life with a new baby
Randomness
Unattainable Beauty
Mar 9th
We all know about this media-frenzied hype for American women to be as thin as they can possibly be, right? I personally find this “standard” to be disgusting and appalling, not only because of the negative impact it has on women’s self-esteem, but also because, get this folks, the majority of the images we see in magazines are simply NOT REAL.
The photographs have been manipulated, edited, and airbrushed. Thighs have been toned. Cellulite has been erased. Hips have been narrowed. Where are the REAL WOMEN? You know, those of us who don’t look like our bodies are DIGESTING THEMSELVES from starvation. Here is an awesome story I found with pictures detailing just how far the photo manipulations can go.
And I’m not putting uber skinny women down at all. Sometimes it’s genetic, but other times, their desire for mega-thinness is fueled by the desire to be like the models they see in magazines, on billboards, and in commercials. Take Isabelle Caro’s story, for example. She was a model who had been anorexic since she was 13 years old, weighing a mere 55 pounds in many of her photo shoots. After falling into a coma because of her weight, she has finally sought help. It’s still a long road for her, and she says it’s hard for her to get food into her stomach without her body simply wanting to reject it. But she’s finally brought herself up to over 60 pounds. (Click here to watch Isabelle tell her story to Jessica Simpson.) And speaking of Jessica Simpson, remember the brouhaha about her so-called Mom Jeans? Remember how the media called her fat? According to an interview she recently had with Oprah, SHE WAS A SIZE 4 IN THOSE MOM JEANS, Y’ALL.
A FREAKING SIZE 4.
I can’t even get my LEFT PINKIE TOE into a size 4.
Geez. Can someone say BULLIES?
So yeah, anyway, the media sets such a high standard for their version of beauty. And the media’s version DOES NOT EXIST. I’d like to see more real women… not women whose pictures have been digitally liposuctioned. Many times without the model’s knowledge!
It’s sickening. No wonder eating disorders are so prevalent in young girls. But the media isn’t going to change their definition of beauty until we the public, the people who buy their product, do something about it. If skinniness no longer equals sexy and no longer sells the product, then I can guarantee you the media will switch to another method.
Preferably, their advertisements will be more believable.
More real.
And so beauty will no longer be unattainable.
More Snow Fun
Feb 2nd
Remember how we had a “big” snow here in Tennessee on Saturday? (The word big is in quotes because our 5-6 inches of snow we got here is nothing compared to what those of you who live up north deal with every winter. But here in the south, 5-6 inches is something that happens quite rarely.) Well, we just couldn’t help ourselves. Even though the snow started to melt the next day, Sunday, we had to go sledding just one more time.
Because who knows? It could be another ZILLION YEARS before we get that much accumulation again.
So here’s some more pictures for you all to enjoy. This time, I actually sledded with Nathan. When we went sledding on Saturday, I was too scared to have him with me. I had images of the both of us careening off our ramp, flying through the air, and getting STUCK WITH THORNBUSHES.
So Paul’s the one that took Nathan down the hill on Saturday.
But Sunday was a new beginning, and I had done some deep-breathing exercises and was feeling confident enough to take my precious cargo on the sled with me.
I am so glad I did.
We were fine. We didn’t go flying through the air or land in any trees. We didn’t fall off and break our necks or decapitate ourselves. No face-plants or terrified shrieks.
I’m pretty sure Nathan liked it.
Next, it was Paul’s turn to sled with Nathan.
All in all, Nathan had more fun the second day than he did the first day, even though he had to wear a few pairs of socks on his hands since we didn’t have mittens. I think the first day, he was a little overwhelmed with being cold and the blinding whiteness that was everywhere.
He was a good sport about it all, though, and dealt with his mommy and daddy’s child-like excitement like a champ. And now we have these wonderful memories.
Icicles
Jan 31st
Some of the icicles that formed along our gutters on Saturday night from the snow melt.
The Saddest Snow Angel Ever
Jan 30th
Well, guys, as you know from this post and this post, we’ve been anticipating some snow here in Tennessee this weekend. The entire state was under a Winter Storm Warning, and after years of snowless boredom, we finally got hit with enough snow to actually PLAY in. This was the view from our front porch when we woke up this morning.
And we played a lot. And yes, I made a snow angel… but this time (unlike the snow angel I made on my visit to Wisconsin), I think I made The Saddest Snow Angel Ever.
It was a mess. I couldn’t even tell what it’s supposed to be. It looked like a body with strange appendages instead of a graceful snow angel. I think the ice underneath the snow made it impossible to successfully make a pretty snow angel… Plus the size of my ass didn’t exactly help when I tried to gracefully get up from my creation.
Because it was so NOT graceful.
I kept losing my balance and falling backwards. By the time I finally made it to standing position, my snow angel was ruined. So Paul and I decided to have some fun sledding instead. We plopped Nathan down in the sno-tube and gently scooted him across a flat surface. At first, he just kinda gazed around, trying to figure out what all the white stuff was about. And why this was what Mommy and Daddy called “fun.” But then he started to enjoy himself.
Since it hasn’t snowed around here in ages, of course we had no snow-worthy clothes to play in. Nathan had a couple pairs of socks on his hands and about five layers of clothes, including two coats. (Paul and I wore what we were able to find hibernating in the dark recesses of the closet). Next stop: a gentle hill. This time with Daddy.
At the top of a small hill
That was fun, Daddy!
Mommy’s turn!
I’d like to do that again, please!
Time to take Nathan inside
Shortly after the above picture was taken, Nathan decided to scream. Not the crying scream, like what an itty bitty baby does. He wasn’t crying at all… just screaming the kind of scream an angry soul devouring banshee toddler emits. It was this shrill, ear-piercing attention-getting scream that says, “Hey! You! I’M TALKING TO YOU! PAY ATTENTION TO ME!” .
Oh shit. My little baby boy is turning into a toddler. A TODDLER. That means there is going to be screaming and temper tantrums and biting and messes… but at least there will be meaty little feet for me to eat and chubby little cheeks for me to kiss.
So we took him inside and I wrapped him snugly up inside a blanket. He stopped screaming as he contemplated whether or not he liked his first snow experience.
But after a few minutes, he smiled really big and started bouncing up and down like a cheery little elf. I don’t know whether he liked his first experience with snow… but at least he didn’t seem to hate it.
So it was an awesome day… It was great playing with Nathan, showing him his first snow, and watching him absorb the entire experience. And I had a ton of fun playing like a kid again.
Even though I made the Saddest Snow Angel Ever.
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