It has been so long, I barely know how to use this thing anymore. I haven't been on here in forever, my friends list is very sparse, and I hardly remember people!

I almost long for the days when I read Draco/Hermione Fanfics like they were going out of style. I was so involved in the fandom, and then I just... wasn't.

It is almost difficult to process how that happens.

I may take a browse over to the fic exchange to see if I remember some of my favourite fics.

I am interested in becoming a mentor at http://community.livejournal.com/adopt_a_mom/profile and you need to post a nursing story so here are mine!

My daughter was born at 32 weeks in 2003. I had been planning on bfing but I had more of the "I'll see how it goes" attitude and planned to bf for six months or so. I also planned to use a crib, use CIO, etc.

One day I noticed extreme swelling in my face, hands and feet. Over the course of the next few days, I was admitted to the hospital with severe pre-eclampsia and delivered within about 12 hours of going to the hospital. My daughter was born via an emergency c-section. I spent a week recovering in the hospital and my daughter spent a month. Immediately following my c-section a breast pump was wheeled into my Intesive Care room and an amazing nurse named Michelle, helped me pump and get started. My husband brought my tiny bit of colostrum to the NICU and the nurses there cheered. Although my daughter received breastmilk fortifier in my expressed milk never had any formula in the hospital or once she came home with us. I pumped almost exclusively for one month and continued to pump and supplement with the pumped milk for several months after. The only thing I would change is the delivery method - she received the pumped breast milk in bottles. In hindsight, I would not have done that and am fortunate that she took the the breast so easily. My daughter was tiny, 3 1/2 pounds at birth, but she thrived on breastmilk. I nursed her until she was three years old. She is now a happy, healthy and amazing five year old!

Following my daughter's birth, I found out that I have the Prothrombin Gene mutation for blood clotting. The pathology on my placenta showed blood clots all over. When I became pregnant with my son, I was referred to the high risk unit of one of Canada's best hospitals (I had also given birth to my daughter there). While I could not have the pregnancy or birth experience that I wanted (I had to stop working at 6 months, needed to be monitored twice a week at the hospital, required placental scans every two weeks and took fragmin injections twice a day, plus had a week long hospital stay prior to the birth of my son at 37 weeks, and again had a c-section) I did my best to maintain peace while doing daily yoga, meditating, getting massages and reike and eating a natural diet.

My second hospital experience post natal was entirely different from the first. My son was small, 5 pounds 7 ounces, and had his blood sugar tested immediately. It was low and he was given formula despite the fact that I was breastfeeding him. This terrible experience continued for a few hours until I was moved to my room. A pediatrician came and wanted him to be exclusively formula fed for at least a few days. I refused and continued to breastfeed him. He was slightly jaundiced and they almost did not release us from the hospital. I went to see my doctor immediately after his birth and I supplemented my son with breastmilk from a cup for a few weeks. My doctor is amazing and very breastfeeding friendly. My sons weight gain was great and he is now an adorable, alert, moving around like crazy little nearly nine month old. I plan to let him self wean.

I have dealt with a lot during my time as a mother with respect to breastfeeding, but to be honest, it feels like nothing. I would do it again in a second.

Can someone link me to the fandom wiki, particularly the Draco/Hermione section, and even more particularly, to the section that mentions the draco/hermione fic exchange?

Thanks!

I cut my friend's list today. I have not been on much lately, and while I am coming back, my interests have changed and evolved. I also cut a lot of communities. I am hoping that this will better enable me to keep up with those who are on my list and begin to comment in their (your) journals with more regularity.

Now that I am starting to rejoin life on lifejournal, I need a bit of advice.

I want a new theme and layout. Can anyone recommed anything? I like layouts that clearly delineate between one post and the next. I am also quite minimalist. What about themes? Are there places I can go to get free (and easy themes/banners)?

Also, should I do Basic, Plus or paid account? I used to have a paid account, but it expired, so I am trying Plus and notice all the ads.

Also, I am not sure what I want to use my journal for anymore. I love reading some people's blogs and want to do more of a witty life commentary. I don't really care if people read it, but I think that's what I want to do.

Thoughts?

It has been a LONG time, but I am back, and ready for some action.

Tara and I are starting up a V-day draco/hermione exchange at the community.

