We get these monsoon rains in Arizona from early July to September. They used to be real downpours when I was a kid. It doesn't seem like there's as much thunder anymore, and the summer rainy season starts later and later each year. The storms used to be louder and scarier too, with loud cracks of thunder that always sounded like they came from just outside my bedroom, where I would be huddled under the covers.

Anyway we have this little O'Odham story about the monsoons. They...

paloma

To those of you who know what's up in my marriage: Please understand why I feel the need to work with him past this point. I know I have flipflopped on what to do, I hired a divorce lawyer, I didn't meet with that lawyer, I moved out of the house, I moved back in, I moved out, in, and now out again. It's not just for our son that I'm staying in this relationship right now. I've talked with my closest friend, who grew up without her father, and her perspective helped me. Yes, it would be sad to explain...

paloma

My marriage is in trouble, but this is only tangentially about that. This week was hectic because we put on my Grandfather's memorial. It's an O'odham tradition to do another memorial about a year or so after the funeral. His headstone got put in, and the choir came and everyone sang and the family got to share more stories about him and his ways. We had family coming in from here and there, and they needed places to stay and food to eat. It was a lot of work, but well worth it.
I was running...

paloma

OMG I don't get the hang of the new blogs yet. I thought I was commenting on Ricecooker's and bella3's blogs when I clicked on the pencil icon thingie, but I was posting to my blog on accident. And now I have class in 4 minutes so no time to delete them.
DERRRRRR

paloma

Everybody's life is a work in progress, love. But not everyone can be so determined as I have you seen you be.

Gahh that sounded like gobbledygook but I hope you get what I meant.

paloma

YAY! You're back! You are allowed only one unfunny blog, though, and this is it.

paloma

Maybe it's vanity, but I will fight the good fight against being defined by motherhood. I am more than that, which is why I do not plan to have the Doodlebops or the Wiggles or whatever crap is being marketed to kids in my music rotation. It's the same reason I still put effort into being attractive to my husband, still stay up on current events, still have my ambition intact, and still waste time on aznlover. I think it's a good example to my son that I can be a multi-faceted woman...

paloma

This is one of those weekends when my husband is working a lot. When that happens, I go home to my parents for the weekend. They are thrilled because they get to see the baby, and I am thrilled because I can concentrate on schoolwork, and my mom spoils me by cooking my favorite foods. It's great for the baby too. He's always being held, or talked to, or played with, which would not be the case with my homework load if I just stayed at my home.
This morning, though, something happened...

paloma

I had the parotidectomy awhile back, on February 6th, but I'm just now putting this up. About a week before the surgery, I was sitting in lecture and I learned about post-partum women being at increased risk for thrombolic strokes and I had a minor freakout. I consulted my midwife, an anesthesiologist at the hospital, a former anatomy professor, and also a trusted member here. I was thinking of postponing the surgery until summer when the semester was over, and my increased risk window (which...

paloma

I am breastfeeding the baby, and when I am at school, I have to pump to relieve the discomfort/pain when my milkbags get too full from being away from him. I now have the oh so dorky backpack on wheels because I have to carry around the pump and an insulated bag to store the leche in, as well as the normal school stuff. It's slightly embarassing walking around campus and hearing the KACHUNK KACHUNK of the wheels everywhere I go. Nerd alert! *sigh*

For awhile I was pumping in bathrooms,...

paloma