Avoiding Linguistic Discrimantion

A friend of mine who is a software developer in Seattle created a little video for a linguistics class. Here it is on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8rSCU-j_X4

It made me giggle.

Enjoy,
Aislinn

Baby Shower

My aunt threw me a baby shower yesterday. It went much better than I had originally expected. This aunt is diabetic and tends to be a bit on the spacey side. But, she did a wonderful job, with tons of food and some inventive games. There weren't a lot of people that showed up as apparently many invitees never received their invitations (which could lead another aunt to throw another shower for me). I was grateful to be so supported by those who were there, though. A lot has happened in my life lately, with the wedding and the baby, and the same people keep showing up. They may not be in my day to day life as much as I'd like, but when it comes to showers, ceremonies, b-days, parties, etc., they're there. I am blessed.

The baby's room is coming together now. We have all the "big stuff" except a stroller/car seat, but I know it will come soon. My mom will get the baby one, but I'd like to see if I can find a nice used one first. No use in spending $150 on something that the baby will grow out of pretty quickly (for the system that I'm looking to start with, anyways). Getting all the onesies and diapers and pacifiers in place makes having a baby much more real and I'm finding a deep joy inside. I can't possibly know what to expect, though my mind tries. I'm swirling in excitement, wonder and fear.

Love,
Aislinn

My First Review

I just sent off my first review for Curve Magazine. I wrote a sidebar review on two green living guides. I am very happy that I get to write reviews for the magazine...next up I get to write three reviews on new DVDs, two documentaries and a stand-up comedy show. I'm a little apprehensive about this first review as I want to make a good impression, but it is what it is. I tend to be a "put-er in-er", as my husband calls me, so it's going to be a real exercise for me to keep my writing clear and concise. I'm looking forward to it, though.

Enjoying the experience,
Aislinn

The Oscars

After the Oscar nominations come out, I usually begin a mad dash to see as many of the nominated movies as I can. This year, however, I have little interest in seeing most of the films. Some of the lack of interest comes from not wanting to spend the money - as in, feeling like it can be spent better elsewhere right now as we prepare for baby. But, mainly it's that many of the nominated films seem pretty dark and that aspect just doesn't interest me right now. Having said that, though, I'm not against dark films. (The only genre of film that I discriminate against is horror. I will not subject myself to sitting through a movie that is either going to scare the shit out of me (or attempt to) or make me feel like I'm waisting my time.) Pregnancy is the culprit here. I am in a loving, gentle, sensitive state (or attempting to be) and many of the films seem offensive to that state right now. Plus, being prone to moodiness and highly emotive, I am trying to keep myself surrounded with positivity and attending dark films is not in that scope.

The films that I do want to see are:

- Michael Clayton
- Juno
- Charlie Wilson's War
- Into the Wild

Plus, I've only seen four of the nominated films (American Gangster, The Bourne Ultimatum, Ratatouille and Pirates of the Caribbean) - the fewest amount for me then in previous years heading into the final stretch. I'll just have to settle for not having a clue as to who deserves the awards. Seems to appropriately accompany the overall feeling of this awards season with the effects of the writer's strike. It's just not the same.

Love,
Aislinn

Long Weekend

I'm feeling a little out of sorts this evening. It was a very full, very dramatic, very emotional weekend. A friend in the hospital. An ailing step-mother. Multiple family dramas. A wonderful gift and honor given to Neil from our spiritual family. I feel like I was the glue trying to hold everything together for the last three days and now I'm having a bit of a let down. It is very difficult not to get sucked into other people's fear and suffering. I thought I had held my own pretty well this weekend, but now that I'm home I'm feeling the places in myself that I let it infiltrate. I'm just reflecting on how tricky we can be with ourselves.

Pushing through my issues,
Aislinn

Pregnancy, Birth and Motherhood

I've been sitting at my computer for some time now, trying to think of something to write about. I have the time and the inclination, but nothing is coming to fruition for me. With this blog, I still struggle with "who really cares?" or "is it interesting?". I guess I don't feel like I very often have anything useful to say, or have an interesting opinion to express. Right now in my life, everything is about baby and motherhood. I have five books on my coffee table that I'm reading about pregnancy and childbirth. There is the popular What to Expect While You're Expecting, the technical The Female Pelvis: Anatomy and Exercises, the overwhelming Healthy Eating During Pregnancy, the rarely touched The Everything Birthing Book and the very informative but get-to-the-point-already Hypnobirthing. Plus, three baby-centered magazines and two pregnancy-centered journals. With such reading materials, I don't exactly have any ah-ha moments that make me want to run to the Internet to blog about how I should be doing exercises to stretch my perineum to try to prevent tearing during delivery or express my naive opinion of certain birthing (and after birthing) practices.

I wouldn't even have written the above paragraph, but I felt like writing and it was all I could come up with in the moment. If nothing else, this short entry helped me to continue my efforts in breaking my habit of spacing twice after periods. That's how I was taught, but now standard practice is to space only once and it is a habit that is proving very difficult for me to let go of.

Now, I'm off to the grocery store.

Love,
Aislinn

Baby Steps

I woke up this morning to Riley kicking the underside of my right lower ribs. Space is getting tight in this little tummy of mine. The baby's head lies just to the left of my pubic bone and his feet constantly tread the entire right side of my body. In fact, oftentimes I jump involuntarily from the tickling sensation of his foot rubbing up and down my side, or from the sudden, explosive kicks he delivers to my ribs. And, when he's really movin', it's stunning to watch my skin mold into the outline of his heal as he stretches. I can't even bend over any more without doubling over onto his little feet.

What a truly amazing experience it is to have a living, moving being inside of me. It can be scary, too, because I know that he's just going to get bigger and I already feel like there's not much more room to grow! I don't understand how some women can go a whole eight months and not know that they're pregnant - or even a few months without knowing. It dumbfounds me. There was a girl in Washington recently, who was at work at McDonald's and suddenly became ill. Her co-worker followed her into the bathroom and asked if she was pregnant, and the girl responded no. Then, in the next our, the co-worker helped to deliver a baby from this girl while on the phone with 911. How can you be so out of touch with your body and your self to not know that you have a living, moving being inside of you? But, I digress...

Because Riley moves so much, if I become aware that he has been completely still for a lengthy amount of time, I'll rub right where he keeps his feet, just to make sure he's alright, and he'll gently nudge me back. I can't wait to see my little boy and watch his personality unfold and build a relationship with him. I know we've already started on the latter, but being able to see him and hold him will make it much more potent. I have plenty of fears of childbirth and motherhood, but I bring myself back to the simplicity of his foot steps across my belly and I melt like butter.

Love,
Aislinn