Public Service Announcement

Dear Circus Readers,

Never under any circumstances is it alright to ask a woman in "child bearing years" if they are going to have children. Variances of this that are also intolerable include but are not limited to:

"So are you planning on having a baby soon?"
"Oh you have been married x years it is time to start a family."
"Do you have children?" followed by "No, are you going to?"
"Your clock is ticking. You only have x good years yet."

This also includes variations of these statements to parents of adult child bearing aged children who are within earshot:

"Oh it is so sad that you only have 4 legged grandchildren"
"Oh you have 3 grown children and no grandchildren how sad?"

I am SICK of it! People, especially acquaintances, feel that making small talk includes prying into your sex life. Personally it is none of their God-damned business. I don't walk around asking you if you and your husband are having sex regularly. You would be offended if I did.

First of all not everyone wants to have children. Why should they justify this to people that they barely know? It is a personal decision to have kids. Secondly, how do you know that you aren't talking to someone who has been trying to conceive for a long time and it hasn't? How do you know if you are talking to someone who is infertile? Do you realize that you may send people into a downward spiral that may take them days to get over? Do you really want to be responsible for causing that person so much pain? Third, it is just a royal pain in the ass. Why should I justify to you, a person that I just met, my personal decision of when and how to start a family? I don't ask you why you drink, smoke, snort crack etc... This is along the same lines of asking a single person why they aren't married.

People are so damned insensitive!!!! Think before you speak people!!!!

Chloe Suellen

Colin Meeting His New Sister

The New Family

Pretty in Pink!

Welcome to the family!

There have been two unexpected additions to our "family" in the past week. One was expected but not so soon, where the other came out of no where. First off, my parents adopted a dog last week. This is surprising because we were always told that when the dogs that they owned had gone to doggy heaven that they were done. We all knew that this wasn't true because of the way that she fell in love with our little Jackson. She loves to play "go fetch" and makes him cock his head from side to side so that he looks like he is intently listening to you.

We were up in Clintonville seeing my sisters new house and hanging out with the family. We went to the city pound (Brad's group is in charge of care for the animals) to see the cute puppy that Brad was talking about. I think that it was love at first sight for Danny. He loved that dog! She is a cutie! We stole the dog away to the house to meet mom. Mom was guilted into saying that Danny could adopt the dog. So little Daisy is now at the farm raising hell.

The second addition came a little sooner than expected. My friend Heidi was pregnant and due at the end of the month. Betsy's birthday to be exact! I received a phone call Saturday night while I was in the dells for a bachelorette party (another post all together). It was Mitch (Heidi's husband), the message on my voicemail was all scratchy with no voice. So I left the bar and headed outside to call back. I was informed that Heidi was in labor and if I could please come as soon as possible they would like me to tape the birth. We were waiting for the cab to come and take us to another location which was across the street from where we were parked. I ran to the car and called Mitch said I am in the car I am about and hour and a half away, I was gonna stop at home to change clothes and grab overnight stuff and head out. By the time I got home she had already had the baby.

According to both Mitch and Heidi the baby pretty much just fell out. Her labor started at 10:05 at 11pm they called the doctor, she said come in and get checked out. She was at 4 cm and they sent her up to be admitted to her birthing suite. When she got settled in (15-20minutes later) they checked her cervix and she was 5.5 cm. At about 12:30 the anesthesiologist was ordered for the epidural. The anesthesiologist walked out the room at ~12:41, Heidi rolled onto her back at 12:42, baby popped out at 12:43. No big push, baby just came out. The anesthesiologist walked in a few minutes later and took out the epidural. The drugs didn't kick in until after she gave birth. The only people in the room when it happened were Mitch and the nurse. No doctor, nothing.

Welcome to the world Chloe Suellen! I will post a picture tonight!