Bowling

Or, well, karate. However you look at it.

O+

I've got a long list of things to do before I head to the states in a week. Some of that includes

• getting a POA for the dog
• making sure Clay can re-enter the country when we come home since there is no record of him "coming in". That requires a special stamp on his passport, and I'm a slacker and haven't gotten him one yet. And don't look down on me because I haven't done it yet. It takes like a whole novel's worth of paperwork. Who has time for that?
• making sure everyone's shots are up to date
• picking up Clay's Echo and Chest x-ray films
• PACKING

But one thing not on my list was getting a kajillion tubes of blood drawn.
As most of you remember, I had a blood transfusion back in September.
They told me back in February, during an interesting phone call, that because Korean blood is not regulated by the FDA I'd need to come in and have some bloodwork done, just to check everything out.
They assured me , after a few momets of panic, that Korea DOES test their blood, but the FDA doesn't test it. I need to be tested for about a kajillion different diseases. Woohoo!

I had the blood drawn in February, and got the results back two weeks ago. I was in the clear! No mad cow, hepatitis or the hiv. Woohoo! I wasn't really too concerned (after all the Flight Doc didn't seem to be.)
But I got a phone call today saying I needed to come in and have MORE blood drawn because of the transfusion.
This nice gentleman informed me that I can't just rely on one test. I have to be tested at 3, 6, 9 months and 1 and 2 years. WHHHHHHAAAAAAT?
Are you kidding me?
While I'm a pretty laid back person and have lots and lots and lots of faith in the medical community, I really don't like the fact that I'm always going to have that little worry that something could show up in a year! Or two years!?
I know the AF wouldn't have let me go to this hospital and get a transfusion if they didn't think it was safe. I trust them, I really do.
But it still doesn't take away that small maybe, that worry that will be in the back of my head until I have my final blood draw.

You know, we just like to keep life interesting.

7 months

So I'm only a few days late this time around! Clay turned 7 months old on Thursday and is just as happy as ever.
Granted, he is wanting to be held a lot, so cooking dinner time isn't his favorite time of day. But really, all he wants is for someone to hold him and talk to him. He is so content to just "be".

I think this picture sums up his happy little life just fine.



He is rolling over really well, sleeping on his tummy, still pretty far from sitting up on his own. Cory keeps thinking he is "really close". but I'll attribute that to he fact that he's never raised a 7 month old before. When Cory met Carter, he was already crawling and eating table food. SO, the stage we're in right now is completely foreign to him. Although I have to say, he's doing a great job! He's a natural. I'm glad he's my baby daddy...well, and my husband too I guess. :)

Dream House

This morning, Carter really wanted to color with Dad. They sat outside on the porch and each drew a picture.
I think the apartment living is getting to the both of us and prompted Cory to draw a nice big house (that I would love to live in!)
However, on closer inspection of the picture I realized that when we move into this house one day, we'll also be gaining two new pets.



WE'RE GETTING PET LOBSTERS!

I can't wait.

Splish Splash

Yesterday we went with some friends to the Army post just south of us, Camp Humpreys. They have a waterpark open during the summer! Oh my goodness, a waterpark!? Is there a better way to wear out your kids? We went with my friends Dene and Sariah and their kiddos. Carter plays so well with all of them and they are so nice to help watch Carter while I nurse the baby. My goal of the day was to come home with NO BABIES SUNBURNED! Well, I accomplished that, but did not succeed myself. I completely forgot about my back, and well, it's a little more than tender.

Carter's favorite part of the whole park. He kept saying, "Mom, I spray you with a BIG FIRE HOSE! S'posed to runaway, not take pictures!"



Pretty serious about his 'job'.



The baby area. Lots of fountains and little slides in about 2 inches of water.



This is how Clay enjoyed the water park.



The big kids section. Carter could do this all by himself!



A better view of the baby area.



Carter going down the slide!

Daddy

Thanks for being so strict when I didn't know I needed it.

Thanks for being so funny. (Believe me, I'm glad I got your sense of humor instead of mamas.)

I'm so glad and proud that I've become more and more like you as I've gotten older.

Thanks for loving my mama, brother and me so much.

Thanks for finally letting me get that dog (Sweet Rocky) and all those hamsters that you didn't really want in the first place. Even though you knew within a week that Josh and I would stop taking care of them like we promised.

Thanks for loving my kiddos so much (and buying Wiggles concert tickets for them this year!)

Thanks for making me give you a kiss EVERYDAY when you dropped me off at school. (Even when I didn't want to).

Thanks for forgiving me for all the bad, horrible things I said to you when I was a bad, horrible, ungrateful teenager.

Thanks for teaching me how a REAL MAN treats a woman.

and,

Thanks for not being a vegetarian. Beacause I really, really, love bacon.

I LOVE YOU.

Boobs!

Yeah I know my dad and my brother and other men who have no interest in my boobs, read this blog. But that's half the problem anyway. We, as Americans, cannot separate sex from boobs. Granted, I didn't separate it until I was 20 years old, but that's a problem too! Our children should know what breasts are for - they're for feeding babies. Ask any kid that - you think that's what they'll tell you?
I have a few points to make here.

1. Enfamil is falsely advertising new formula as "Breast Milk" formula. Which is wrong, unethical and you can read more about it here. They are claiming this stuff is as good as the real thing. But read about why it's more than just that here. Read how by allowing formula companies to do this, we're funding their advertising which is causing babies all over the world to die.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not against formula. I don't judge the bottle. Carter never had more than a drop of breast milk his whole life. He was a formula baby and is smart, healthy and perfectly fine. But like Anna says, "I'd like to see them spend a few of those dollars coming up with a better recipe for artificial baby milk for the people who really need it, but they don't have to".
Please help us take action, and help protect babies.

My second point has nothing to do with formula at all - but about the fact that it's ridiculous for people to be "offended" by nursing moms.
The best way I can think to explain it is, asking (or expecting) a mom not to nurse in public is like asking someone not to wave an American Flag, in AMERICA.
Waving an American flag is a right, we DO live in America (okay well, I don't at this moment, but you get the point) and we're proud to. If someone was offended by me flying an American flag in public - should I have to take it down? Should I cover it up because someone from another country might be offended?

NO.

Nursing a baby is natural, it's what they do! And no, I can't just go out around feedings. Because really - my 6 month old didn't wake up this morning write out a schedule and say, "Mom - this is when I'm going to eat, so if you could be home, in your car or holed up in a dirty bathroom during these times - that'd be great!" My kid has just as much of a right to eat as you do.
And you know what - I cover up. I'm not walking around with my goods hanging out all day, but even if I didn't, for someone to be "offended" by it. makes me irate. If you're offended, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry that your mind is so deranged, you can't separate sex from boobs.
If you're offended, YOU can leave.
I just don't see why breastfeeding has to be controversial. Is you want to do it - GREAT! If not- GREAT! But don't judge people one way or the other. If you want to do it for 1 week, great. for 10 years, fine! But it's no body's business but yours and you decide what/when/how you want to do it. End of story.

Okay - deep breath - sorry for the tirade...but it's my blog, and they're MY boobs.