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Awards

Random Love

Bravado Spring Sale: coupon code

This sale isn’t being announced until tomorrow, but bloggers and their readers are getting it early so we can be first in line to get the sizes we need! Sale ends Monday, March 15th.

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Find Me Book giveaway


A few weeks ago, Find Me Book (Kinzie Jones, mom of 4!) started following me on twitter. I always check out all my new followers and when I clicked on their website, I just had to have their book. Such a cute idea! It’s like the “Where’s Waldo” books, but a lot more fun and personal. You get to upload 6 pictures of your family, friends or pets and then you get to choose which 11 scenes your faces are hidden in. I used: myself, the hubby Steve, the baby Ryan, our 2 cats Oscar and Aasa… and I was one face short so I used my grandpa, that passed away 3 weeks before Ryan was born.  The 6 faces you choose are shown on the cover and also on every page so you remember what you’re looking for. Here’s ours:

(Sorry for crappy picture quality, these were taken on my iphone. You can see a sample book on their website.) I had fun choosing my 11 scenes too… some fun ones:

This one is probably my favorite. In all the other scenes, the faces are hidden and camouflaged. But in this one, they’re all right out in the open… you just have to search the cars for them! Check out baby Ryan on the left in the red car–too cute!! And hubby Steve is in the bottom right car. I’m on the other page (not shown) with a pig in my back seat :)

How hot is my husband with that hairdo?! Haha. The one of Ryan on a $100 bill is even cuter. Some of the scenes are hard… I had trouble finding my cat Oscar in a lot of them! But it was FUN! My mom was over when the book arrived and we sat there together going through every page, finding every face. Then Steve’s mom came over and she went through it too. I think we forgot this was a gift for Ryan (which I’m sure he’s going to love when he’s old enough… recognizing his family’s and kitties’ faces!)

The website is really interactive. Upload your pictures, crop them, choose your 11 scenes, and preview. The preview function actually let’s you see YOUR images hidden in your scenes so you know exactly what it’s going to look like–awesome.

The book is a hardcover, 8.5 x 11″, and sells for $32.99. Go here: register - to create an account and make your own book! Or WIN here! One reader is going to win their own personalized copy of the Find Me Book.

Mandatory first entry: Visit Find Me Book and tell me who you’d choose for your 6 faces if you win!

Extra Entries: Please leave a separate comment for each additional entry.

1 entry – follow me on twitter
1 entry – follow Find Me Book on twitter
1 entry – tweet about this giveaway: “I want to win my own personalized @FindMeBook from @babydickey! http://bit.ly/ctFz47”  (can tweet once a day)
1 entry – follow publicly with google friend connect (left sidebar)
1 entry – subscribe to this blog by RSS or email (top right of site)
1 entry – vote for us on Top Baby Blogs just by clicking this link (no other action needed, can be done once a day)
2 entries (leave 2 separate comments) – put my blog button on your site
3 entries (leave 3 separate comments) - blog about this giveaway, leave a link to it
1 entry – enter any of my other current giveaways (one entry per giveaway)

**Giveaway ends March 17th 2010, at 11:59 pm CST. Random.org will be used to choose the winner who will have 48 hours to respond to my email before a new winner is chosen. Good luck!**

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Fisher Price Newborn Rock ‘n Play Sleeper review

As a member of Mom Select, I was given the opportunity to review the new Rock ‘n Play Sleeper from Fisher Price. It’s a “nighttime sleeper and playtime seat all in one.” I was super excited for this because Ryan loves sitting in his bouncer, but can’t sleep in it… and loves his bassinet, but can’t really play in it! It arrived today and I put it together as soon as I got home from work…

The directions said you might need 2 people to hold it steady while putting the pieces together, but I did all on my own and had no trouble at all.

It’s the only infant seat that also meets industry safety standards for bassinets… so it can be used for sleeping too. After I put it together and examined it, I seriously fell in love. Here’s why:

  • It looks comfy–it’s not flat (and kinda hard) like his bassinet, it’s more like a sling.. a cushiony one.
  • There’s a pocket at the top to hold his pacifier–and I use it to hold a white noise player that helps him sleep
  • It’s higher off the ground than his bouncer, but low enough that if I put it next to my bed, I can get to him without having to get up (like I have to with the bassinet. SERIOUSLY a huge plus.)
  • It rocks back and forth
  • There’s no batteries involved
  • The seat is slightly inclined which is awesome because if Ryan isn’t tired, he HATES to be put flat on his back
  • The sides are mesh so it’s breathable
  • The cushion comes off and is machine washable
  • It came with a little toy bunny :)
  • It folds flat for easy storage and transport. We’ve been hauling around the pack ‘n play and it’s a bit annoying. This will be so much easier!

