The Intergalactic Nemesis World Premiere- Imagine 1,250 hand-drawn full-color action-packed images projected one-by-one onto a huge screen! Imagine three actors voicing dozens of characters! Imagine one sound engineer creating hundreds of sound effects before your very eyes! Imagine being swept away by the incredible original music! Imagine a story that transports you from Romania to Scotland to Tunis to the far reaches of outer space! But wait! You don’t need to imagine it… Tickets starting at $14. Friday and Saturday, 8:00pm. The Long Center for the Performing Arts, 701 West Riverside Dr.

Kids/ Teens Night Out- Children enjoy a safe place to play while Mom and Dad enjoy a worry-free evening of their own every other Saturday night monthly (may vary due to holidays or special programming). The evening includes a pizza dinner, games, crafts and play time in the Gym and Playscape. The evening winds down with snacks and a movie (G or PG rated). Children need to wear comfortable clothing (including socks). Blankets, pillow and pjs are welcome. Saturday, 6:00- 11:00pm. Chasco Family YMCA, 1812 N. Mays Street, Round Rock.

Family Storytime- Family Storytime is open to all ages. Come enjoy books, music and crafts. Saturday, 10:00am- 11:00am. FREE!! Cedar Park Public Library, 600 N. Bell Blvd.

Book Box One Year Anniversary Celebration- Come celebrate one year of being in business with the Book Box! There will be a moon jump, a slushie machine, tattoo booth, craft booth, and the Fabulous Ms. Lori doing story time and craft. In addition, our good Friends from Incredible Crust Pizza will be giving each person a free slice of Pizza! FREE!! Saturday, Noon- 6:00pm. Take 20% off all purchases on this special day! Beth’s Book Box, 15803 Windermere Dr., Pflugerville.

Little Lounge Lizards- A dance club party, where cool kids ages 10 and under along with the groovy “grown-ups”, can boogie down to dance hits from the 70’s on up. Spun by Austin’s popular live DJ Syko at a hip night club. Tickets, $9. The first Saturday of every month from 1:00- 4:00pm. Qua, 213 W. 4th Street.

Sensory Friendly Movie- AMC and the Autism Society have teamed up to bring families affected by autism and other disabilities a special opportunity to enjoy their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment on a monthly basis with the “Sensory Friendly Films” program. In order to provide a more accepting and comfortable setting for this unique audience, the movie auditoriums will have their lights brought up and the sound turned down, families will be able to bring in their own gluten-free, casein-free snacks, and no previews or advertisements will be shown before the movie. Additionally, audience members are welcome to get up and dance, walk, shout or sing – in other words, AMC’s “Silence is Golden^®” policy will not be enforced unless the safety of the audience is questioned. This month’s feature film is Nanny McPhee Returns. Saturday, 10:00am. Tickets, $5. AMC 14, Barton Creek Mall.

Dinosaur Park’s Anniversary- Lots of fun for the whole family as we celebrate the beginning of our 5th year!  A variety of live creatures will be on exhibit from 11am – 3pm, courtesy of Herpeton Exotic Pets of Austin.  Plus, anyone wearing one of our official “Dinosaur Park, Cedar Creek, Texas” T-shirts will receive FREE admission into The Park. Saturday, all day. The Dinosaur Park, 893 Union Chapel Rd.

Home Depot’s Kids Workshop- FREE How-to workshop designed for children 5-12 years old. This month kids will be making a football display. Saturday, 9:00am- Noon. All participating Home Depot locations.

Crafts for Kids- Bring the kids, ages 3 and up, to make an All ABout Me Pop-Up Book. FREE!! Saturday between 11:00am- 3:00pm. Lakeshore Learning Store, 9828 Great Hills Trail.

TEXplorations Family Storytime- Family Story Time features a hands-on activity, stories and more! After Story Time, the Museum’s Exhibits are FREE from 2 – 6 p.m. as part of Wells Fargo First Saturdays. FREE!! Saturday, 2:00- 3:00pm. The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800 N. Congress Ave.

Sign Language Storytime- Enjoy a FREE sign language storytime at the Wells Branch Community Library. Saturday, 1:00pm. Wells Branch Community Library, 15001 Wells Port Dr.

