Global Warming Commentary
As D and I drove home from Fairfield this evening we listened to "Quirks & Quarks" a podcast offered by CBC Radio. The show is a weekly news program dedicated to the latest discoveries in science, technology, medicine and the environment. The host interviews experts to discuss the findings in layman's terms.
Tonight we were listening to the podcast dated October 27, 2007. There was a segment on CO2 acceleration. The scientist interviewed sits on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. He discussed the severity of global warming, which is worse than any prediction models used in 2000. He isolated several reasons why global warming is worse. The most interesting to me was that in the global economy we are using more carbon per dollar earned than ever before. Prior to 2000, we had been on a downward trend where each dollar earned was using less carbon than prior years. The correlation to the start of George W. Bush in office seems clear. It has been obvious for years, as he undermined the Kyoto Protocol, and worked to open up previously protected land to logging and oil rigs, that he is a consumer and not a conservationist. I stopped to wonder at the quatifiable evidence that has surfaced to illustrate the damage done while he has been President.
Today the American Nobel Prize winners went to the White House to be photographed with the President, as is the custom every year. Of course, Al Gore won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work on climate change, so he was in attendance. It was the first time that these men have met since Bush stole the office from Gore. Mr. Gore sat in the Oval Office, behind closed doors for 40 minutes with Bush today. They report to have talked about climate change through the entire duration. I can't even imagine what was said. I hope that Mr. Gore felt somehow triumphant through the course of their conversation.
Please Al Gore! PLEASE RUN AGAIN! We desperately need an environmentalist diplomat with a global perspective who is seasoned with good experience to lead this country. The debates show that we do not have a strong candidate who possesses these skills. Hillary is a politician cut from the same school as the conservatives who run the country now. We do not need a career politician next term. We need a visionary. PLEASE RECONSIDER. WE NEED YOU.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Saturday, November 24, 2007
I am grateful to have an abundance of diverse foods to eat whenever I am hungry. We are blessed to have food in the refrigerator, the freezer, the pantry. And in moments where we "don't feel like cooking" we have bountiful choices for restaurants with cuisine from virtually everywhere on the globe. We are gifted to have so many choices. We eat what we feel like when we feel like it.
Conversely, there are 854 million hungry people in the world. Almost 16,000 children die of hunger-related causes every day; that's about one child dying every five seconds. There is a tendency to imagine that all of these people are in third world countries, but even in the U.S. one in ten households aren't able to satiate their basic needs. 11.7 million American children live in families that skip meals or eat less than necessary, because they aren't able to put more food on the table.
I am grateful for many things in life, but I am humbled every day when I remember southeast Asia. My trip to Laos taught me what poverty truly is. I keep that in mind when I think, "I have nothing to make for dinner." They would see a heavenly storehouse of food that could feed a family of four for several weeks. Since I made this paradigm shift, I've been able to appreciate my own creativity while eating what I've got on hand. (Like garbanzo beans or cans of indian food.)
The next time you eat, whatever you eat, be mindful and give thanks. Eating should be a right, but for many it is a privilege.
Conversely, there are 854 million hungry people in the world. Almost 16,000 children die of hunger-related causes every day; that's about one child dying every five seconds. There is a tendency to imagine that all of these people are in third world countries, but even in the U.S. one in ten households aren't able to satiate their basic needs. 11.7 million American children live in families that skip meals or eat less than necessary, because they aren't able to put more food on the table.
I am grateful for many things in life, but I am humbled every day when I remember southeast Asia. My trip to Laos taught me what poverty truly is. I keep that in mind when I think, "I have nothing to make for dinner." They would see a heavenly storehouse of food that could feed a family of four for several weeks. Since I made this paradigm shift, I've been able to appreciate my own creativity while eating what I've got on hand. (Like garbanzo beans or cans of indian food.)