My only worry….. will Ryan like it?!

Ohhh yea! And here he is playing with the toy it came with… he’s just learning how to hold things in his hands, so he was trying to bring it to his mouth and eat it. Look at that determination on his face, lol.

But the REAL test… could he fall asleep in it?? Nap time was coming up so I thought I’d try it out. His bassinet vibrates and his swing, well, swings! Yes, this Sleeper rocks back and forth, but only if I’m sitting there pushing it…. so I gave him his paci, rocked it a few times and walked away. This is what happened:

True story. You can find it on Amazon for $49.99: Fisher-Price Newborn Rock and Play Sleeper.

*Yes, this Sleeper was shipped to me at no cost for my review. All opinions are my own. The link is an amazon affiliate and if purchased I do get a very small %, which would just help me pay for this blog’s domain name and hosting. ;)

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Nightmares

All night I was having dreams about c-sections and people yelling at me. Every time I woke up I tried to replay the dream in my head so that I’d remember it in the morning, but no luck. All I remember are feelings of fear and guilt.

I was terrified of waking up this morning to see any more rude comments on my last post. The first time it happens, I can handle it. When a few more start flowing in, I lose it. My skin is thickening, but I can’t handle it yet. When I open my email and I see something from “Baby Dickey”… a new blog comment… I seriously get knots in my stomach because I’m afraid to look and see if it’s going to ruin my day.

You might ask why I don’t just close comments, but… that’d be a shame because the majority of comments are extremely supportive and helpful to me. I can’t let a few people ruin that. Plus… there’s this thing I strongly believe in called the Constitution and the freedom of speech. I just wish people weren’t so hurtful sometimes–I get they’re defensive, I get they’re trying to make their point, but why attack me in doing so? Over this?

I want to report correct stats and I don’t mind being corrected at all. I’ve also learned my lesson–next time I report something like in my last post, I’ll cite my sources. So let’s have an educated discussion and get all the facts out there… let’s not attack eachother. One of the comments yesterday came from a woman who was also upset with her birth experience, yet she was still “attacking” me. How are we not working together on this? What are we missing? We shouldn’t be fighting eachother. I apologize that my stats upset people, but I did not just make them up, I did read them somewhere. And as soon as I find it again I’ll post it… and if they aren’t correct, that’s fine, we’ll get to the bottom of it.

I don’t want any more c-section nightmares. Honestly, I’m surprised this is the first time I’ve had any….and sadly, they were caused by my anxiety over getting comments on my blog. I write publicly, so I guess I “deserve it.” Ah well. I just don’t want these few negative comments to scare me away from posting about this again in the future…

I rant about my c-sections here because it’s healing to write it out. I don’t expect sympathy. I don’t expect any comments at all. I’m thankful you guys are even reading those posts. So on that note… thank you SO much for all the wonderful comments and all the support. I know I’d be much worse off if it weren’t for all of you. It’s great to know there are others out there who feel the same–or at least understand–and I’m not alone. :)

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I failed at birth, not you. I'll try to explain...

I was planning on writing another post on my c-section about a week ago because it was bothering me again. Then, randomly, I got quite a few comments from doctors and nurses on my “C-Section Thoughts and Advice” post that was written as part of my birth story. They all came on the same day and I’m not sure how… but it made for one hell of a day for me. I cried all day long, and probably most of the next day too. It brought everything back… and the comments were about how the c-section was MY fault… I couldn’t handle it. Where did these people come from?!

I realize I write my life on here to be exposed to everyone. I expected negative comments on my posts about vaccines, circumcision, epidurals, etc. But I never imagined in a million years that I could be attacked because I was complaining about my unnecessary c-section. Call me naive.

But I can see how people in the medical field would get defensive… especially if they’re one of the few good doctors who would never do such a thing as my OB did to me. They must get tired of being bashed stereotypically all the time. For them, I apologize.

BUT… 1 in 3 women end up with a cesarean. What percentage of c-sections are actually NEEDED? 3%. Three percent. Yet some 33% are given and that number is climbing. It’s SICK. And I just found out that 1 in 3 women experience fertility issues after having a cesarean. When I asked my doctor about the risks of this surgery, WHY didn’t she mention that? 1 in 3 in HUGE. That could either be infertility, miscarriages, or just difficulty becoming pregnant. Either way, I will forever blame myself if I’m part of this 1 in 3.

