PART 20, TRYING FOR ANOTHER BLOG SERIES
OK. I think I’m finally there…enjoying my pregnancy.
We were at Disneyland the last few days, and my body handled it surprisingly well! I was totally expecting to be an exhausted wreck- but I wasn’t! At least not for the first two days. Day one and two we were at Disneyland, which was so HOT and crowded. On day two we went back at night for dinner (the best corn dogs ever) and some night rides, like Mickey’s Railroad express. We also got stuck in the traffic of people hanging around for the night parade, which was CRAZY, but we also got to experience the light and song show on Main St, which was actually my favorite memory! And day three we spent at California Adventureland.
The kids have been loving Disneyland- they’re first trip here, aside from Julian who has been a couple of times with his mom. I hadn’t been since high school, and Luc had never ever been in his life! Anders has been going on all the big kid rides and loving them, without getting the tiniest bit scared, which shocks me because he’s usually a big scaredy cat. Ella, on the other hand, is scared of anything dark that includes any sort of menacing character: Buzz Lightyear, Snow White’s Enchanted Witch, even Winnie the Pooh’s Adventures!
Being pregnant at Disneyland is very limiting. Ella’s been able to go on more rides than me! I can’t go on the Autopia (racecar ride), or two of the Star Wars rides that she was able to go on; not to mention all the other good rides: Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Indiana Jones, Splash Mountain, you name it. But the positive side is that Ella and I got to hang back and take things slow together. It’s been nice having the time with her. Our favorite rides have been It’s a Small World, Winnie the Pooh, LIttle Mermaid and Soarin Around the World. My role has been planning and booking all the rides for the boys, using the Genie Pass. That’s been fun for me, as I’m a planner.
California Adventureland was a much more relaxing environment: more space/less people. But by that time I was so exhausted and done being on my feet all day. I was dealing with kids who were equally exhausted and Anders came down with a cold the night before, so there was lots of extra crankiness going around.
Our ride home was excellent actually. Luc and I were happy to be off our feet, and the kids soundly slept most of the way. We made it the whole 7 hour drive with only two stops! Oh, I forgot to mention that on the drive down, Anders got immediately carsick. We made it an hour before he threw up the first time, then again 45 mins later, before we stopped to pick up some Dramamine and take an early lunch break. Nothing makes a car ride more stressful for me than him getting carsick.
Our conclusive thoughts on the trip:
Anders: loved it & favorite rides: Space Mountain, Star Wars Rise of the Resistance
Julian: totally worth it & favorite rides: Space Mountain and Incredicoaster
Ella: loved it and favorite rides: It’s a Small World, Soarin Around the World and Little Mermaid
Luc: great memories made that are worth it & favorite rides: Star Wars Rise of the Resistance and Splash Mountain
Me: not worth it, would have rather gone to Tahoe or Hawaii for the $5k the trip cost total & favorite rides: Soarin' Around the World, It’s a Small World and Little Mermaid Favorite Experience: night time.
Roe v. Wade was overturned last week. Seems like a backwards move, doesn’t it? Taking away women’s rights? In the same week, a gun law was overturned, making it easier for people to get and carry guns, amidst the constant news of public shootings.
I have initial gut feelings about this: a woman should have a right to chose abortion up until a certain stage of fetal development: around 14 weeks. And I DO NOT think we should be making gun rights looser, in the midst of all of this nation’s gun violence, it seems quite obvious that it should be the opposite! But, I am not one to jump to quick conclusions. I know these decisions are complex, and often not as clear cut as they seem. I think the complexities involved in this legal decision include such things as: is abortion even meant to be part of the constitution, or is it more appropriate as a federal right? And how do we determine when “life” begins? Is it conception, or when a fetus is viable, or upon birth? These are not easy questions to answer. But, I do think that in general, women deserve the right to choose whether or not to have an abortion within an appropriate fetal development timeframe, and if the right has not been abused (an excessive number of abortions?) previously.
This is a momentus move for women’s rights, and shocking amidst a culture that seems to be moving in the opposite direction. I am concerned about how it will affect women. In doing some research I found that after Roe v Wade was passed, the number of abortions stayed about the same but just became legal. So this leads me to believe that women will continue getting abortions as needed, illegally, which may create some very unsafe procedures. This all seems backwards and shocking to me, but I have to remember that I live in California, where we are in a cultural bubble that is different from much of the country.
Alright I covered a lot in this two week check-in, from Disneyland to Roe v. Wade. In terms of pregnancy, it’s getting a lot more real for me, as baby increases communication through kicking with me. I’ll let you know more next week.
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