H. Res. 847: Recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith

RESOLUTION

Recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith.

Whereas Christmas, a holiday of great significance to Americans and many other cultures and nationalities, is celebrated annually by Christians throughout the United States and the world;

Whereas there are approximately 225,000,000 Christians in the United States, making Christianity the religion of over three-fourths of the American population;

Whereas there are approximately 2,000,000,000 Christians throughout the world, making Christianity the largest religion in the world and the religion of about one-third of the world population;

Whereas Christians identify themselves as those who believe in the salvation from sin offered to them through the sacrifice of their savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and who, out of gratitude for the gift of salvation, commit themselves to living their lives in accordance with the teachings of the Holy Bible;

Whereas Christians and Christianity have contributed greatly to the development of western civilization;

Whereas the United States, being founded as a constitutional republic in the traditions of western civilization, finds much in its history that points observers back to its roots in Christianity;

Whereas on December 25 of each calendar year, American Christians observe Christmas, the holiday celebrating the birth of their savior, Jesus Christ;

Whereas for Christians, Christmas is celebrated as a recognition of God’s redemption, mercy, and Grace; and

Whereas many Christians and non-Christians throughout the United States and the rest of the world, celebrate Christmas as a time to serve others: Now, therefore be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives–

(1) recognizes the Christian faith as one of the great religions of the world;

(2) expresses continued support for Christians in the United States and worldwide;

(3) acknowledges the international religious and historical importance of Christmas and the Christian faith;

(4) acknowledges and supports the role played by Christians and Christianity in the founding of the United States and in the formation of the western civilization;

(5) rejects bigotry and persecution directed against Christians, both in the United States and worldwide; and

(6) expresses its deepest respect to American Christians and Christians throughout the world.

US Citizens, these are YOUR elected representatives who took time out of their schedule, instead of fixing the clusterfuck in Iraq, instead of figuring out a way to make sure our country’s children have adequate health care, instead of doing their JOBS, to vote for something as trite and politically pandering and religiously divisive.

Can you imagine the outrage and the cries of hypocrisy if a similar bill came out that had “Muslims” instead of “Christians”? Or Jews? Or Pagans? Or Buddhists? Congress, remember that pesky thing called the First Amendment? Here, let me remind you.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…

Bah.

I freakin’ love youtube. Ganked from celiathepoet via 3WA - Big Bird learns about breastfeeding:

Everyone always talks about how much better breastfeeding is than formula feeding for babies, how much more IQ points are and how many fewer colds and infections babies are likely to get, and what not. I’m sure the numbers are true for that, and I am not doubting that product-wise, breastmilk is generally superior to formula. I say this not to bash those who formula-fed - heck, we formula-fed part-time after Matthew turned 9 months old and I have no doubt in my mind that if we didn’t have formula we’d have been up shit’s creek without a paddle.

For me, though, it wasn’t always about baby benefits from breastfeeding. After it stopped hurting like hell, I really began to cherish the time we had, despite my fatigue, and this special little thing the two of us had together. He’d nestle into my arm and we’d cuddle. It felt like a personal accomplishment to see Matthew gaining weight so well and, until we started solids, knowing that my hard work pumping while away from him and nursing him was what was creating each and every roll and sausage casing on his body. He was positively round for awhile there.

We weaned in mid-October, and I have moments sometimes when I see pictures of new moms nursing their babies or see videos like this or listen to my friends who have continued to nurse their babies past the 12 month mark, past the 13, 17, 18 month mark, I get a twinge of jealousy. We have a good relationship now, and sometimes I think he’s more affectionate and caring after we stopped nursing - maybe he had to find another outlet, or it was just his time developmentally to lay slobbery kisses on us and give hugs and cuddles. I miss nursing Matthew - I miss my little baby and while I love the little boy and person he’s becoming, some days I’d gladly take more sleep deprivation to experience his royal roundness discovering the world and all its joys and heartbreaks over again.

He’s almost 17 months (months, not years) old. I am this emotional over 17 months. I can only imagine what it’s going to be like when he graduates from college. Gah.

—
*I say generally because I know there are a few women out there who desperately want or wanted to breastfeed and who either couldn’t because of protein incompatibilities or supply issues. I hear you loud and clear and am not That Kind of breastfeeder. Promise.

Right now I am munching on some organic strawberries from the farmer’s market, and holy crap are these ever tasty. In the kitchen are about four or five gorgeous heirloom tomatoes - not a one of them is red. I’ve never had purple and greenish and yellow tomatoes before moving to California. They are delicious.

Right now, I am also exhausted. I think I must have forgotten what life was like with a newborn, because I feel like a truck hit me. Matthew had a crappy night of sleep and so that also means Mama and Baba also had a crappy night of sleep. He didn’t nap today at daycare… and voilà, you have a recipe for disaster. Matthew didn’t stop crying for about two hours. I finally busted out tylenol in case there was something going on he needed some pain relief for, and a bottle (we’ve given up bottles! two weeks now, no bottles!) because he didn’t want to eat dinner, didn’t want to drink milk from his sippy, and certainly didn’t want anything to do with me. Sigh. I cried with him a little too, because what else do you do?