The next time you eat, whatever you eat, be mindful and give thanks. Eating should be a right, but for many it is a privilege.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving Eve
I went to my acupuncturist today. She said that I have the strongest chi of any pregnant woman she's ever seen. That would be consistent with me being the calmest bride she'd ever seen when she evaluated me two days before the wedding.
She told me that she normally sees women in their first trimester on a weekly basis, going bi-weekly in the second trimester. She booked me four weeks out because that's how great my chi is. She said my kid is going to be strong and smart and that she won't be surprised when she sees this baby as the President of the USA in years to come.
What do you say to that?
I know that my pregnancy is progressing well. I feel healthy. Though I am tired, I know that I am strong. I haven't had any morning sickness. I am not moody. All-in-all I feel good. Some people would guess that means that I'm going to have a boy. We'll see. I think it's a girl.
I'm not the mother that is sitting here aspiring for my unborn child to rule the world. But I do hope that he or she leads an impactful life that makes the world a better place for his or her place in it. I aim to teach my baby to see the beauty in life, in ordinary, routine life. And I hope to be able to show them some of the world's wonders early to inspire him or her to go looking for more of that wonderment throughout his or her life.
I really intended to write about what I am grateful for so that the posting was up for the duration of Thanksgiving. However, I'm too tired to be able to write anymore right now. I need to be a good pregnant lady and listen to my body instead of my creative spirit.
My creative spirit is strong and getting stronger. I need to focus it and set goals for myself to ensure that I feed my soul while being a diligent and loving mother and wife.
Life is happening so quickly these days. Is it just me? Does anyone else feel the sudden change in the air?
I went to my acupuncturist today. She said that I have the strongest chi of any pregnant woman she's ever seen. That would be consistent with me being the calmest bride she'd ever seen when she evaluated me two days before the wedding.
She told me that she normally sees women in their first trimester on a weekly basis, going bi-weekly in the second trimester. She booked me four weeks out because that's how great my chi is. She said my kid is going to be strong and smart and that she won't be surprised when she sees this baby as the President of the USA in years to come.
What do you say to that?
I know that my pregnancy is progressing well. I feel healthy. Though I am tired, I know that I am strong. I haven't had any morning sickness. I am not moody. All-in-all I feel good. Some people would guess that means that I'm going to have a boy. We'll see. I think it's a girl.
I'm not the mother that is sitting here aspiring for my unborn child to rule the world. But I do hope that he or she leads an impactful life that makes the world a better place for his or her place in it. I aim to teach my baby to see the beauty in life, in ordinary, routine life. And I hope to be able to show them some of the world's wonders early to inspire him or her to go looking for more of that wonderment throughout his or her life.
I really intended to write about what I am grateful for so that the posting was up for the duration of Thanksgiving. However, I'm too tired to be able to write anymore right now. I need to be a good pregnant lady and listen to my body instead of my creative spirit.
My creative spirit is strong and getting stronger. I need to focus it and set goals for myself to ensure that I feed my soul while being a diligent and loving mother and wife.
Life is happening so quickly these days. Is it just me? Does anyone else feel the sudden change in the air?
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Home - Not at Work
I should be at work right now. I woke up this morning, got up and brushed my teeth. Though I'd made the giant stride to get out of bed, my body wasn't feeling up the challenge of starting the morning routine. I took my clean teeth back to bed and gave myself another hour plus to counter the fatigue that was so tightly wound into my muscles.
I woke up (this time without an alarm) and had to talk myself up. Though my body was relieved to have the extra time in bed, my rhinitis was rearing its ugly head and congestion was pressing in on me. I got up and made tea.
I'm supposed to take my iron supplement before eating, twice a day. It is a liquid, so it's not transportable for consumption pre-lunch. So, I need to take it at breakfast and dinner. That's not so easy-to-do. My stomach wants nothing but toast first thing in the morning. I started to grab for the bottle of iron in my vigilance to consume the nutrients I (and baby) need. As my hand touched the glass I could feel the bile in the back of my throat. Oh no. I'm not putting that down my throat right now. Hell no.
