I called and made my appointment.

The actual placement was not too bad.  It wasn't pleasant, but I wasn't screaming or crying or anything.  Imagine if you will a pap smear, but instead of the swabbing portion taking 10 seconds, it took a minute.  It really wasn't a long amount of time, but it seemed like forever when I was naked from the waist down and my hoo-ha was being held wide open by a plastic crank.  The first thing they did was insert a speculum and opened it up, just like a pap.  Then, she measured my uterus, to make sure it was big enough for the device.  I don't remember exactly how much mine measured, but she assured me that it greatly surpassed the minimum. She said I could thank having twins to stretching that bad boy out.  (I think this is also why IUDs used to only be recommended for women who had already experienced a pregnancy.)  Then, she inserted the device using a special tool-thingy.  It didn't take long, just about 30 seconds of pressure and a slight pinching feeling.  Then she cut the string that was dangling through the cervix into the vagina.  Then she was done.

Afterwards I did have a funny pinchy feeling.  It is difficult to describe, because it wasn't quite in the hoo-ha, but it was "down there" in that region.  I had been forewarned of pain by the literature, so I was prepared with a bottle of ibuprofen.  I took two, then headed back to work.  I felt kind of crampy, like normal menstrual crampy, but otherwise I felt fine.

When I got home, I was curious, so I felt for my string.  It didn't feel like a string at all, it felt stiff, more like fishing wire.

Later than night, Superman and I decided to celebrate our condom-free lifestyle by taking it out for a spin. (Another bonus to the IUDs, they are effective against pregnancy from the moment of insertion, no waiting a few hours or 30 days.)  I was curious if he could feel anything, but of course he couldn't.  I've read some women say that their partners were poked by the stiff string, but we didn't experience this.  I actually was a bit uncomfortable, and certain positions were down right bad.  A small part of me worried that certain positions would have to be taken out of our rotation for good, since they actually shorten the vaginal canal and allow the penis to penetrate deeper.  (I did title this blog TMI, y'all!)  Looking back, I should have just waited a few days before trying to have sex, and that is what I'd recommend to others.

Since I was already on the tale end of my cycle, my bleeding was incredibly light.  It could best be described as spotty.  I did expect it would get heavy again after the placement, but it didn't.  But the spotting did last a big longer than if I'd had a normal cycle.  I think I had to wear a pantyliner for like a week afterwards.

By a week after my placement, my spotting was gone.  I could no longer feel any cramping or pinching.  And by this time we had tried having sex again and no positions were off limits.

A month later I had my first post-placement menstruation and it was mostly normal.  I normally have one day of bad cramping (usually the 2nd day), 3-4 heavy days where I use my menstrual cup, and then 1-2 days where a panty liner suffices. For this period, I did notice that my usually heavy days seemed a little less heavy, and by the 3rd day it was almost light enough that I didn't need the cup.  Almost.

I had no breakthrough bleeding.  No non-menstruation cramping.  Things were going so well that for just a second I worried that maybe it had fallen out, like the woman who'd warned me about her bad experience.  I decided to try and feel for the string just to check.  I couldn't feel it.  I enlisted Superman to help (there was a lot of bribing for this!) and he couldn't feel it.  I wasn't panicked enough to call the doctor though.

At the end of January, I went back for my 6 week post-placement check up and crossed my fingers that it was still there.  She examined me and said everything looked great.  She said the reason that I couldn't feel the string was because it had curled up (I've read they tend to curl up and soften over time), but that it was still perfectly in place.  I was cleared as good to go until my next annual pap smear.

A few weeks later, I started my second post-placement menstruation.  And this one was so not normal.  I've had no cramping.  None!  And I had two very light days, followed by one day that I used my cup (but never got a significant amount of stuff), and then four days of light-pantyliner bleeding.


So, in the end, I've been using Mirena for almost 3 months and I have experienced no side effects.  I have experienced no breakthrough bleeding (this was a major problem for a good friend of mine who tried it before), no cramping (I heard a lot of this prior to my placement), it hasn't fallen out, it's not affecting our sex life, my blood pressure has not been affected by the hormones, and my periods are less intense and getting shorter. (Knock on wood, but I'm hoping my next post-placement menstruation will be even lighter than this last one was!)