He finally went to sleep and I’m about to follow suit shortly. Poor kiddo. I can’t wait until he can start talking and telling me what’s going on instead of this guessing game. I’m sure that’ll come soon enough.

This ad annoys me. While I think it’s important to have common sense about online safety, I think putting this ad up in a bunch of bus shelters misses the point and is dangerously elementary. The internet is not unsafe. What is unsafe is posting too much information online and not making wise decisions with whom to share identifying information. Never mind the fact that the most commonly identified perpetrators of sexual violence are close relatives of the victim, not a nameless stranger online.

So, Matthew was prescribed Claritin for his allergies. I took him this morning to go pick it up (side note: who was it who coined the term the terrible twos? Because I would like to punch that person and show him a tantrumy sixteen month old, who scratched my face something hard and then five minutes later was flirting with the cashier!)

Here it is:

GIVE “MATTHEW” 5ML BY MOUTH EVERY MORNING. “Matthew” - is it an actor playing the role of our son? Did the real “Matthew” go into the witness protection program? Did he change his name? Only the pharmacist at Walgreen’s knows.

We went to see Santa today up in Albany today.

(I am interrupting to note that today was 57° F. I wore a long-sleeved t-shirt and cropped jeans. Essentially, so did Matthew. This California living is something I can get behind.)

Matthew walked in and immediately honked Santa’s nose, to all of our amusement. Then he clung tightly onto Josh and was not about sitting on a strange man’s lap. Atta boy, Matthew.

The only person happy here is Josh:

Clearly unamused:

Compare with last year’s:

Has anyone seen the following items:

- A dependent child care reimbursement form for November;
- A $31 check?

I would like them back now! Thanks!

Grumble, grumble.

I was perusing some websites earlier and noticed a blog on being a frugal homemaker - the author of the blog posted an impressive series on feeding yourself for $14.71 a week.

Our budget for weekly groceries is quite a bit more than that. It’s a lot easier for us now to buy fresh, organic produce year-round and we recently decided that spending extra money to make sure we buy locally farmed/bred meats was worth the expense. Could we feed ourselves for $14.71? If I didn’t have diabetes I think I’d survive just fine. Some things in life are worth extra money, and for me, I am grateful we are in the position and have the opportunity to buy locally grown and organic foods.

Josh took Matthew to the doctor for a follow up doctor’s visit from his ear infection/staph infection/other junk from October (he’s been sick for over an entire month, no joke. BAH!). He’s doing well, his residual cough is believed to be either asthma or allergies. We have to keep an eye out on it - so if it gets better and worse then it’s probably allergies. I think. I’ll have to doublecheck with Josh. Anyway, he is doing well. If he could just kick this residual cough, I think we’d all feel better.

I met up with Josh and Matthew tonight after work - Josh was headed off to a concert in Berkeley so we met in Berkeley and had dinner together - Taste of the Himalayas, an Indian/Nepalese place. We haven’t had Indian in awhile, and wow, was this well worth the wait. I was inspired by an entry of Sherry’s and ordered the butter chicken. That was just amazing. I feel like I can still taste it in my mouth. Yummy.

Matthew was a flirt tonight - on the bus ride home, he kept turning around and petting the woman in front of us, who was only too willing to oblige. She waved goodbye to him, and of course, Matthew only starts waving goodbye too when the doors are shut, the woman is gone, and the bus starts to pull away.

My boy is growing up so fast.

(More pics uploaded today)

Man, today was a mixed bag. I got off to a late start (totally my fault) because 5:50AM is an early time to wake up. Bah! I got my run in before work (it felt good! Yay! Glad I went! I’m always glad I went but I am such a whiner about getting there) and that was nice, and then after lunch (which also was good, I had a Greek salad with lamb, yum), I started feeling really dizzy. So I came home. I felt better later on in the afternoon so Josh and I went to the Berkeley Bowl to pick up a few things before we went to get Matthew from daycare and were in line with our goods (including, sigh, a package of shortbread cookies and some really nice looking grapes) when both of us realized we didn’t have any money on us whatsoever - neither of us brought our wallets. Oops.

I’ve been on and off dizzy today and I’m hoping with a good night’s sleep and some fluids I’ll feel better tomorrow. I already have a doctor’s appointment set for next week (reminds me I should confirm it) and one of the things I’ll be talking about is my overall health. The road back to wellness after 16 months of momming and then 9 months before that of pregnancy has been a long and hard battle. I look back at myself in September of 2005 before I got pregnant and I miss that person. I was a machine - I worked out 6 times a week and my game was just on. I need to slip back into that mindset.

I have mentioned before that I have type II diabetes - I was diagnosed in 2003 and it was the scariest and best day of my life - I finally felt like I was under control and had answers for why I was feeling like crap and weighing an all-time high of 227 lbs. It took 2 years but I lost 50 of those pound and I want to do it again.