So, I've had toast and tea - as I do every day now.
I got an email back from my doctor telling me that the decongestant that I was interested in taking is now OTC. That's good news. But she strongly advised me to come in for an appointment to ensure that I don't have an upper respiratory infection. JEEZ. On the one hand, if I do have an upper respiratory infection - THAT SUCKS. On the other hand, at least it won't last the duration of my pregnancy like rhinitis could. So, now I'm on the fence. Do I go into the epicenter of illness to be evaluated, especially knowing that they might not do anything but prescribe rest and decongestants? Or do I wait-it-out, take OTC meds and see how I fare?
Though I often err on the side of self care rather than western medical opinions, I think in this case, an evaluation might be a good move. I've had these symptoms for nearly two weeks now. And they aren't getting better. Meanwhile, I'm feeling wiped out, as you do when you have slime pushing out of you through major orifices. (Grouse.)
RE: genetic testing that I mentioned yesterday. After posting my blog entry I found a forum on CVS by women who had the procedure. Though about half the women said that it was fine, or that it was only uncomfortable during the procedure, there were as many who said that if they would have known how much it was going to hurt that they never would have gone through it. One woman advised women to take 3 - 4 days bed rest (instead of the 24 hours that the doctors advise) because she only took the 24 hours and she was still bleeding 4 weeks later. She said that her pregnancy had been easy and uneventful prior to CVS and that the bleeding started immediately after and hadn't stopped. She'd had to go back to the doctors for evaluation because the medics were afraid that the bleeding might be an indication of a problem with her baby. Fortunately, her kid was fine.
So, I shared this with D and told him flatly that I'm not doing this procedure. I don't think that my baby has a genetic problem. And if it does, it would likely miscarry naturally before the amnio that is tentatively set on January 3. I feel better knowing that we've made this decision. And though I would like confirmation that everything is good and right with my baby, I am not willing to risk my health or the health of mini-me to get those results. We're fine. I'll just keep eating right and resting and walking and loving my husband and our baby and I believe that everything will be beautiful for all of us.
I should be at work right now. I woke up this morning, got up and brushed my teeth. Though I'd made the giant stride to get out of bed, my body wasn't feeling up the challenge of starting the morning routine. I took my clean teeth back to bed and gave myself another hour plus to counter the fatigue that was so tightly wound into my muscles.
I woke up (this time without an alarm) and had to talk myself up. Though my body was relieved to have the extra time in bed, my rhinitis was rearing its ugly head and congestion was pressing in on me. I got up and made tea.
I'm supposed to take my iron supplement before eating, twice a day. It is a liquid, so it's not transportable for consumption pre-lunch. So, I need to take it at breakfast and dinner. That's not so easy-to-do. My stomach wants nothing but toast first thing in the morning. I started to grab for the bottle of iron in my vigilance to consume the nutrients I (and baby) need. As my hand touched the glass I could feel the bile in the back of my throat. Oh no. I'm not putting that down my throat right now. Hell no.
So, I've had toast and tea - as I do every day now.
I got an email back from my doctor telling me that the decongestant that I was interested in taking is now OTC. That's good news. But she strongly advised me to come in for an appointment to ensure that I don't have an upper respiratory infection. JEEZ. On the one hand, if I do have an upper respiratory infection - THAT SUCKS. On the other hand, at least it won't last the duration of my pregnancy like rhinitis could. So, now I'm on the fence. Do I go into the epicenter of illness to be evaluated, especially knowing that they might not do anything but prescribe rest and decongestants? Or do I wait-it-out, take OTC meds and see how I fare?
Though I often err on the side of self care rather than western medical opinions, I think in this case, an evaluation might be a good move. I've had these symptoms for nearly two weeks now. And they aren't getting better. Meanwhile, I'm feeling wiped out, as you do when you have slime pushing out of you through major orifices. (Grouse.)
