ithink

I got this notification from another biking group I'm in:

On Tuesday, June 3rd at 11:00 AM, the state legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation will hold a public hearing on automated enforcement. The bills—H.3754 and S.2344—would legalize the use of automated enforcement in Massachusetts.

These critical measures are sponsored by Representatives Owens and Cruz and Senator Brownsberger.Please write to [email protected] to provide written testimony to the state committee hearing in support of automated traffic enforcement for speeding and running red lights.

Here's my letter. I specifically did not mention that I am a biker

I'm still rocking the covid-cautious lifestyle until my whole family is eligible for vaccination, so not comfortable with indoor dining. What are your favorite to-go cocktails in the area? So far, we've been loving Posto.

My father moved in with us to help take care of my newborn during Covid. He usually lives in a different state, so his id, etc are all out of state. He doesn't have any proof he lives here, though I guess I could add him to my utilities if I had to.

It would be easiest to get the vaccine in MA, now that he's eligible, but he's worried they'll turn him away. Do the state sites (like Gillette) require proof of residence?

There’s a weird limbo between exclusively breastfeeding (EBF) and exclusively formula feeding (EFF) called exclusively pumping (EP). I suspect few people plan to EP before they have a baby. Those of us who do are thrust there by circumstance. Some people are separated from their baby for medical reasons or the baby is not strong enough to breastfeed. Some people’s babies have tongue or lip ties that make it nearly impossible to breastfeed until the issue is identified and corrected, and by then it is “too late”. And some people (like me) and their babies just can’t get the hang of breastfeeding and we don’t know why. We still want to feed our babies breastmilk, so we start pumping to fill in

I am thinking about getting a breast pump that would allow me to move around more easily. I aspire to exclusively pump (currently supplementing with ~6oz/day of formula). I already have a Spectra, but I'm spending a lot of time tied to the pump and it's going to be hard to care for my 5 week old and pump at the same time when my husband goes back to work next week.

I'd love to get this community's perspective on the more "mobile" pumps, like the Willow, Elvie, and Freemie.

Freemie: Cheaper than the other two, and more customizable fit. Could even buy flanges for my spectra to make it lower profile.

Elvie: Very close to "set and forget" - automatically switches from letdown to expression

A couple of years ago, I started to notice that my husband (35M) seemed to stop breathing while he's sleeping. It was noticeable because he snores, and then there'd be silence for a few seconds, and then he'd start breathing again with a gasp and usually toss a little. He asked his doctor about it in his next physical, and the doctor dismissed it completely. He said my husband had allergies and should start using flonase and that sleep studies were expensive. For a while the flonase seemed to help, and I got him a giant pillow to help him sleep on his side. But then I started to notice it again. So I bought one of those blood oximeters that's suitable for sleep.

Here's the graph we got on t

I don't know why this bothers me so much. I really don't want to tell anyone that I'm pregnant because I don't want them to say "congrats." It feels too soon in the pregnancy to say it. Even if we make it past the point where I lost my first pregnancy, it just feels like there's so much that can go wrong.

I know I'll have to tell people eventually and deal with their reactions. They're going to be excited, and they'll be confused when I'm very matter-of-fact. They're not going to understand why I don't want to talk about it much and am not making a ton of plans.

Any ideas for how to let people know you're pregnant again while preserving your fragile mental peace?

I learned about the Stockdale paradox from Good to Great, a book on building a great business: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpgLAuZdutM

The basic idea is that you have to keep the faith that you will persevere in the end while still facing facts of the current situation. For example, I try to keep in mind that it's still pretty likely that I end up having a living child eventually; however, the chance that I will get pregnant this month or next month is not that high.

Are there any "motivational" ideas you've found helpful in coping with TTC?

They've written a few articles articles recently, after the Meghan McCain piece (example: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/10/10/opinion/miscarriage-pregnancy.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage)

I have been trying to be more open with people around me about the fact that I've had a miscarriage, but it is really really hard. I've told my friends, a few current and former coworkers (but - NOT my manager), and literally anyone who makes any comment about whether or when we'll have kids. (For the last group, I usually just say, "

My doctor won't order any testing at all until I've had another miscarriage. That's crazy to me - by the time I've had another miscarriage at least 6 more months will have passed! If blood tests show something abnormal, there might actually be something I can do! She won't even really talk about letting me pay for the tests myself, she just keeps insisting that they "too expensive" and the insurance won't cover them.

Has anyone used any of the sites where you can order your own lab tests and take them to a quest or labcorps site to have blood drawn? (I'm in the US - Massachusetts to be specific - the laws seem to vary state by state.) What site did you use, what tests did you choose? I'm co

Does anyone have a lead on nice, classy looking, unity candles? I see a lot out there (esp on etsy), but many are sort of cheesy looking. I'd like something where the text/decoration is part of the candle (not a decal, not a ribbon) and is understated. It should look like a wedding candle without necessarily having enormous bells on it, etc. Bonus points if the decoration goes all the way around the candle instead of being on just one side, or if the candle has some shape rather than just straight up-and-down. It doesn't need to be personalized/personalizable.

I would include a picture, but I honestly haven't been able to find anything even close to what I'm imagining.

I'm getting the sens

I never learned to play any instruments while I was young, but I think it would be an interesting thing to do now. (for some reason, it feels like I have more spare time as an adult than I did as a kid!)

Which instruments are easy to pick up for someone with essentially no musical training?

(caveat: I am terrible at singing.)