So, my recommendation to anyone who is interested in the IUD: give it a try.  Remember that everybody (and every body) is different. Just because it wasn't a good fit for your best friend, that does not mean it won't work well for you.  And don't spend a lot of time looking for opinions on chatboards...remember that people generally run to those after bad experiences.  Most people having good experiences don't feel the compulsion to share it with the world.  Which is exactly why I wanted to write this blog and share my good experience.

I promised myself pre-placement that I would give the IUD 3 months.  If after 3 months I wasn't happy, that I would have it removed.  But, I think based on the last 2.5 months that the Mirena has surpassed my expectations, and I predict that I won't be going to have it removed until December 2016.

I hope that you've found this blog useful in helping you make a decision.  If you have, please leave me a comment, and share your experience with an IUD here.  Especially if you've had a positive experience.

*I have not been solicited or paid or in any way encouraged to mention any of the products on this page, this blog is completely and totally my own opinion.

My new favorite thing

I love pajamas.  I especially love kids in pajamas.  I especially especially love Thing 1 and Thing 2 in pajamas.  The only problem: pajamas are expensive.

I am a bargain hunter.  At the end of almost every season, my favorite shopping partner in crime (my mother-in-law) and I go and buy all the clothes the boys will need for the next year at the clearance prices.  If you go in my basement right now, you will find totes upon totes filled with 4T, 5T, and 6T boys clothes.  Shirts, shorts, sweaters, shoes, underwear, swimming trunks, you name it.  In fact, I probably already own the outfit they'll wear on their first day of kindergarten!

A shirt on sale for $10?  Ha!  Come talk to me when it's marked down 75%!  I speak red-line clearance fluently.

Now, I'm just a bargain hunter.  My mother-in-law, she is a professional compulsive shopper.  She cannot pass up a "good buy."  Combine our two personalities and you have a deadly combination leading to an overfull closet of marked down clothes.  (I won't point fingers of who won't stop buying long after they have more than plenty, but her name begins with "grand" and ends with "ma.")

But what we don't have overflowing...pajamas.  Why?  Because pajamas are expensive, and they never seem to go on clearance.  Sure, you might catch a buy 1 get 1 half off sale, but where I can routinely find name brand shirts for $2 and jeans for $3.50, I can never seem to find the same amazing deals on bedtime clothes.

This summer, we are the lowest on pajamas that we've ever been.  We literally have 3 pairs of 4T short sleeve/short combination pajamas.  I've been rotating those with a few pairs of 3T pairs I have left over from last summer.  For a while, it was working, but then...

Weird Science called.  Wyatt wants his shirt back.

The 1970s called.  The NBA wants their shorts back.

Obviously the boys needed new pajamas, but I didn't want to spend $15 a pair on outfits that never even leave the house!  And I didn't want to put Grandma-shop-aholic on the case, because I just wanted a few pair, not 20!  One look at their closet jam packed with tshirts, and you know she has no self-restraint.  Half of those shirts they've never even worn.

Wait...I have a plethora of shirts they've never worn....  EUREKA!

Instead of buying more pajamas, I headed over to Burlington and picked up a few packs of Hanes toddler boxers (did you know they made boxers for toddlers?!?!).  Two packs of 2 for $5.  Score!

Then, I match the cute plaid boxers with one of their millions of unworn tshirts and...PRESTO!  Instant pajamas!

But the best part...better than saving money....  Is they look so freaking adorable!!  Seriously, I thought seeing them march around in their little tighty whiteys was adorable...but I swear the boxer/tshirt combo is even cuter!  (That, or my boys get cuter everyday.  That is a possibility too!)

So there you go...if you have a little boy, and you want to help out your hurting wallet...skip the pajama aisle and head over to the underwear.  Pick up a few pairs of brightly colored boxers and pair them with matching tshirts that you probably already have plenty of.  I promise you won't miss the pajama cute factor!