RE: genetic testing that I mentioned yesterday. After posting my blog entry I found a forum on CVS by women who had the procedure. Though about half the women said that it was fine, or that it was only uncomfortable during the procedure, there were as many who said that if they would have known how much it was going to hurt that they never would have gone through it. One woman advised women to take 3 - 4 days bed rest (instead of the 24 hours that the doctors advise) because she only took the 24 hours and she was still bleeding 4 weeks later. She said that her pregnancy had been easy and uneventful prior to CVS and that the bleeding started immediately after and hadn't stopped. She'd had to go back to the doctors for evaluation because the medics were afraid that the bleeding might be an indication of a problem with her baby. Fortunately, her kid was fine.
So, I shared this with D and told him flatly that I'm not doing this procedure. I don't think that my baby has a genetic problem. And if it does, it would likely miscarry naturally before the amnio that is tentatively set on January 3. I feel better knowing that we've made this decision. And though I would like confirmation that everything is good and right with my baby, I am not willing to risk my health or the health of mini-me to get those results. We're fine. I'll just keep eating right and resting and walking and loving my husband and our baby and I believe that everything will be beautiful for all of us.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Week 9
My baby is almost 1 inch long now, about the size of a grape. Hands and feet are continuing to form and her joints are able to move, though I won't be able to feel her swimming. The embryonic tail is gone and her facial features become more pronounced each day. Nipples and hair follicles are forming. Her internal reproductive organs are starting to form (ovaries or testes if it is a boy.) This information comes from the Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. Elsewhere I've read that baby girls start life with 7M eggs in their ovaries. By the time they are born that number shrinks to 2-3M eggs. And by the time she reaches maturity and begins menstruation the number has dwindled to 400,000 eggs.
Meanwhile, my body is working hard to prepare a good environment for my papoose to flower. This began with an increase in blood volume that will increase 40 - 50% above my pre-pregnancy blood volume. Most of this production occurs in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, so presumably I'm 2/3 of the way through this process. Because of this increased blood volume, my heart is working harder. In fact, pregnancy increases heart rate by up to 15 extra beats per minute. This is what causes the dizziness associated with pregnancy, as well as exhaustion in the first trimester.
The up-side of the extra blood circulating is that my skin is slightly flushed and plump. The pregnant glow is becoming noticeable. Part of this glow comes from hormones (HCG and progesterone) that increase oil production - so I could be struggling with breakouts instead of enjoying a dewy look.
Of course, things are growing too. D noticed my larger breasts within a couple of weeks of conception. And they have continued to balloon since then. My OB/GYN laughed when I asked if there will be a lull at some point in the pregnancy. "No, they will continue to grow. Once you give birth and milk production starts, they will get larger again." I started out with perky, C cups. I'm preparing myself to move up to an F cup later in the game.
This causes back aches - as does the ligament releasing hormone (Relaxin) that's already started preparing my body to throw out a bowling ball sized kid. My hips are starting to hurt and this is supposed to climax in the third trimester as they bear the weight of kidlet in addition to my larger self.
Despite all of this - I'm happy. I have this little person in there getting ready to sprout 25K neurons next week. Though I don't feel great, I don't have morning sickness to complain about. Really, my largest complaint at this point is the excess mucus production that has my head stuffed, my nose running, and my throat full of gunk each morning. This is called Pregnancy Rhinitis and can last up to two weeks after I deliver. I'm hoping that my OB can recommend something to relieve these symptoms. I can't imagine having the equivalent of a bad cold for the next seven months without some sort of decongestant. That said, I don't want to take the one medicine that Kaiser has ok'd: Sudafed with ephedrine. I find this recommendation odd as everything I read warns mothers to stay away from caffeine: stop drinking coffee, or strictly limit yourself to one cup per day because they say that it is hard on the baby's heart to beat as quickly as it would with the excess caffeine. Ephedrine is also a stimulant. So, I don't want to take that. I don't trust drug manufacturers and the FDA that they control to offer unbiased and truthful advice. So I am sniffling with a good conscience that I am doing the best for my baby. (At least until my health care provider offers me an alternate solution.)