Storytime with Clifford the Big Red Dog- Come beat the heat and join us for a fun-filled storytime! We will be joined by Clifford the Big Red Dog. As always, great stories and fun crafts will fill out our time together in the Children’s Department. Come join the fun! FREE!! Saturday, 10:30am. Barnres and Noble, Hill Country Galleria,  12701 Hill Country Blvd Ste O-140, Bee Cave.

Wells Fargo First Saturdays and TEXplorations- The Museum offers free admission to the exhibits from 2 – 6 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month with Wells Fargo First Saturdays. Visitors can also take advantage of the monthly thematic TEXplorations Family Story Time from 2 – 4 p.m. on First Saturdays. FREE!! The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800 N. Congress Ave.

Storytime at Mitchie’s- Enjoy a FREE storytime and sign language featuring African-American folktales from 1:00-2:00pm every Saturday. Kids receive free refreshments, a gift and a 30% discount! Mitchie’s Gallery, 7801 N. Lamar Blvd., Bldg. B, Suite 148.

Family Yoga with Cindy- Enjoy a FREE (with purchase from cafe) yoga session for the entire family! Saturday, 10:00-11:00am. Ruta Maya Coffee Shop, 3601 S. Congress Ave.

Saturday Morning Storytime- Join us every Saturday morning for Storytime. We’ll read a different story every week and have a great time creating a special craft! Don’t miss it. FREE!! Saturday, 11:00am. Barnes and Noble, 10000 Research Blvd., 5601 Brodie Lane in Sunset Valley.

Storytime: Oui! Oui! Viva la France!- Bonjour! This week marks the anniversary of the Marquis de Lafayette, the French general who saved us big time during the American Revolution! In his honor, we’ll have a very FRENCH storytime. We’ll read Madeline and the Cats of Rome along with other Frenchy tales and make little French flags! FREE!! Saturday, 11:30am. BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar Blvd.

Sunday Morning Kid’s Show- Bring the entire family for a FREE kid’s show every Sunday at 10:30am. Ruta Maya Coffee Shop, 3601 S. Congress Avenue.

Splash Jam- Bring the family out to enjoy inflatables, face painting, laser tag and video games, live music, fireworks and a movie in the park (Planet 51). FREE!! Sunday, 5:00pm. Elizabeth Milburn Park, 1901 Sun Chase Blvd.

We’ve been eating a whole lot of salads over the past couple of weeks since it’s been so miserably hot outside. I step into the kitchen and have a tough time cooking large meals that require me use the stove or oven for long periods of time. But after several days in a row of just eating salads for dinner, I grew tired of the thought of more greens. And so I pulled out my tattered and torn copy of Food & Wine magazine (September 2007) to find some inspiration. I stumbled onto the well-worn page with the recipe for cappon magro (aka Tuna, Olive and Bread Salad). It’s an easy dish to make and even easier to clean up! Makes for the perfect fancy summer tuna salad.

We recently returned from the Ligurian Coast in Italy where this recipe has its roots. Admittedly, I forgot all about making it over the past couple of summers while I was visiting that particular region. I wish now that I would have kept an eye out for it in restaurants while there to compare the differences between the way I make it and the way they serve it in Italy. Apparently, from the research that I’ve done, the version that I make is completely different from what they serve there. Oh well…. just incentive to go again!

The original recipe calls for anchovies, but I have always left those out. I have played around with some of the other ingredients in the past if I don’t have a particular item on hand and it always turns out good. I also use more garlic than the recipe calls for because it adds a spiciness to the dish. Word of warning: Wear gloves when rubbing the clove on the bread so that your hands don’t smell like garlic for several days after preparing this dish!

Ingredients:

One Loaf Italian Bread, cut into 8-10 thickly sliced pieces (the bread is one of the best parts so add more if you have plenty)

2 Garlic Cloves

2 Tablespoons Vinegar (red wine or balsamic diluted with a little salad vinegar if you don’t have red wine vinegar)

2 Tablespoons Water

1 Pound Diced Tomatoes (plum or cherry tomatoes work great)

1 Seedless Cucumber, peeled, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 Scallion, thinly sliced (I also use green onions when I can’t get my hands on scallions)

1 Cup Kalamata Olives, pitted and halved

1/2 Cup Torn Basil Leaves

1 Tablespoon Chopped Oregano

1 Tablespoon Capers, drained (I put a little extra in because I love capers)

2 Cans of Tuna- Central Market Yellowfin packed in Olive Oil or Albacore are the better options

1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Fresh Pepper to taste

Directions:

Place the bread slices in the broiler and toast on both sides. Combine the water and vinegar in a small bowl, set aside. Once the bread has cooled, rub with garlic (I rub it on both sides), sprinkle with the vinegar/ water mixture until it is well-moistened. Let sit while you prepare the other ingredients.