40 B4 40 Update III

3. Sell something on etsy.com

Well, I haven't sold something yet.  But I did finally put my store online.

I chose the shop name Do-It-Myself as a play on the popular term Do-It-Yourself.  Because the types of crafts I'll be selling are the types of things mosts women (or men) would make themselves for family and friends if they had the time, money, or talent (although I didn't include that last part in the shop description!).

My first listing is the superhero capes that I've been making for Thing 1 and Thing 2's friends.  I can tell you from experience that these make great birthday presents.  What kid wouldn't love their own personalize superhero cape?

Fingers crossed!

TMI (Not for men!)

**Warning male readers...turn back now**

I mean it!

Tampons...pads...yeast infections...

Okay ladies, are they gone?

First, my little problem cleared up.  Solved itself.  Almost four weeks late, but better late than never!

Obviously I'm happy not to be pregnant, have cancer, or some other womanly medical issue.  But the other reason I'm happy is because about six weeks ago, I bought a Diva Cup and have been weirdly looking forward to trying it out.

Let me explain...

Growing up, I was never one to have bad menstrual cramps or extremely heavy flows.  But over the last few years, since having Thing 1 and Thing 2, it seems like this has changed.  In fact, my cramping is so painful now, that almost every month, I have at least one day where all I want to do is take some Pamprin, lay in bed and sleep.

Recently I was doing some research into ways to deal with these painful cramps, and came across a blog written by a woman who has endometreosis.  She said that one of the things her doctor had recommended to battle her own problems was to stop using tampons, because (to paraphrase) once a month you are sticking an object made up of nasty chemicals up your who-ha.  Some suggestions of things to use instead...pads (yuck, no way!) or a menstrual cup (what is that).


I don't know if I'd ever heard of menstrual cups before.  If I had, I just dismissed them and didn't really consider them long enough to remember.

I'm not going to bother boggling you down with all of the facts, when there are so many great websites on the facts and benefits of menstrual cups. (How to Use A Menstrual Cup)

I'll just give you my experience.

1. Putting it in the first time was weird.  But it's gotten easier and less weird every time.

2. Taking it out the first time was hard.  I started to panic a little, thinking I might have to go to the ER.  But I relaxed, kept baring down (practice your kegels ladies!), and used some toilet paper to get a better grip.  Then, the trick is (at least for me), to rock it back and forth as you pull down.  And again, like putting it in, it's gotten much easier each time I take it out.  (And much faster)

3. Like a tampon, I can't feel it when it is in place.

4. I like that it is re-usable: environment.  I used cloth diapers for my boys partly because I wanted to reduce my non-biodegradable waste footprint, but had never really thought about how much waste I was putting into the environment myself every month.

5. I like that it is re-usable: financial.  I got my cup off Amazon.com for $23 + shipping.  I've read that one cup, properly cared for, usually lasts about one year.  That should save me a good chunk of change, considering I'd spend at least that for a two month supply of disposable tampons.

6. I've experienced no leaking.  None.  Not a drop.  (Knock on wood!)

Anyway, I know this blog is TMI.  But, I just wanted to share in case there were other women out there who had never heard of menstrual cups either and would be interested in giving them a shot.

The Economics of Parenting Twins

I just read a funny and accurate blog on the economics of having twins: Freakonomics

I've been meaning for a while to write a blog on "What parents expecting twins really need".  For instance, two high chairs YES, two Jumperoos NO.  It's on my things to blog about list, but I just haven't gotten around to writing it.

This guy succinctly mentions issues of the costs of having twins.  (Hint: It's not two for the price of one!)  Here are my quick comments on his article.

Feedings.  Superman and I split midnight feedings.  We couldn't just take turns like other bottle feeding parents.  Two babies equals two constantly sleep deprived parents.  And actually, I'd like to point out that I had it worse than him, because as soon as the feeding was over, we changed their diapers and put them back in their crib, then he went back to sleep.  I got to stay up for another 30 minutes of pumping and 15 minutes of clean up from said pumping.

