Friday, October 14, 2011

Am I really lucky or am I just not stupid?

Let me begin with a back story.  At the end of September, I had my gallbladder removed.  I had been in a ton of pain most of the summer and was throwing up constantly. The doctors decided that my gallbladder needed to be removed.  While they were removing it, the doctors fixed an umbilical hernia that I had.  Therefore, I was not supposed to lift anything over 10 pounds the first week and nothing over 20 pounds the next 3 weeks.  My son is 24 pounds.

At the beginning of this week, I was talking to a co-worker about how my husband and I need to wake up about 30 minutes earlier in order to get everything done.  Ben wakes up Jaiden and starts feeding him while I take a shower and while Ben showers, I finish feeding Jaiden. After getting ready for the day, he picks Jaiden up and changes him and makes lunches while I get ready.  Ben really has been required to do a lot in the mornings to make up for me not being able to help much.  And after telling this to my coworker, she told me I was so lucky I wasn't a single mom and had a husband who was willing to do all of that.

Lucky?...

Of all the things to tell me I am lucky about, that is not anywhere on my list.  I think I am lucky to have so many things.  I am lucky I have found a wonderful husband.  I am lucky to have a good job in a good school district.  I am lucky to have a happy and healthy son.  But am I lucky that I am not a single mom?  I don't think so.

Let me start by saying that there are many reasons women are single moms.  I am just addressing those who have unprotected pre-marital sex and then complain about it. I am not lucky, I am just not stupid.  I didn't have unprotected sex with a person I wasn't married to. 

I know there are people who are single parents and it was not their choice nor could they have done anything differently about it.  But, when you could have chosen not to have sex with a person, don't tell me how lucky I am.  I am not going to feel bad about the good choices I made.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Good Mom vs. Bad Mom

So here is a debate that has been going on in my head all day and I am hoping someone could tell me what to do.  Earlier this month, while in Spokane Valley Mall, I signed Jaiden up for a model audition.  It looked as though it was for older children and teenagers. I did it for two reasons. 1) Jaiden is absolutely adorable and 2) it is funny signing up an 8 month old for a modeling audition.  I must say, I didn't think anything would come of it. There was no picture of him included in the sign-up sheet and I thought the "agents" would look at his age and roll their eyes. (I know babies get gigs all the time but not in real life...right?)

Anyway, I got a call today from the American Mall Model search today asking if Jaiden could come in.  They confirmed that he was 8 months old and said they were auditioning his age group until July 12th.  So here is the big question: Would I be a bad mom to take him to the audition?  I hear so many horror stories of kids put into "show business" early and I don't want to do that to Jaiden.  But what if he is good at it and can make a career out of being cute?

Does anyone have any suggestions?