Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss, Let's Celebrate on You!

It's the 50th birthday of Dr. Seuss’s Happy Birthday to You! Get rolling like I did and visit www.seussville.com to enter the Happy Birthday to You! Sweepstakes. You could win a trip to Universal Orlando Resort for you and your family. You’ll see all your favorite Dr. Seuss characters come to life at Seuss Landing and stay in the Dr. Seuss Kids’ Suite on-site at the Loes Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando, and best of all for free! So celebrate Dr. Seuss' Birthday with your kids for free. Go Dr. Seuss!

Natural Beauty

I just had one of those random moments in time where the strangest thoughts cross your mind. Yes, while installing my new Picasa 3 and browsing my uploaded pictures I came across this one. Definitely not my best picture ever but for some reason maybe lack of makeup and full pouty lips I love it. Do you ever find one of those absolutely random pics that look better than the ones you fused with your clothes and hair for hours to look perfect in? So is natural beauty best?

Mama Sweat: The Childbirth Workout

Mama Sweat: The Childbirth Workout

Wow, people this woman is amazing. I'm working on slowly getting back into the swing of things with the Wii Fit but this woman is down right inspiring. I mean almost everyone opps for drugs or an epidural these days and she went at labor like a champ. Sure, as smart twentieth century
women we have to realize that its only been in the last couple of decades that women have gotten all the advantages of pain killers during birth or a c-section. But, and this is a big BUT we don't really think of what labor was like a thousand years ago or even a hundred. This woman has completely revamped my idea of childbirth. I mean, I have viewed myself as one of the lucky few. My contractions were in the 80's on the monitor before any real discomfort little on pain started. My nurses keep trying to give me pain killers to take the edge off because I had refused an epidural. I did invest in a pregnancy ball but I wasn't supposed to use it because I was pretty much banned from exercise. It is down right amazing that I didn't balloon out going that long without any exercise! Now I'm definitely weaker than before but Mama Sweat is an inspiration to keep working hard and get back into shape! Go woman you are my new hero.

The Truth About Coke...Coca-Cola that is!

The whole time I was pregnant all I heard was do NOT ingest caffeine! The doctor my friends you name it, everyone keep saying keep away from caffeine, it will hurt your baby. And yes my caffeine intake or lack there of did hurt my baby. Hmmm...that's a little vague you say. Well let me clarify. The only way for me to keep food down was to have a couple of sips of Coke in the morning or whenever I drug myself from bed. No humor meant there either, I was one of those lucky people who throw up daily. Everyone said I glowed but it was just really a red face after visiting the closest toilet. Now, I wouldn't give up my daughter for a million dollars but I do believe that the big pharmacy companies should put more funds toward finding anti-nausea medicine for pregnant woman. Come on, everyone of us had to be born so it has got to be a booming market. Please the planet is already overpopulated and its not like we are going to stop reproducing like bunnies. I have a whole list of people that should be sterilized but that's a rant for another time! So, I do the research and find out that a small amount of caffeine is completely OK! Yes, caffeine is a drug but as long as you have under 300 mg daily it is supposedly okay. Hmmm...supposedly, yes then there's all that lovely research that says avoid caffeine at all cost. So, what's your take of the matter? To caffeine or not to caffeine?

Back to work after Pregnancy...Bringing Home the Bacon

Ladies and yes even gentlemen these days can qualify for maternity leave. This is a new age where anything can happen, but don't just naively think that because your gainfully employed that you qualify for maternity leave. Although most companies offer maternity leave these days there are usually "strings" attached. So if theres a bun in the oven or your thinking about baking I suggest you do some research fast to find out about YOUR company's policy.

Trust me, as one of the formerly unprepared, knowledge is definitely power and you want to be as powerful as possible in any bargaining position, especially this one. Unless of course your independently wealthy and work for fun. For everyone else this is one of those major life moments that smacks you in the face...compute compute, its not just about you anymore!

The UP (unprepared) are thinking "Why is this a bargaining position?" Well let me give you the 411 on my top zillion reasons why...

1. You need money for food, shelter, and even water these days, i.e. that's your JOB.
2. All of your expenses are about to get alot bigger because your about to be a +1.
3. Have you checked how expensive diapers are lately...?
4. Your going to need time off for all of your prenatal visits. "How often could you possible have to go to the doctor?"you say. Well if there are no complications you go once a month for the first eight months, then every two weeks for a month, and then once a week until you deliver. Remember normal gestation is 40 weeks for human so you do the math. Once you hit that cute nine months mark you can still have a couple of weeks to go!
5. Your going to need off after you get back to work for all the pediatricians visits. You have at least 2 visits the first month and then 1 every couple of months up until one year.

See, these are all of your important reasons to inform you employer as soon as possible to your good news but there are others reasons including:

1. Your going to have to train someone to do your job while your away.
2. Your employer needs a schedule for when you'll be back.
3. You have a million and one forms to fill out for work and your insurance. Someone at work will soon know that you've ballooned up to over 175 pounds! (You know how the gossip mill works)

Do I really need to go on...so get your buts in gear and do the research. Make damn sure that you'll have a job to come back too because now your bringing home the bacon for two.