Lawyer Mama

BlogHer Interviews Secretary Kathleen Sebelius

This morning, BlogHer's Morra Aarons Mele interviewed Health and Human Service Secretary Kathleen Sebelius about health care reform.  BlogHer landed the interview late last week and then had to get the word out in the middle of Snowpocalypse 2009.  I'm really impressed that Secretary Sebelius kept the scheduled interview at 9:30am, even though the federal government was officially closed today because of the Winter storm.

You can see all of the questions posed by BlogHer members on the BlogHer website, including my own question regarding restricting access to abortion.  If you scroll down a bit after my comment, check out the comment by Cyn.  I think she asked the question far more thoroughly, and more coherently, than I did!

Secretary Sebelius answers my question, in part, at about 3:20.

Here is my question/comment in full:

I'm concerned about the possibility that several states will pass mini-Stupak amendments, severely restricting abortion access for many women.

It seems that the media, and even most politicians, have focused solely on the affect Stupak (on the national or state level) would have on optional abortions.  What seems to be missing from this debate is any knoweldge about medically necessary abortions - otherwise known as a D&C.  D&C's are frequently performed when a natural miscarriage is incomplete to prevent hemorhagging and infection.  

Perhaps I'm hyper aware of this because of my own struggles to have a child and the 2 medically necessary d&c procedures I've endured - both covered by insurance. But I am absolutely infuriated that a woman's health and future fertility could be put at risk by such an amendment.  I fail to see how this is any different from restricting access to medical treatment for any other condition.

Is the administration aware of this?  What will the administration do to ensure that women (and this does solely affect *women*) aren't put at risk by the willingness of politicians to serve up abortion rights as "compromise."  The reproductive health of so many women could be at stake.

For those of you who aren't aware, Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) negotiated an amendment to the Senate version of the health care bill that would permit states to place further restrictions on funds used for abortion.  This will allow states to create their own mini-Stupak amendments.  The Stupak-Pitts amendment from the House version of the bill, restricted federal funds used for abortions in plans on the exchange, except in cases of incest, rape or the where the life of the mother is in danger.  There is no exception for procedures that are medically necessary to protect the future fertility of the mother if it doesn't rise to the level of risk of death.

Secretary Sebelius didn't address the more specific concerns that I mentioned in my question, but to be fair, the whole question wasn't asked. I understand why the more general question was asked.  Morra had a set amount of time and it's nearly impossible to ask someone in Secretary Sebelius's position to comment on individual situations.  I should have crafted my question more broadly to specifically address how restrictions will impact medically necessary abortion procedures.  

Don't get me wrong, even if the bill had been drafted more precisely, I'd still be annoyed.  Abortion is a legal procedure.  And it definitely needs to be.  A good friend, and fellow local progressive, became a nurse before abortion was legal.  She still shudders when she talks about what happened to some women forced to seek back alley or do-it-yourself abortions.

Unfortunately I think the concerns many women have about restricting abortion access are simply being ignored.  My fear is that restricting optional abortion access will lead to restrictions of medically necessary abortions, ensuring that only women of means will be able to obtain an abortion, whether optional or medically necessary. The idea that a legal procedure, one that is frequently necessary to preserve the future fertility of women, will be restricted, is infuriating to me. I don't see why the Nelson amendment couldn't have been crafted more creatively and specifically to prevent this.  Unfortunately, Congress is using an axe and a sledgehammer when they should have used a surgical knife to carefully carve out restrictions to a legal medical procedure.

Do Elf Ears Run in the Family?

Hollis's ears stick out a bit, just like his father's. Our very observant 3 year old has now noticed. At dinner tonight he declared that, "Hollis has elf ears!" When Hollis protested, Holden stood up, pointed us to a photo of Hollis and said, "See? Elf ears!"

We were not successful in holding back the laughter, although we did assure Hollis that elf ears are much more pointy. 

Facebook 2009: My Year in Status Updates

Happy Holidays Flashback: 2006

In 2007 I was boring.  I bought boxed cards.  But in 2006, we had the whole family on our holiday cards.  This is the one and only time since we had children that T and I have made an appearance on our holiday card. 

In November of 2006, when these photos were taken, I had been blogging for about 3 months!  Holden was 10 months old and Hollis had just turned 2.  And yes, that is still some very scary math for me.

Enjoy!

Happy Holidays Flashback: 2008

Yesterday, I happened to mention that I designed and ordered holiday cards in 2008 but failed to actually send them out!  Several people have asked if they could see it, so I figured what the heck!  Why not?