Now D & I need to make the final decision on genetic testing (since I'm 35 and will be 36 when I give birth.) He's most comfortable with doing CVS because it is accurate clinical information. Other tests are non-invasive but offer statistics of probability instead of sampling specific genetic information for our baby. I'm a bit concerned about doing CVS because it could be painful and because it has a risk of miscarriage associated with the procedure. We still need to talk it through. But as we have to do this test between Week 10 and Week 12, our decision needs to be made very soon to get an appointment.
I'm going to go talk with him now about it. I think we're probably going to go with CVS. If so, I'll call to make the appointment today.
My baby is almost 1 inch long now, about the size of a grape. Hands and feet are continuing to form and her joints are able to move, though I won't be able to feel her swimming. The embryonic tail is gone and her facial features become more pronounced each day. Nipples and hair follicles are forming. Her internal reproductive organs are starting to form (ovaries or testes if it is a boy.) This information comes from the Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. Elsewhere I've read that baby girls start life with 7M eggs in their ovaries. By the time they are born that number shrinks to 2-3M eggs. And by the time she reaches maturity and begins menstruation the number has dwindled to 400,000 eggs.
Meanwhile, my body is working hard to prepare a good environment for my papoose to flower. This began with an increase in blood volume that will increase 40 - 50% above my pre-pregnancy blood volume. Most of this production occurs in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, so presumably I'm 2/3 of the way through this process. Because of this increased blood volume, my heart is working harder. In fact, pregnancy increases heart rate by up to 15 extra beats per minute. This is what causes the dizziness associated with pregnancy, as well as exhaustion in the first trimester.
The up-side of the extra blood circulating is that my skin is slightly flushed and plump. The pregnant glow is becoming noticeable. Part of this glow comes from hormones (HCG and progesterone) that increase oil production - so I could be struggling with breakouts instead of enjoying a dewy look.
Of course, things are growing too. D noticed my larger breasts within a couple of weeks of conception. And they have continued to balloon since then. My OB/GYN laughed when I asked if there will be a lull at some point in the pregnancy. "No, they will continue to grow. Once you give birth and milk production starts, they will get larger again." I started out with perky, C cups. I'm preparing myself to move up to an F cup later in the game.
This causes back aches - as does the ligament releasing hormone (Relaxin) that's already started preparing my body to throw out a bowling ball sized kid. My hips are starting to hurt and this is supposed to climax in the third trimester as they bear the weight of kidlet in addition to my larger self.
Despite all of this - I'm happy. I have this little person in there getting ready to sprout 25K neurons next week. Though I don't feel great, I don't have morning sickness to complain about. Really, my largest complaint at this point is the excess mucus production that has my head stuffed, my nose running, and my throat full of gunk each morning. This is called Pregnancy Rhinitis and can last up to two weeks after I deliver. I'm hoping that my OB can recommend something to relieve these symptoms. I can't imagine having the equivalent of a bad cold for the next seven months without some sort of decongestant. That said, I don't want to take the one medicine that Kaiser has ok'd: Sudafed with ephedrine. I find this recommendation odd as everything I read warns mothers to stay away from caffeine: stop drinking coffee, or strictly limit yourself to one cup per day because they say that it is hard on the baby's heart to beat as quickly as it would with the excess caffeine. Ephedrine is also a stimulant. So, I don't want to take that. I don't trust drug manufacturers and the FDA that they control to offer unbiased and truthful advice. So I am sniffling with a good conscience that I am doing the best for my baby. (At least until my health care provider offers me an alternate solution.)
Now D & I need to make the final decision on genetic testing (since I'm 35 and will be 36 when I give birth.) He's most comfortable with doing CVS because it is accurate clinical information. Other tests are non-invasive but offer statistics of probability instead of sampling specific genetic information for our baby. I'm a bit concerned about doing CVS because it could be painful and because it has a risk of miscarriage associated with the procedure. We still need to talk it through. But as we have to do this test between Week 10 and Week 12, our decision needs to be made very soon to get an appointment.