I really hope to get into journaling again. In the meantime, I want to say hello to all my lj friends. I have missed you and look forward to "seeing" you again!

I have't posted in a long time but this issue is important. Please read!

Popular Blogging Site Restricts Some Breasts
LiveJournal cites breastfeeding images as ‘inappropriate’ and sends mothers to the virtual restroom

Women on the popular blog site LiveJournal are calling foul at the company’s decision to brand images of breastfeeding as ‘inappropriate.’ Many users of the site have joined together to urge LiveJournal’s parent company SixApart to address their concerns and reevaluate the policy.

Small “userpics” of no more than 100 by 100 pixels represent LiveJournal members throughout the site. Users can define one of these icons as “default icon” which plugs it into the user’s public profile. These default icons were originally not permitted to be ‘sexually explicit or graphically violent.’ Recently, icons which depicted breastfeeding were cited as being ‘inappropriate’ by the LiveJournal abuse team, a group of volunteers who monitor complaints on the site. After clarification was requested, LiveJournal changed their FAQ to reflect a no nudity rule and is claiming that icons with visible areola or nipple are not permitted. Whether or not areola is visible in a photograph is dependent on a number of factors, including skin tone of the mother and physical changes during pregnancy.

Claimed Live Journal Abuse Staffer ‘Erin’ in a post on the site, “That’s really a matter for the FCC to decide. LiveJournal’s policies on this mirror what would be allowed on primetime TV or in a PG-13 movie.” However, this is not true. The FCC does not consider the act of breastfeeding on television to fall under the definitions of indecency or obscenity.

Breastfeeding is exempt from nudity laws throughout the United States as well as countries such as Canada. Advocates are urging LiveJournal to adopt the same criteria. “It is regrettable that LiveJournal has chosen to target breastfeeding mothers instead of standing up for the protection provided them by law,” says Carrie Patterson, executive director of ProMom.org, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing public awareness and public acceptance of breastfeeding.

“It is regrettable that LiveJournal has chosen to target breastfeeding mothers”Advocates state that the feeling that breastfeeding should be hidden only fosters the idea that the natural act of nourishing a child is scandalous.

Breastfeeding bloggers who have refused to change their default icon have been suspended from the site. These users, as well as others questioning the policy, have been treated poorly by the site’s volunteer abuse team, something that is not unusual according to other site users. More than 1,000 LiveJournal users complained, and SixApart issued an apology to the group. However, the company refuses to consider modifying their policy and continues to suspend users whose default icons are deemed inappropriate. Although LiveJournal stated a clarified rule, mothers are still reporting major inconsistencies in its application.

The breastfeeding debacle is only the most recent in a long line of incidents that have people wondering if the abuse procedures as a whole should be reviewed for fairness and propriety. Complaints have been raised about users’ privacy, inconsistent enforcement of the Terms of Service, conflicting information and responses from abuse team members, and discourteous replies to users seeking clarification on the rules.

Activists are now working together to get this policy changed and to clarify the policies and procedures of the LiveJournal abuse team. While some are refusing to continue paying for the service, others have moved to different journaling websites to protest what they feel is a violation of their rights.

Here is the link: http://onestarrynight.com/index.php/onestarrynight/livejournal-breastfeeding-ban/

This is disgusting in my opinion. Breastfeeding your child is normal and natural and what nature intended. Breastfeeding is the standard.

Just a quick hello to say that I'm sort of around.

I will be doing dmhgficexchange stuff this weekend.

I have been seriously swamped at work and at life and haven't been on the computer much. I will take some time soon to update and to read all of your journals.

Hope everyone is well!

From jiayi:

Guilt	What is yours?	Explain yourself
Culinary:	Pizza	I love pizza so much, it's ridiculous. I try not to eat it that often though.
Literary:	John Grisham	This is a guilt right? The shame. I love the fast paced, mindlessness of the books.
Audiovisual:	Prison Break	Who am I kidding? I feel not guilt! ;)
Musical:	Clay Aiken singing Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch	Do I need to explain myself? It's sooooo humiliating!
Celebrity:	Wentworth Miller	Wentworth is the new Ryan.

Now I tag:-

anothersadsong acony_bell streetscribbles kataclysmic and reetinkerbell


to complete this same Quiz, Its HERE.

I'm so busy. I know I owe some people emails and things, and will get on it. Seriously.