A few weeks ago someone thanked me for some advice I gave on breastfeeding and called me an expert. Ha! I say. It’s amazing how in the span of a short, short two years I can become knowledgeable about so little and so much at the same time. Parenting has turned out to be a difficult business. If I had to give advice to anyone about to become a parent, I’d tell them first to stop reading books like What to Expect When You’re Expecting and find a close group of sane people to keep your head screwed on straight. That’s the only reason I survived my first year of motherhood. I found a group of women online - most of us met on a pregnancy board and were all due in July of 2006 - and it was them, hands down, who talked me off a ledge when Matthew’s sleep went kerplooie and continue to talk me off ledges and assure me that I am doing a good job. Thank you, July Moms!

So, new moms and expectant moms, here is my unsolicited advice from me to you.

1. When you settle into a routine, wait 24 hours because it will all mess up without notice. Roll with it.

2. Babies are predictably unpredictable. It may make it easier to attribute cranky behavior to one or all of the following: teething, growth spurts, developmental spurts, a full moon, or the dog. If it helps you rationalize what’s going on, go with it.

3. Chances are, unless you’re a sociopath, you’re not a bad mom. You’re learning a new job that no book, course, or website (ha!) can ever prepare you for. It’s okay, because your baby is learning a new job that s/he never got to even study for either, so you’re both even. Do what it takes to get through the days and nights as well rested, fed, and diapered as possible. The rest will come later.

4. Breastfeeding is hard work. If people tell you, “Oh, it only hurts if you’re doing it wrong or if you have a bad latch,” they are lying. It hurts and sometimes you want to punch a wall. But either your nipples harden up or you become immune to the soreness - eventually it will get better.

5. Body fluids are a way of life. Some people become immune to it. It’s okay to still get yucked out by an explosive diaper or to nearly yak when your baby yaks. Your baby might be precious but shit is shit. Yuck.

6. Everyone always says, “Sleep when the baby sleeps!” which is all well and good, and a noble cause to strive for, but I found it nearly impossible. Sometimes, I had to take a shower. Or go out and walk in the sun. Or watch a DVD and laugh out loud. Or call a friend and talk to her for an hour. Taking care of you is just as important as taking care of the baby and getting enough sleep.

7. But seriously, sleep as much as possible.

8. Your husband is not a babysitter. He is a parent. He is your partner and your equal. Without his donation, you wouldn’t be sitting there with a crying, poopy, cute baby. Stop asking him to “babysit” your child while you go out and do something fun. As much as possible (and believe me, it is hard), don’t become the default parent. Let your partner figure out what it takes to settle the baby down.

9. Go easy on yourself. Once you step outside - on the internet, on the street, wherever - people will start judging you for what you are doing and what you’re not. “Why doesn’t this baby have a hat on?” “It’s too hot for a hat, why do you have one on?” “Why did you breastfeed/bottlefeed/use paper diapers/cloth diaper” - let’s face it. You can’t win. So don’t make it easy for someone to beat you up - don’t beat yourself up. Treat yourself well.

10. Cry sometimes. It is damn hard to be up at 3AM for nights on end getting unbroken sleep and sometimes, a sister needs to cry.

11. Ask for help. Not just with the simple day-to-day things, but seriously, if you feel like you’re about to lose it, ask for help. Post-partum depression is a lot more common than people think and there is nothing to feel ashamed about. It happens. Like hemorrhoids.

12. If you’re headed back to work after (the US’ pathetic version of maternity leave) 12 weeks off work (or less, bah!), be prepared to feel like a truck ran you over. I didn’t feel sleep deprived until I went back to work - wow, was that hard.

13. Parenting is one facet of your life. It is good to not let the other facets of your life become encompassed by Parenting.

14. Enjoy yourself. That first year is hard and amazing and rewarding and heartbreakingly cool all at once.

OK, I have to stop because I am tired (see above: sleep deprivation). What else do you have to add?

Now five. I want to go to bed in five minutes, so I can be relatively awake for my morning commute. A couple of weeks ago I decided to go into work 2 days early and go running, have a shower, and then go to my office. Today, it did not happen because I had to get my transit pass and the place doesn’t open until 7:30AM. Then, of course, BART was experiencing delays… which meant I didn’t get into work until quite late. No run for me. Never mind that, I’ll just go in tomorrow and Friday and run at home on Sunday.

I’m running again, and while I’m running I kind of hate it, but it’s the feeling I get afterward - I get all smug with myself that I just ran. It’s quite lovely. It’s not runner’s high or adrenaline or anything like that, it is just me being a snob. Heh. Anyway, I am planning on running in a 5K in February so I have to get back into fighting form and wow, it is so hard to do this time around. My motivation is lacking and I am just tired. I have to figure out what it will take to get my mind in line with itself - it’s like half of my brain wants to do one thing and the other half just doesn’t. I had so much motivation two years ago, when I was working out nightly. I should just do it. Just do it. Just get up and do it.

Tomorrow, of course.