P.S. When you are sleep walking during pumping, and you accidentally spill that milk that you are working so darn hard to make...you bring new meaning to the phrase cry like a baby.  I think Superman thought I'd fatally wounded myself.  And in a way, I felt like I had.

Thing 1 and Thing 2 at 3 weeks old in
second-hand bouncy seats from my cousin 

Infancy Costs. Most people have one baby at a time.  Which means they have one crib that is used for multiple children at different times.  But we had to get two of almost everything, since there were no hand me downs to be passed on.  The worst was the cost of buying things that you knew they'd only use for a few months and then outgrow.  We loved thrift stores and took any hand-me downs people would give us.  I didn't care if their high chairs matched, as long as they were cheap and/or free!

We were so lucky that I had a cousin who had twin boys two years before us.  They passed on a ton of stuff and I couldn't have been happier!  We "paid it forward" by passing on a ton of stuff as well.

P.S. People who won't take hand me downs for gently used items that the baby will outgrow in two seconds are freaking stupid!

P.P.S. I want to smack people who already have a blue high chair for their son and then go get a pink one when they have a girl. Hint: that baby doesn't freaking care what color their high chair is!  Use the dang-on blue high chair and put that extra money into their college account!!  Sheesh!

Diapers.  We chose to do cloth diapers for several reasons.  1. It is better for the environment.  2.  They are healthier for the kids (have you ever seen the toxic crap that spills out of a diaper that explodes when it gets too saturated?!)  3.  They are supposed to make potty training easier, since the kids feel more uncomfortable than disposables that are super absorbent.  And 4. They are cheaper.  Except, again, most people buy their $300 worth of Fuzzy Bunz in a few different sizes and that lasts them through as many kids as they have.  We on the other hand, had to buy twice the amount of diapers.  So in the end, I'm not sure just how much money we really saved.  I'm sure we saved some, but not as much as we would have if we'd used $300 for two different babies at staggered times.

Child care costs.  Babies cost more than toddlers.  Diapered toddlers cost more than potty trained toddlers.  People say "wow, it was great you could afford for Superman to stay home with the boys for three years."  The truth is, two babies in child care would have eaten up almost all of Superman's teacher salary.  He would have basically been working to pay someone else to take care of our kids.  As it is, we pay $1200-1500 a month (depending on whether it is 4 weeks or 5 weeks) to have two potty trained kids in preschool now.  People gasp when they hear that and say "Wow, I pay half that."  Duh, you have half the kids in school as us.

The good news: once they start kindergarten in a year, we will feel rich!  In the end, we end up paying the same.  The difference is we have to do a more condensed version, where other people get to spread theirs out a bit.

Sleep.  Again, thanks to the awesomeness of having a cousin pave the way for us in the world of parenting twins, we knew from day one the importance of getting them on a schedule.  I really don't know why anyone would be against sleep training.  Rested parents are happy parents.  Happy parents equal happy babies.  It's common sense to me.  But I read so many negative opinions about methods like Ferber and Babywise (both of which we used with great success!).  My boys were sleep trained as babies and are STILL amazing sleepers.  I read peoples' Facebook posts about their kids getting up at 5 am, even on weekends, and I thank my stars that my boys would sleep in until 9 am everyday if we'd let them (and on weekends we do!).  My only problem with their sleep is getting them up early enough in the morning.  Sometimes I feel like I have teenagers already!

And not only do they sleep late, but they go to bed great.  We have followed the rules of following schedules and being consistent.  So they know that bedtime is 8 pm.  There is no fighting, crying, or having to do super nanny methods to keep them in their beds.  It's 8 pm, they go to bed.  Boom.  We read them a few books, turn off all but one reading light, and they read quietly in bed until they fall asleep.  99% of the time, this is our night time routine.  I can't imagine doing it those other ways... how exhausting.