I'm going to go talk with him now about it. I think we're probably going to go with CVS. If so, I'll call to make the appointment today.
Friday, November 09, 2007
Timeline
There have been so many changes in life since I last wrote. I have been wanting to post here to sort through them and document them on a more day-to-day basis, but circumstances have continued to compound so I'm only now able to air my thoughts here.
September 23, 2007
I married the love of my life. I'm 35 years old. I have waited a lifetime for the right guy. Within days of our dating I knew he was the one. And now, six weeks into marriage I can feel that truth growing with each day. I am so grateful to have this force of love in my life. He is a pillar of strength, a coach, a cheerleader, a cook, a housekeeper and of course, my lover.
(Photo by Jay Gregory.)
September 25 - October 11, 2007
GREECE! Our honeymoon was everything a honeymoon should be. It was the trip of a lifetime, it offered beautiful sunsets, fantastic food, friendly people, beaches of all description, and a bit of adventure.
Athens to Naxos to Santorini to Crete
At left: Santorini from the ferry as we came into port from Naxos. Photo by ME!
October 12, 2007
It's positive! We knew going into the wedding night that if we didn't use a condom that we could get pregnant. (I was exactly mid-cycle on our wedding day.) As we traveled Greece on honeymoon, my appetite grew as did my boobs. If I'd been on schedule, my period would have started on our last day in Greece, or on the flight home.
At breakfast in Berkeley, we decided to go and get a drugstore test. The test is supposed to take up to 2 minutes to give a result. My symbol was evident within seconds. We're having a baby!
October 23, 2007
My mother-in-law passed away. This was sudden and totally unexpected. The short story, because I've repeated it so many times at this point and I feel that this should be a separate post, is that she had a massive heart attack and didn't last the night. The long story is still being written as my husband and his father grieve the loss of a wonderful mother and wife.
Photo by Steve Dunphy
My mom, Judith on the left
His mom, Denise on the right
We miss you Denise!
There have been so many changes in life since I last wrote. I have been wanting to post here to sort through them and document them on a more day-to-day basis, but circumstances have continued to compound so I'm only now able to air my thoughts here.
I married the love of my life. I'm 35 years old. I have waited a lifetime for the right guy. Within days of our dating I knew he was the one. And now, six weeks into marriage I can feel that truth growing with each day. I am so grateful to have this force of love in my life. He is a pillar of strength, a coach, a cheerleader, a cook, a housekeeper and of course, my lover.
(Photo by Jay Gregory.)
September 25 - October 11, 2007
GREECE! Our honeymoon was everything a honeymoon should be. It was the trip of a lifetime, it offered beautiful sunsets, fantastic food, friendly people, beaches of all description, and a bit of adventure.
Athens to Naxos to Santorini to Crete
At left: Santorini from the ferry as we came into port from Naxos. Photo by ME!
October 12, 2007
It's positive! We knew going into the wedding night that if we didn't use a condom that we could get pregnant. (I was exactly mid-cycle on our wedding day.) As we traveled Greece on honeymoon, my appetite grew as did my boobs. If I'd been on schedule, my period would have started on our last day in Greece, or on the flight home.
At breakfast in Berkeley, we decided to go and get a drugstore test. The test is supposed to take up to 2 minutes to give a result. My symbol was evident within seconds. We're having a baby!
October 23, 2007
My mother-in-law passed away. This was sudden and totally unexpected. The short story, because I've repeated it so many times at this point and I feel that this should be a separate post, is that she had a massive heart attack and didn't last the night. The long story is still being written as my husband and his father grieve the loss of a wonderful mother and wife.
Photo by Steve Dunphy
My mom, Judith on the left
His mom, Denise on the right
We miss you Denise!
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