Week 10 Measurements...and a Deep Political Thought or two

Ok I better get on it.  We are closing in on the end date for this experiment and I have not made the progress I was hoping for.  I am going to say that sleep deprivation is a real bitch.  The lil biscuit was headed in the right direction about 2 weeks ago as far as sleep, putting up a consistent 5 hour stretch every night.  And now? We are back to every 3 hours.  And I caused it.  Somehow I conditioned him to HAVE TO HAVE the boob every time he wakes up at night to get back to sleep.  I am a little confused as to how this happened because I have been careful about breaking the nursing/sleep correlation during the day AND I have been trying to get him on a little routine AND I have had other people put him down AND we used to be able to send Norm in at night and he would go back to sleep for him.  But, I must have done one to many "well we've been trying to get him to sleep for an hour and a half, I'm just gonna feed him" moves.  I know, intermittent reinforcement is the worst thing you can do.  And I am paying the price.  At 6 months, when I know he should be able to go 8 hours a night without feeding, I am going to start sleep training.  Hooray.  I think my arms are getting bigger because I am lifting a progressively heavier object all day. (that would be the biscuit)

And so what about those deep thoughts? Well I tell ya, this campaign cycle has put a lot of thoughts about women in our society in my head.  As a person that considers themselves pretty moderate politically, I have never been super loyal to either the Democratic party or the GOP.  I often vote for whomever I think is the best person with the most reasonable stance, so I have voted for both Democrats and Republicans in the past few elections.  But now, living here in Arizona, I am really having a hard time with the GOP and their (I will not say war) bitch slap to women.  The new law:  A doctor can withhold information about a baby or mother's condition during their prenatal exams (as to not let them terminate the pregnancy) and aren't going to be legally accountable for anything that might happen to mother or baby.  Though I doubt this law will amount to any real repercussions (what good doctor do you know that wouldn't ignore this law and fully inform their patient? and no court will let this play out), it is the spirit of the law that really pisses me off.

But I don't mean to go on a political rant here.  What that law, and others like it happening all around the country, made me think about (not to mention the latest cover of TIME magazine) is women's war on themselves.  That's right, I said war.  There are more eligible women of voting age in this country than men and so every candidate should have to cater to women.  Our agendas should wield political might.  And yet....they don't.  And I know that not all women see eye to eye on all issues.  But these latest intrusions into women's access to good health care?  All women should be on board.  The fight against Planned Parenthood?  For everyone who has ever been involved in breast cancer or cervical cancer awareness, participated in a run or walk, or known a friend/family member with one of those diseases, you should be ashamed if you don't automatically want to write your representative and say "you are hurting women, especially low income women, for political gain.  Just because you can".

So why aren't we all united?  Because it comes back to two things that start very early with girls.  Self esteem and societal pressures.  Self esteem is important if only because the more you have of it, the less catty you are as a woman.  I have never had catty friends.  But everywhere I turn, women are being portrayed as more and more catty.  Or women who are crazy catty bitches are the ones with their own shows.  Ugh.  Ok, I guess I'll get off my soapbox now.

Weight: 197 lbs

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Measurements	3/4	3/10	3/18	4/1	4/8	4/15	4/30	5/7	5/13
Neck	38 cm	36.5 cm	37.5 cm	36 cm	36.5 cm	36.5 cm	36.5 cm	36.5 cm	36.5 cm
Right Bicep	32.5 cm	35 cm	35 cm	35.5 cm	33 cm	33 cm	33 cm	33 cm	35.5 cm
Left Bicep	31.5 cm	33 cm	33 cm	33 cm	32.5 cm	32.5 cm	32.5 cm	31 cm	35 cm
Belly	107 cm	101 cm	98 cm	96.5 cm	100 cm	100 cm	100 cm	98 cm	98 cm
Hips	111 cm	108 cm	105.5 cm	105 cm	107 cm	107.5 cm	107.5 cm	105.5 cm	105 cm
Right Thigh	66 cm	65 cm	65 cm	64 cm	63.5 cm	63.5 cm	63.5 cm	63.5 cm	63 cm
Left Thigh	66.5 cm	64 cm	64 cm	63 cm	63 cm	63 cm	63 cm	62 cm	62.5 cm