Built in playmate.  This one is huge.  I can say that this is by far the #1 reason why I'm glad we had twins.  I can remember even when they were 9 months old, seeing how much easier it was with two for keeping them entertained.  I'd put one in the Jumperoo and one in the exersaucer and set them facing one another while I did dishes and made dinner.  They'd laugh and entertain one another the whole time.  Meanwhile my friends with just one baby would complain about how hard it was to get anything done, because their baby wanted their attention.

I also think this is why we were successful at keeping them away from tv for almost two years.  If we'd had just one baby, I'm sure we would have given in and used the digital babysitter much much sooner than we did.

College.  Honestly, this is like the child care issue.  Sure, it's gonna suck to have two kids going in to school at the same time.  However, once it is done, it will be done.  And unlike with the surprise of having twins, we have 18 years to get ready for that expense.  And honestly, if we end up not having enough to send them...there are always school loans.  Hey, if it was good enough for me...

I take that back.  I freaking despise my school loans.  We'd better have saved enough by then!

In Summary.  All of you people who say "Ah, I always wanted twins."  Bet you didn't think about all of this, did ya?  You just thought about the cute factor of having two itty bitty babies dressed in the same outfit.  The truth is, there are definitely draw backs.

But then again, I only had to be pregnant once.  Only had to go through one delivery.  Only had to go through breastfeeding once.  Bottles once.  Night feedings once.  Diapers once.  Potty training once.

And once the boys outgrow equipment, clothes, toys, etc, there is no need to store them in the basement or attic for the next one.  We have a garage sale, or donate them to a friend or organization.  It's Hasta La Vista Baby!

Greetings from Madison, WI

Madison, WI.

What comes to mind when you think of Madison, WI?  For most people who've never been here, I'm sure it would be cheese curds, cheese heads, giant foam cheese hats, Green Bay Packers.  The college football nuts out there might think Badgers. Or most recently, probably protests and teachers unions.

I think State Street.  Ethnic restaurants for miles and miles (at least it seems like miles and miles).  Napalese.  Tibetan.  Ethiopian.  Turkish.  Afghani.  Indian.  Thai.  Yum.  Yum.  Yum.

My first trip to Madison WI was last April (2010), for a conference for work.  The conference itself was kind of a bust for me.  I seemed to regularly pick the most uninteresting and uninspiring sessions to attend.  But the food.  Oh man, the food!

This year, I've so far been a lot luckier in my session choices (knock on wood) and am overall feeling like I'm getting more out of the conference because of it.  But still, it's the food.  Oh man, the food!

The day we arrived, we went to a Tibetan restaurant and I had Gingered Yak Meatballs (yes, that is meatballs made out of yak meat) along with steamed bread.  Yesterday night we went to an Indian restaurant where we feasted on Murgh Saag, Fish Tikka Masala, Lamb Curry, and a Tandoori feast that included chicken, lamb, and shrimp.  Plus garlic naan, onion naan, and basmatti rice.  After dinner, we walked around campus, enjoying the views and sliding down a few banisters.  Then, found ourselves at the University of Wisconsin-Madison student union where we had some delicious Babcock Dairy ice cream.

Superman and I both love ethnic food.  And we used to love to go out to eat.  But since Thing 1 and Thing 2 came along, we don't go out to eat even a fraction of what we used to.  First and foremost because it is not financially prudent.  (We have to be all grown up with the way we spend money now that we are parents.)  Second, because it is harder to go out with the boys now more than ever.  They can't be confined to high chairs anymore, yet they don't really have the patience for staying seated for more than about 10 minutes either.  And finally, because we can just cook healthier at home.  Since we started cooking only Weight Watcher meals about 2.5 years ago, Superman has lost 30 lbs, runs half marathons, and is now a crazy health nut.  I, on the other hand, am yo-yo-ing the same 20 lbs and still can barely force myself to do my 30 min workout 3-5 times a week.  But right now I'm on a down swing, so I'm trying to keep the momentum going!  I really want to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight some day before I die.