Place all other ingredients into a large bowl, tear the bread into bite-sized pieces and toss well.

Enjoy,

Catherine

Bands enter online from now until September 27, 2010, fans vote, the top 5 bands win a trip to Dallas to play at the State Fair for a Battle of the Dad Bands, and the winning band wins SXSW VIP Auditorium Shores passes and a trip to Austin to see a taping of Texas Music Scene’s TV program (and possibly even starring in their own episode).

The top Five Bands will be chosen on October 4, 2010 with the Battle of the Dad Bands taking place on October 16, 2010, where the winner will be announced.

Good luck to all of you rockin’ dads!

As a family, we travel to the Northeast twice a year — once during the holidays and once at Christmas. We stay with my husband’s family and usually have the opportunity to see a lot of family and friends during our visits (we both lived in the area after graduating college so still have many ties there). We are extremely lucky: at my in-laws’ house we don’t need to share a bedroom with our son, we can usually borrow a car to meet up with friends and my son’s grandparents are happy to babysit if we want to have a date. But, I still have a hard time calling these trips “vacations”.

When I think about a vacation, I think about sleeping in, finishing that book I can’t seem to put down and not having a lot on the agenda.

Earlier this year, I decided I was ready for a vacation. Apart from a quick weekend trip with my husband to a friend’s wedding when my son was a toddler, I haven’t been away from my son overnight. I would hear my friends talk about girls weekends, but most of my friends were either like I am — married with children and with precious little time to get away — or already committed to spending time off with others.

Suddenly, it hit me: Amy! Amy was on my freshman hall and introduced me to my husband. She moved from the Northeast to San Diego a few years ago and has been to Austin several times to visit. She is a teacher, is currently single and has the summer off. After checking schedules, I booked the ticket. I left on a Thursday night and returned on Sunday.

Oh, the joy of only being responsible for yourself for three days! Packing was a breeze. I sat by a stranger on the plane for the first time in four years. I enjoyed waking up when I wanted to, ordering what I wanted on the menu and reading on the beach. I had complete conversations, without being interrupted! It was just the right mix of hanging out and getting out. The weather was amazing. I was chilly in August!

Did I miss my husband? Sure. Did I miss my son? Yes, but not as much as I expected! Did I miss the laundry, the cooking, the cleaning, the entertaining, the errands, the obligations? Absolutely not!

As I expected, now that I have had a taste of a kid-free trip, I am eager to make this an annual occurrence. As a mom, I haven’t been great about keeping in touch, and I have sorely missed extended social time with friends. I think of this time as a gift to myself, to honor the person I was (and still am) before having my son, to appreciate all I have and to come back ready for the next challenge parenting throws my way.

Have you been able to get away for a solo trip? If so, where have you gone and what have you done? What’s your favorite part of these getaways? If you haven’t been able to take a vacation, what re-energizes you?

Written by: Nicole Basham

If you can’t make today’s class, here is a schedule of more free classes to come in the month of September:

September 2 and 10 – FREE Music Together Sample Classes at Heartsong Music
Sample Class Times: 9:30am, 10:45am, 3:30pm and 4:45pm
Support your child’s musical, cognitive, physical, emotional, and social development with our award-winning music and movement program for children 0-5 and their parents/caregivers.

September 8 – FREE Music Together Inter-Generational Class at Renaissance-Austin Retirement Residence
Sample Class Time: 10:15am
Reach out to the seniors of our community and share the joys of music making by joining this Inter-Generational Music Together class. The class will include both the children (0-5 year olds) and their parents/caregivers and the residents of Renaissance-Austin. Renaissance-Austin is located at 11279 Taylor Draper Lane.

