Parachute Pants

Oh where to begin?

I have been extremely busy over the last couple of weeks so I will try to catch you up on what has been going on.

Firstly to say that on the 13 February my little darling turned 2! It was a happy birthday spent with family. We took her to the Dead Zoo exhibition at Collins Barracks and later had a family dinner for her, which she loved.

Secondly I was going to post (but never finished the post) on my anger surrounding the Prime Time investigative report on the practice of symphysiotomies in Ireland. I have written to my three TDs to demand that the issue of an independent review is opened by the HSE. Apparently over 1500 women were maimed, sliced and diced and left with incontinence between 1950 and 1983. The rest of the western world had abandoned this practice in the early 20th century. Its use here, encouraged by the religious orders who ran the hospitals (oh surprise surprise the Catholic church was involved?) was revived so that women could not be limited in the amount of children they could have as c -sections were limited to three at those times. The stories on Prime Time were particularly horrific and the one that really affected me what the woman who never talked about it, but 40 years later recalled how when they sawed open her pelvis they perforated her baby's head in the process. The injustice of it all makes my blood boil. Childbirth is the most vulnerable time in a woman's life and to have these decisions made about your body WITHOUT your consent is absolutely insane. Furthermore these women deserve to have their voices heard and they deserve answers as to why when the rest of the medical community had tossed out this practice as BARBARIC this was being inflicted on them.

Finally, I have been having issues with my c- section scar recently. I was bitterly disappointed when I realised yesterday that I have a keloid scar. I thought that every woman who had a caesarian suffered from this type of disfiguration! My scar has been very irritated lately and I am finding it nearly impossible to sit comfortably with jeans (or anything else) on. So I have resorted to wearing parachute pants. Yes granny underwear that goes up to my navel. I am hoping that it does not get worse as my uterus expands with this pregnancy but I am certain it will.

Muffins for all occasions

I have a confession to make, I am a woman of double standards. I love sugar but I don't want my daughter to have any. I have seen some crazy stuff in my time but nothing strikes fear into my heart as quickly as a child running around high off a sugar buzz. I shudder imagining myself clasping my hands to my ears trying to block out the horrible shrieking that fills the air as a child is sent over the edge of the rational existence deep into caverns of 'Candyland'. I have made a commitment to my daughter, myself and my sanity that I will 1. try to cut down on my intake of sugar and 2. not provide her with the opportunities to consume any more than is absolutely necessary. 

Well you would be surprised at how difficult a task I have set myself. You see sugar is IN EVERYTHING. Rice Krispies? Yep. Canned Pasta Sauce? You Betcha! Teething Biscuits? Hell Yeah. So I have found myself spending a lot of time reading labels, putting items back on the shelves in the grocery store in total and utter frustration. When it came to the opportunity to bake her a homemade goodie for her first birthday I was up for the challenge. I had decided on mini banana muffins - mini because they are perfect for small hands - banana because the girl eats more bananas than a monkey - and muffins because they sound less sugary than cupcakes right? 

What I didn't plan on what that I would have time to road test muffin recipes before the big date. It turns out that I had a lecture to give and when I finally got home from brainwashing malleable student minds I had 30 minutes before company was to arrive. I caved and went for the recipe with the least amount of sugar - brown sugar to be exact - so not refined white sugar but yes, still sugar. The result? She LOVED them. 

They went over so well that I decided maybe savoury muffins would be a hit. I set about concocting a muffin made of steamed broccoli, shredded apple and grated cheddar cheese. Sounds delicious right? I thought so but the little dote gave it the big thumbs down. In fact they went straight onto the floor for the dogs. Ah the waiting dogs, so hungry and my daughter is compassionate. At least they eat veggie muffins.