Halloween 2003

Who is that ugly girl next to me?

My mother - Now you know where I get my humour.

Before Children, B.C.

This man just found out his girlfriend is pregnant. December 2003

Trip to Guatemala 2003

Once upon a time, I didn't have babies hanging off of me all the time. And I got to go on this cool trip to Guatemala 3 and a half years ago. I left for this trip on the day I found out I was pregnant with Rauno. I had kind of forgotten about these pics since they were stored in a different file. Here they are... Waste disposal in Latin America; Emiliano at Lake Atitlan (if i remember right?), this area was struck really badly by the storms (Hurrican Stan) and mudslides literally wiped away villages; my old man at Petencito, a zoo for harmed animals so they won't get poached; in a cavern; Andrea and old bf in the jungle; Place where Star Wars scene was shot; I climbed to the top of the pyramid w/o puking from morning sickness, Ball Court at Tikal, ancient Maya site, Papa Noel Guatemalteco, my half bro - Emiliano - and old man. The majority of Guatemalan are descendants of the Maya and I had just taken an Anthropology course called Maya and Aztec Civilizations at UF.

Seven Random Things...

Celena and Joy have both done a "7 random things about me" post... I was told it would be therapeutic --that is thinking about ME, instead of other people, for a little while.

1. I have six piercings on my left ear and two on my right ear, although in the last few years I haven't worn earrings.

2. I hate wasting.

3. I think about the surgical extraction of my children from my uterus, everyday.

4. Salmiakki, a variety of liquorice that contains ammonium chloride, is my favorite candy.

5. I have a "stepbrother," Edward, who is in Afghanistan fighting the Taliban or something. In matters of global wars, I am a pacifist.

6. I played the flute for five years.

7. Sometimes I think that there is nothing more comforting than chocolate ice cream.

Reading: Suitably my mother's day gift from Eelhard

This is what I'm finishing up reading now. It is shocking and angering. I will try reading a little fiction next...

Born in the USA: How a Broken Maternity System Must Be Fixed to Put Women and Children First

Author: Marsden Wagner

http://www.amazon.com/Born-USA-Broken-Maternity-Children/dp/0520245962

Book Description
In this rare, behind-the-scenes look at what goes on in hospitals across the country, a longtime medical insider and international authority on childbirth assesses the flawed American maternity care system, powerfully demonstrating how it fails to deliver safe, effective care for both mothers and babies. Written for mothers and fathers, obstetricians, nurses, midwives, scientists, insurance professionals, and anyone contemplating having a child, this passionate exposé documents how, in the most expensive maternity care system in the world, women have lost control over childbirth and what the disturbing results of this phenomenon have been. Born in the USA examines issues including midwifery and the safety of out-of-hospital birth, how the process of becoming a doctor can adversely affect both practitioners and their patients, and why there has been a rise in the use of risky but doctor-friendly interventions, including the use of Cytotec, a drug that has not been approved by the FDA for pregnant women. Most importantly, this gripping investigation, supported by many troubling personal stories, explores how women can reclaim the childbirth experience for the betterment of themselves and their children.
Born in the USA tells:
* Why women are 70% more likely to die in childbirth in America than in Europe
* What motivates obstetricians to use dangerous and unnecessary drugs and procedures
* How the present malpractice crisis has been aggravated by the fear of accountability
* Why procedures such as cesarean section and birth inductions are so readily used

I was feeling old, so i colored the hair...