September 11 - FREE Music Together Sample Classes at Heartsong Music
Sample Class Times: 9:30am and 10:45am
Support your child’s musical, cognitive, physical, emotional, and social development with our award-winning music and movement program for children 0-5 and their parents/caregivers.

September 14 – FREE Sample Class of the Heartsong Children’s Choir
Sample Class Time: 4:00pm
For 5-7 year old boys or girls who love to sing, play rhythm instruments, and move to the beat.  The children sing songs from the Music Together Song Collection and the choir is led by Carey Youngblood.

Visit www.heartsongmusictogether.com to sign up to attend any of the above sample classes or call 512-371-9506.

Last summer, this situation was actually very serious because it involved my MIL being blatantly unsupportive when I disciplined my then 3-year-old daugther for going near an unguarded pool without an adult.  My MIL literally stepped between me and my daughter and told me that my punishment was too harsh (timeout and loss of pool privilege for the afternoon for sneaking out into the backyard when no one was looking).  She did this in front of my very verbal and very precocious daughter who IMMEDIATELY picked up on the fact she could pit us against one another.  The rest of the visit was tense because I was constantly running interference between my MIL and daughter and was also having to ask my non-confrontational husband to step in.  It was a nightmare that left me dreading this year’s annual trek.

This year turned out SO much better.  For one, my MIL finally put a fence around the pool.  She also changed her attitude and was very careful to ask us about rules and routines and to double check with us before she offered anything to our kids.  I was VERY pleasantly surprised and, frankly, wondering what changed things. I didn’t think she was listening or taking me seriously when I confronted her last summer.   My relationship with my MIL has been tense since the wedding, and it’s only gotten more so with the addition of children.  After how well our visit went this summer, I feel much less cranky about future visits with her, but it’s always good to be prepared (armed) should the boundary pushing get out of hand again. 

Have you encountered this issue with your parents or in-laws? If so, how did you handle it?  Is it an ongoing issue or did you find the magical once-and-for-all fix? Although I have found that being very direct and somewhat confrontational was the only thing to work with my MIL, I am open to other suggestions simply because life is a lot sweeter when one is not engaged in a full-on war with the MIL!

Dive In Movie Night- Going to the movies and taking a dip in the pool are always fun ways to spend your time during the summer, but what if you could combine the two? Well, the Twin Lakes Family YMCA has done just that with its Dive In Movie Night. Enjoy a family-friendly movie poolside at the Twin Lakes Family YMCA Pool on Friday from 8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. Concessions available, bring lawn chairs and blankets for seating. Admission: Adult is $2 for members and $3 for non-members, Children over 2 are $1.50 for members and $2.50 for non-members, ages 2 and under are free. Twin Lakes Family YMCA, 204 E. Little Elm Trail, Cedar Park.

East End Fourth Fridays- The Finest Kind, African folktales with Debo Adejobi, kids’ activities, free East Side Pies for kids, free Live Oak Beer, and food and drinks. Admission is FREE until 8:00pm, $5 after. Kids area begins at 6:00pm. Kenny Dorham’s Backyard, 1106 East 11th Street.

Storytime: Not a Box- A bunny, a box– enjoy the award winning illustrated children’s book Not a Box by Antoinette Portis. FREE!! Friday, 7:30pm. Barnes and Noble, La Frontera, Round Rock.

Big Bird Air Show- Bring lawn chairs and blankets to watch large remote control airplanes fly around! Concessions available, free pizza nightly and FREE admission. Open to the public. Raffle drawings daily. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Lester Field.

Family Storytime- Family Storytime is open to all ages. Come enjoy books, music and crafts. Saturday, 10:00am- 11:00am. FREE!! Cedar Park Public Library, 600 N. Bell Blvd.

Back to School Bash- The event is put on to help parents realize the effect that physical activity and nutrition have on educational performance. To help spread the word and to encourage everyone, there will be tons of activities for everyone! Football, basketball, soccer, baseball, dance, and cooking classes will be included. The event is FREE and open to any and everyone. Tell your friends to tell a friend! Come on out and play! Saturday, 10:00am- 2:00pm. Dr. John’s Sports Center, 1800 Clover Lane in Cedar Park.