On to the title of my post… someone I know (in real life) had a c-section about a month after me. But it was elective… she asked for it. She recently wrote to me about how Ryan being here is all that matters and that me being upset about my c-section was upsetting her because cesareans don’t make you any less of a woman. I totally get that… and I don’t want anyone else to feel bad about their surgeries just because I do. Every experience is different. She chose hers, I did not. I feel like I failed, she should not. So I guess this is just a huge, general apology to anyone I may have offended. It is hard to talk with people about this who don’t understand how I’m feeling. I don’t know how to describe it to them to make them feel what I feel. Anyway… I wanted to paste what I replied to this girl… and I have a feeling this blog will become, in the future, a place where I post articles and facts about cesareans and VBACs. There needs to be more awareness. And let me just say, phew it feels good to get this out. I need to write it down every once in awhile. Thanks for bearing with me… because each of my “c-section rant” posts will probably sound the exact same, haha.

Here is my response to her:

Just because I’m upset about MY c-section and I think I’m a failure, doesn’t mean I think the same about others who’ve had c-sections. You chose to have one and had 9 months to mentally prepare. I had less than 2 minutes. A cesarean is major surgery and I wasn’t prepared at all. I didn’t think there was even a slight chance I’d end up with one–and having a natural birth was SO important to me. So yea, I’m a bit traumatized. People describe it as post-traumatic stress syndrome and many women go through post-partum depression because of it. So on that note, I think I’m dealing fairly well. But it’s still really hard and I still cry nearly every day about it.
Yes, having a beautiful and healthy baby boy certainly matters. But it’s not all that matters. Of course I’m extremely happy to have him, but at the same time, I can be extremely sad and upset over my birth. It’s not that I think I’m less of a woman, it’s that I missed out on the natural birth I wanted. On the magical, amazing, possibly once-in-a-lifetime event. And it’s that it wasn’t necessary. If I had NEEDED the c-section, it’d be a different story. I don’t know if you read the birth story on my blog, but Ryan wasn’t in distress, there was absolutely nothing wrong… I was just progressing too slowly and the OB apparently got tired of waiting around. I was at 8 cm.. I was SO close. But she took advantage of the fact that I was new at this (& had no idea what was going on), I was exhausted, I was in pain, and I trusted her. She took advantage of my trust in the medical system (which is pretty much down to zero now). She was not doing what was best for us, as there was nothing wrong at the moment. And she didn’t even say that as a reason for needing the csection. She said she thought he was too big to fit. But I was at +1 station which I later found out means the largest part of Ryan’s head was past the smallest part of my pelvic bone. Meaning he was on his way out and he was not too big to fit. Being an OB, she obviously knew that, but she lied to my face. And when I started sobbing about having a c-section, she just stared at me stone-faced and didn’t say a word. I was feared into it and I was forced into it. And to think about it and replay it (everyday in my mind), makes me shake. Makes me cry. Makes me pissed as all hell.
To some women, it doesn’t matter. But to me, it did. And when people say to me “a healthy baby is all that matters” or “all that matters is he’s here” – it makes me feel worse because I wonder what IS wrong with me that I can’t get past this?! Ryan should be all that matters. But that’s not fair. I didn’t NEED my c-section, I missed out on my birth experience, and I am mourning that, as crazy as that sounds to some people. I can’t help it.
What pisses me off more is that I asked my OB what the risks were of a c-section and she basically blew off my question. And I just found out now that 1 in 3 women have fertility issues after a c-section. If I can’t get pregnant again or I miscarry, I will blame myself all over again… it will all be my fault… because I wasn’t strong enough to say no ONE more time, I didn’t try hard enough, I caved.
I don’t mean to upset you (or others) who’ve also had c-sections. They are wonderful for people who need or want them. That’s just not the way I feel about mine. And no one but Steve and my mom really know what was done to me in that hospital and how the doctors took advantage of us. I’m not sure if your message was supposed to be a kind attempt to make me feel better? or if you just wanted to let me know that I should get over it (“who gives a fuck”) and that I was upsetting you. Either way… it’s not that easy for me. It’s going to take a lot of time. And I wish I could explain it in some way that could make people realize what I feel.
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