So here you go.  The never-before-seen N_____ Family 2008 Holiday Card!

The outside, front and back:

(Click to enlarge)

...and the inside:

I think I'll make that my signature phrase:

"Embrace the naughty."

Happy holidays!

Happy Holidays!

I've sent out all of my holiday cards!  This is a first for me.  Last year I designed and ordered cards.  Never sent them.  I actually thought about sending them out in July, but I lost my motivation rather quickly.

This year I swore that I would send out cards and that the boys would sit still for some decent photos!  Well... at least the first part of that happened.  I got some shots of the boys in their adorable little tuxes at my brother's wedding in October.  Holden was less than cooperative.

However, since most people have gotten our card by now, I think it's safe to reveal it on the blog.  Happy Holidays!

USS George H. W. Bush on LightHearted Photography

I have a new post up on LightHearted Photography, the Blog.   I've shared some photos of the commissioning of the aircraft carrier, the USS George H. W. Bush, from January of 2009.

Looking at the World a Little Differently

In photography, sometimes the details are everything.  A scene that could be boring, at best, can be rendered intriguing if you look at things a little...differently.

Over the last year, my life has changed dramatically.  I quit my full time job at a law firm; started my own photography business; got through a major depressive episode; oh and almost destroyed my marriage.  Yeah, there was that too.

We're working on it and I'm working on me.  But I need to stop focusing on what I haven't done and haven't accomplished in my 37 years and focus on what I have.  I need to stop caring what other people think and figure out what I care about.

I have two beautiful little boys who adore me. I have a family and a husband that loves me.  I have friends that challenge me to think, to feel, to help and support others. 

I have amazing friends.

If there's one thing I've learned in the last year, it's who my real friends are.  My real friends didn't cut and run during the hard times.  My real friends stayed and listened and offered their support.  Do I think that those who stayed are simply more open minded than others?  No.  I think that those people who really care about me were able look at things a little more objectively because of their love for me.

Another important thing I've learned over the last year is that I need to write and I need to take photographs.  When I don't, I become a bottled up, raging mess.

So in 2010, I'm going to make more of an effort to keep writing here and I've decided that I will take at least one photograph every day in 2010 to post on my photo blog.

I'll try to keep focusing on the details when the big picture - life - is just too much for me.  Sometimes the details remind me what's most important. 

What Do You Do When Your Child is "That Child?"

This evening I fielded one of those phone calls every parent dreads.  It was my almost-four year old's pre-school teacher calling to talk about his behavior in school.

Holden is a sweet kid.  When he wants to be.  When he doesn't, he's, frankly, a brat.  He's stubborn, wants to do his own thing and doesn't care if he's punished.  One of his saving graces is that he generally fesses up when he's hit, kicked or bitten a fellow classmate and he takes his punishment.  But then he gets up from time out and does it again.

He won't sit in circle time.  If a task doesn't interest him or strikes him as "wrong" in some way, he refuses to participate.  Just refuses. 

For example, today, his teacher gave the class worksheets with a Christmas tree to color and decorate.  She asked the children to fill in the circles with red.  (This was an exercise to see how well they can identify their colors and follow directions.)  Holden piped up with, "But Christmas tree are GREEN!"  Even after his teacher explained that they were coloring the decorations first and then they would color the tree, he refused to do it.  He just sat there at the table while everyone else colored.

Holden hits and kicks the other children when he doesn't get his way and he honestly doesn't care if everyone else in the class is sitting quietly listening to a story - he's going to do what he wants. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm well aware that much of this behavior is normal for toddlers.  But the extent of the behavior is the problem.

In my mother's family, we have this legend about the male H---- Family gene.  My mother's 5 brothers and pretty much every male in my generation have all followed the same personality pattern, including my younger brother.  They're all opinionated, amazingly stubborn, don't do well in formal classroom or work settings, and like to do their own thing.  All of them are incredibly smart, but none of them did well in school.

I see all of this now in Holden.  But I can't help thinking that we can somehow break this pattern and help Holden learn how to fit his odd-shaped personality "peg" into the round "hole" that is school.  I know that the earlier we can help Holden with this, the better off he'll be.

Continue reading this post on the D.C. Metro Moms Blog....

Winter in Chesapeake

I have a new post up on LightHearted Photography, The Blog.  It's a pictorial of snow-less Winter in my little corner of Chesapeake.