Adventure Night- While parents and children in attendance will be able to participate in a number of outdoor adventure activities (including Archery, Skills Demonstrations, Canoes, Paddleboats, Tango Tower, Petting Zoo, Face Painting, Fire Building, Orienteering, Geo-caching & more) from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., everyone will also be able to take part in our Magic Campfire event from 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Admission is $10 per car. Saturday, 5:00- 9:00pm. Twin Lakes YMCA, 204 E. Little Elm Rd., Cedar Park.

Saturday Morning Storytime- Join us every Saturday morning for Storytime. We’ll read a different story every week and have a great time creating a special craft! Don’t miss it. FREE!! Saturday, 11:00am. Barnes and Noble, 10000 Research Blvd., 5601 Brodie Lane in Sunset Valley.

Alamo Kids Club: Matinee with Live Surprises- For this VERY special screening, we won’t just be showing a movie…we’ll be PUTTING YOU IN IT! Joe Dante’s rip-roaring comedy is a true riot, and celebrates the big-timey showmanship of classic kid-friendly monster matinees. John Goodman stars as a traveling, filmmaking huckster who brings his goofball epics to towns across America, and juices ‘em up with actual rubber monsters and bedsheet ghosts let loose in the auditorium! We’ll be taking up his lead and presenting this theatrical ode to craziness along with some surprises of our own (all child-safe, of course), so grab the lil’ ones, the big ones and anyone else you know that likes having fun, because we’re gonna bring down the HOUSE! FREE!! Children must be 6 and up. Saturday, 11:00am. Alamo Drafthouse, South Lamar.

Bilingual Language Storytime- Enjoy a FREE bilingual storytime at the Wells Branch Community Library. Saturday, 1:00pm. Wells Branch Community Library, 15001 Wells Port Dr.

Learn to Fish Day- Learn tips and techniques from experts, learn how to cast and tie knots, win prizes, visit with special guest Clark Wendlandt and do some fishing! FREE!! Saturday, 8:00am- 1:00pm. Southwest Williamson County Regional Park, 3005 CR 175, Leander.

Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinic- Going back to school can be fun! Bring your child to Lowe’s and they can build a school bus! Includes stickers, a secret compartment, chalk and a chalkboard on top! FREE!! Supplies included. Pre-register here. Saturday, 10:00am. All participating Lowe’s locations.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road Storytime- Lions, Tigers and Bears—Oh My! This month back in 1935, The Wizard of Oz was released in theaters and started a phenomenon. Come to BookPeople this morning for a Wizard of Oz storytime celebration with lots of stories about lions and monkeys and magic and how there’s no place like home! FREE!! Saturday, 11:30am. BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar Blvd.

Family Yoga with Cindy- Enjoy a FREE (with purchase from cafe) yoga session for the entire family! Saturday, 10:00-11:00am. Ruta Maya Coffee Shop, 3601 S. Congress Ave.

Storytime at Mitchie’s- Enjoy a FREE storytime and sign language featuring African-American folktales from 1:00-2:00pm every Saturday. Kids receive free refreshments, a gift and a 30% discount! Mitchie’s Gallery, 7801 N. Lamar Blvd., Bldg. B, Suite 148.

Grand Opening Blooming Pregnancy Spa and Imaging- Get tips on how to photograph your newborn from Amber Snow Photography, enjoy a pickles and ice cream social, car seat safety checks and information, free yoga classes and prizes! FREE!! Saturday, 10:30am- 1:30pm.Blooming Pregnancy Spa & Imagine Center, 5601 Brodie Lane.

End of Summer Pool Party- Enjoy free pool admission with a bounce water slide and castle, pool games, live music, free food and drinks, a shaded kiddie pool and more. FREE!! Saturday, 2:00- 5:00pm. Sendero Springs Pool, 4203 Pasada Lane, Round Rock.

Hill Country Galleria Concert Series- Enjoy live music by the Mike Burns Band for FREE!! Saturday, 7:00pm. Hill Country Galleria, 12700 Hill Country Blvd., Bee Cave.

Crafts for Kids- Bring the kids, ages 3 and up, to make a Royal Crown. FREE!! Saturday between 11:00am- 3:00pm. Lakeshore Learning Store, 9828 Great Hills Trail.

Sunday Morning Kid’s Show- Bring the entire family for a FREE kid’s show with Mr. Leebot. Sunday, 10:30am. Ruta Maya Coffee Shop, 3601 S. Congress Avenue.

