Please Stand Up

Please stand up straight.  My posture is atrocious.  It wasn't like this several years ago, and it got to this state for several reasons, namely the babies, but there's no excuse for it now.

When you're pregnant, you have a large mass in the front of you that you need to counter-balance.  The easiest way to do this is to arch and lean slightly backwards.  It puts your center of gravity back on the center line and your newly gained pounds are more manageable and you're less-prone to falling or stumbling. 

Once you have the baby, the way it feels safest to carry it is by holding the little squirming bundle tight to your chest.  Arching your back when you're holding a child going up and down stairs, or to be prepared for when a toddler lunges forwards to escape your arms is also a good tool for balance and general stability.

But I find myself with my back arched all the time.  If I wanted it to appear that I have a more flat stomach after all this weight loss, sticking it out all the time would be the wrong choice.   I've noticed more and more lately that the arched back position is a posture I'm standing in for no good reason.

So I'm on a stand up straight campaign.  My back is the designated beneficiary. 

The Big Boy Update:  Cock?  Okay, I have hesitations about writing on this topic, because I try to keep it clean here.  But in this case, we've all noticed it.  My son says, "cock" all the time.  He says it very clearly too.  We're assuming, of course, that he's talking about the male rooster, but no one knows.  No one has used this word around him.  We don't know what he's trying to say, because he says it in all sorts of situations.  We didn't even want to point it out until it became so prevalant—and funny—that everyone just couldn't help laughing.  Is he saying, "what" or "that" or some noun we can't understand?   Hopefully he will gain a better level of enunciation soon so we can reinforce the proper pronuncation.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  Bonk!  We went jet skiing yesterday and my niece, Nicole, wanted to sit for both children at the same time.  Need I mention she is brave?  When we left, both were asleep but the dog snuck into the room and woke them up.  She had both out, and my daughter got into a position where she fell backwards and hit her head on the hearth.  If you've ever heard this before, it's always a much louder sound than a little tiny head should make.  She started crying.  My son, trouble maker that he is, started crying too.  She was very worried that the baby was hurt.  But she did just the right thing.  She called her grandmother who had her asses the damage (nothing visible) and then put some ice on the back of her head.  When we got home everyone was happy again, but it was a scary time for Nicole for a bit.  I am proud of her for not panicing.  She is going to be a great baby sitter.