Before my trip, I went to the grocery store and bought a bunch of fresh fruit and veggies to bring to the hotel, so that I'd have something to eat for breakfast and snack other than muffins and cookies.  And I packed my workout clothes and tennis shoes so that I could hit the workout center in the mornings before my conference sessions.  So far, I've eaten the fruit.  In addition to the baked goods (they just look and smell so good, and they are FREE!).  And I haven't gone to the workout center even once.  I don't even know what floor it is on.  But, I have strolled up and down State Street.  And thanks to the generosity of my paycheck place, I get to enjoy (read: over indulge in) the food.  Oh man, the food!

Update:  For lunch today, I had a gyro.  Then, for a late afternoon snack I enjoyed some more ice cream!  Shhh!  Don't tell Superman!


P.S. I loved the sign at the ice cream shop:

B.C.

To most people, the term B.C. when related to telling time refers to Before Christ.  But to me, B.C. means Before Children.  For example "Those boots are gorgeous!  I would have bought them B.C., but instead I'll be buying these much less expensive boots."  To say life changes after you have children is an understatement.  So much so that sometimes I have a hard time remembering what life was like before I became a mom!

I will admit that I was one of "those girls" that wanted the realistic looking baby dolls for Christmas, loved babysitting so I could "play house", and had baby names picked out long before I began dating, or even menstruating!  But wanting to have kids wasn't my entire life.  I mean, I loved softball, camping, water skiing, fishing, and Nintendo.  In fact, many would (and have) described me as a tomboy.  Nor did I rush to get married and start a family young.  I went to college, then grad school, and started a career before I settled down.  In fact, I guess I must have hid my dream of motherhood well enough that even my own father expressed surprise when I decided against going to law school because I was worried that a career in law would prohibit me from being the kind of mother I wanted me to be.

Then in June 2007, after a complication riddled pregnancy, including 15 weeks of bed arrest (I refuse to call it bed rest, but that is another blog) my dream was fulfilled.  I had two precious, healthy baby boys and was more in love than I could have ever imagined!  But motherhood is not as clean, and beautiful, and pretty as it was with plastic baby dolls dressed in white lace dresses.  It is chaotic and dirty, and often thankless.  Sometimes I just want to tell motherhood "I will always love you, but I don't like you very much right now."

Listening to the radio on the way to drop the kids off at pre-school this morning, I heard the deejay discussing a recent poll asking Americans if they would rather A) spend a week away from their family or B) have their cell phone taken away for a day.  And he acted genuinely shocked at how many people (47%) chose A.  He seemed to think it was a sad commentary on American families or something.  I, on the other hand, know exactly why I would choose A:

Spending a week without my family would increase my productivity!  Do you know how much housework I could get done?  How many scrapbook pages I could finish!  Finally touch up that paint in the bedroom.  And I'd still have time to grab a mani/pedi!  They didn't say they'd give up their families forever, just one week!  Besides, absence makes the heart grow fonder.  One of my favorite things is that first day home from a few days away at a work conference.  I miss them.  They miss me.  For one day we are all on our best behavior and momentarily forget how crazy we make each other.

On the other hand, you take away my cell phone and my productivity decreases.  Now, not only do I still have to do all of the normal things I feel like I don't have enough time for, but throw in the fact that I'm having to search for a land line phone to make any necessary calls.  Oh, and when I get there I don't even know the number to dial because it's stored in the address book on my phone!

You know the old saying "If momma ain't happy...ain't nobody happy."  Since, I know no one is going to take my kids for the week I decided that I still need to do something just for me.  So I decided to think all the way back to B.C., what did I love?  I used to love to write.  I wrote short stories, poems, prose, blogs...you name it.  Once upon a time, I even had aspirations to become an author.  But between work, and marriage, and children, my writing has fallen to the wayside.  In fact, the most writing I do these days are my 420 word limit Facebook statuses.

So, thanks to inspiration from a friend, I've decided to start out 2011 by starting this blog.  I'll warn you that it won't be pretty (I haven't written in a long time).  And it will be dominated by talk of my children (I told you, I do love motherhood most of the time!).  But whether or not anyone likes it, or even reads it, doesn't matter.  As long as I am writing again, getting it all out there, doing something just for me...Momma will be happy.