Concerts in the Park- Join the Austin Symphony for their annual concert in the park series. Bring a picnic and lawn chairs while enjoying a range of music from pops to jazz. FREE!! Sunday, 7:30pm. Hartman Concert Park at the Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Dr.

Identification Day- Have you ever wondered about a fossil you’ve found? Then bring it with you to Identification Day. Scientists and experts from all over Central Texas are on hand to look at and identify natural objects (fossils, bones, rocks, etc.) and archaeological materials (arrowheads, points, scrapers, etc.). Scientists from Texas Natural Science Center’s Non-vertebrate Paleontology Lab and Vertebrate Paleontology Lab, and Texas Natural History Collections are present at each ID Day, along with a variety of special guest experts from The University of Texas at Austin and the Austin area. FREE!! Sunday, 1:00- 4:45pm. Texas Memorial Museum, 2400 Trinity Street on the University of Texas campus.

Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival- Join the fun, music and hot sauce. Food vendors will provide a wide array of foods – this year Aster’s Ethiopian Restaurant, Buffalo Billiards, Curra’s Grill, Matt’s Famous El Rancho, Santa Rita Tex Mex Cantina, Sun Garden Shaved Ice and Torchy’s Tacos will be on-hand serving up their specialty dishes! Test out different hot sauces and see if you can take the heat! FREE to the public (with a donation of three healthy, non-perishable food items or a cash donation to the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas). Sunday, 11:00am – 5:30pm at Waterloo Park, 12th and Red River.

Michael Jackson Birthday Bash- Celebrate the King of Pop’s Birthday with a look-alike and dance contest, watch the Texas Rollergirls perform the Thriller dance on skates, take part in an interactive Thriller group dance and more! Sunday, doors open at 3:30 pm until 7:00pm. $5 entry fee. Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex, 1156 Hargrave Street.

My two perennial store-bought favorites are Annie’s Natural Shitake & Sesame Dressing and Brianna’s Home Style Dijon Honey Mustard Dressing. I’m also a big fan of a new line from right here in Austin: Cookwell & Company. I love the Olive & Lemon Vinaigrette on pretty much anything, and the Watermelon Vinaigrette is really refreshing, especially on their Watermelon Cucumber Salad (which doesn’t call for lettuce, but I like to add it to the mix of chopped goodies).

Below is a simple recipe for homemade vinaigrette that you can adapt to your tastes. LiveMom’s Catherine shared another good, refreshing dressing with me recently, German Yogurt Salad Dressing. As we travel through these (hopefully) final dog days of summer, nothing is easier or cooler on a hot night than salad, however you decide to dress it.

Homemade Vinaigrette

1/4 cup white wine or apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In medium bowl, put vinegar and mustard. Drizzle in olive oil while whisking to emulsify. Add salt and pepper to taste. (You could make this in the food processor or blender.) For added kick, I like to add about a teaspoon of the juice from a jar of minced garlic, if I have a jar in the fridge. You can also add fresh herbs to taste or use lemon juice instead of vinegar.

Written by: Shannon Oelrich

Wondering what to do or bring? It’s simple. Bring clothing that you no longer wear- infant, children and adult- to the swap and then pick out more to take home! Even if you don’t have any old clothes to bring along, you can still go get new ones! It’s a great opportunity to clean out the closets and refill them with some new duds. There will also be silk screening and sewers on-hand to help you create something new out of something old or to tweak something to make it just right for you. All items are sorted by gender and size which makes it very easy to sort through.

Wondering what the cost is for a day of swapping clothes? It’s free with a suggested donation of $2 at the door to benefit the Zilker Green Team.

What: Future Craft Collective Zilker Elementary Back-to-School Clothes Swap

When: Saturday, August 28, 2010 from 10:00am- 1:00pm

Where: Zilker Elementary Cafeteria, 1900 Bluebonnet Lane

Go green: Be sure to bring along bags, baskets or something else to take your clothing home in.

The reason I had a cesarean section for my first delivery, is that, unbeknownst to me, a cyst was growing on my right ovary. That jerk of a cyst also managed to glom onto one of my fallopian tubes and kill it. I woke up with my husband to see him off to work at 545 one morning. By the time he left the house around 615, I was leaning against the doorway for support. Within another thirty minutes, I was unable to stand. David got permission (this was in his Marine Corps days) to come home and take me to the hospital. When the hospital staff stopped accusing me of being a malingerer and exaggerating the pain (I get all ragey when I think of the nurse who said, “You’re in pre-term labor, honey. You just need to deal with it.”), they figured out what was going on after almost a full 24 hours of giving me drugs like morphine and doing scans and ultrasounds and voodoo dances. My severe pain could not be managed, and they could not get to the cyst without delivering Aiden, so to the operating room I went. Pre-surgery, they didn’t know about the cyst attaching it to my fallopian tube. You guys, they found necrotic tissue in there. Gross. Now if all that isn’t a reason to have a c-section…

Recovery from the c-section was pretty horrible. I think it must have been worse than a normal c-section recovery due to the extra cutting they had to do in there. My cyst turned out to be the size of a large peach. I stayed in the hospital for five days. Three weeks after surgery, I still needed help sitting up first thing in the morning. My stomach was so sore, I even had to switch off one of my favorite TV shows, ‘Yes, Dear,’ because the laughing hurt so badly.

Fast-forward four months later-I got pregnant again. Surprise! To review: I have one functioning ovary. We had unprotected sex one time. I may change my name to Fertile Myrtle. And I was breastfeeding! Word on the street is that it’s hard to get pregnant while breastfeeding, but I am here to tell you: that is a bunch of hooey. I feel like I should go around to high schools and give speeches.

One thing I knew more than anything else: I DID NOT want another cesarean section. I found a VBAC-friendly doctor who was pretty amazing. This is key, ladies, if you want a VBAC. Don’t just find a doctor who says, “Sure, I will ‘let’ you try for a VBAC,” because often what they really mean is, ,”If your labor stalls at all, I am giving you pitocin. If that doesn’t work, I’m sectioning you and that’s that.” Ok, ok, that is my interpretation. I have several friends whose doctor claimed to be VBAC-friendly, but then cut them open at the first sign of difficulty. Find a doctor who is as committed to your VBAC as you are, who won’t resort to a c-section unless there is a real reason.

I went to 41 weeks and 1 day with my second pregnancy. My doctor and I agreed to induce at that point, because, though I wanted a drug-free birth, having a VBAC was more important to me than avoiding pitocin or an epidural. The contractions were really strong with pitocin, and I ended up asking for the epidural (just like it happens on TLC’s ‘A Baby Story’). The good and the bad of it is that the epidural didn’t work at all. I pushed for two hours, which isn’t too bad compared to the 43-hour marathon labor stories we hear. I was pretty vocal; mostly pissed that there was zero pain-relief from the epidural. I think the contractions were more painful because I had the expectation of pain relief, but since there was none, all I could think about was the pain.

The good part of the epidural not working is that I felt every bit of James leave my body, even his nose. It was pretty amazing. My doctor was yelling encouragement for me to push while he delivered James’s head with one hand and did perineal massage with the other. I felt an intense burning situation and then, holy cow, I had the strongest orgasm I had ever had. I faltered mid-push because, well, I had no expectation of having an orgasm during birth. Who does?? I was embarrassed-orgasms are for the bedroom, not the delivery room. To this day, I haven’t even told my husband. The only reason I am telling you, Internet People, is that you can’t see me blush as I type, and because my fellow Livemom contributors said I HAVE to share this with you, awesome Livemom readers.

A quick Google search of “orgasm during childbirth” yields a plethora of links to sites with information. The first link was to an ABC News story from 2008. There is a short article along with a video about women who have experienced orgasm during birth. It was an interesting video; I encourage you to watch it. Most of those women are far more uninhibited than I am, I certainly didn’t make out with my husband during labor, but I love the idea that women are taking control of their labor with the knowledge that childbirth does not have to be this horrible, painful experience that is only worth it because you get an adorable baby out of the deal.

In closing, I offer a small bit of advice to all women: your body was made, among other things, to have children. You CAN do it, even if you think you can’t. If you prepare for childbirth, educate yourself on breathing and mechanisms to help you deal with the pain ahead of time, labor will be easier. Make this your mantra: “I CAN do it.” You can, you can! For more information on vaginal births after cesarean sections, please check out the International Cesarean Awareness Network.