jayesel http://jayesel.net one queen, two princesses & their jester Tue, 15 May 2012 12:02:45 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 jayeselhttp://feedburner.google.com scenes from a hospital room http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/jayesel/~3/v0A1jD__Rhc/ http://jayesel.net/2012/05/15/scenes-from-a-hospital-room/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 12:02:45 +0000 Jen http://jayesel.net/?p=5219 Yeah yeah yeah, I know you’re probably sick of hearing about The Great Hospital Trip Of 2012, but there are a few random stories I want to share, and most importantly, I want to record them here so we’ll remember.

(Also, just an update because a few lovely people have asked over the past few days: Audrey is doing great! She had a bit of a rash last Friday and Saturday from the Augmentin. After a call to the pediatrician, we decided it was just a side effect rash, nothing to be worried about. It’s gone now, and thanks to some probiotic magic potions, her belly is doing a lot better too. And while the lump/infection isn’t gone yet, it’s steadily shrinking and her energy level is DEFINITELY BACK. She’s been in the best mood the past couple of days! So hooray for all of that.)

—

The day after we were admitted and she’d had a few doses of IV antibiotics, Audrey was getting antsy and seemed to have a little more energy. She was puttering around the room, playing with random things. Somehow she ended up in my purse and found my lipgloss. She immediately took it to Dan and shoved it in his face, wanting him to open it. He denied her, of course. So she grabbed a nearby bag of potato chips, grunted, and threw them at his head.

She was definitely on the upswing.

—

The girl is now officially traumatized by doctors and nurses and basically anyone who comes near her if we’re in a room that looks anything like an exam room. The lunch tray lady brought her food in and Audrey melted down. By Thursday morning, there were even whimpers and tears if there was so much as a rustle or a bump outside the closed door. Broke my heart.

—

The sun came out for a bit (it was a rainy couple of days) so we took a break from being cooped up and headed down to the floor below where they have a garden/courtyard area. Audrey was able to run around a bit and she was in HEAVEN. And here is where she discovered automatic doors that open when you walk near them. Her life was CHANGED.

—

When she’d had enough of being stuck in the room, she would point to the door and say ‘GO.’

—

She slept surprisingly well both nights, but naptime was just okay. I expected her to crash for several hours on Wednesday afternoon, but she woke up after only an hour or so. Then she had another dose of medicine in her IV, and we left her in the crib, hoping she’d fall back to sleep. She never did, but she rested and just kind of laid around, watching Winnie The Pooh on the tv. Dan and I sat on the couch, zoned out on our computers/phone/whatever, just trying to keep busy and pass the time.

Eventually, Audrey decided Resting Time was over, and she stood up, staring at us like “HEY. I’M DONE OVER HERE.” and was rattling her sippy cup on the metal rails of the crib, just like a jail cell inmate. It made me giggle.

—

Her IV drugs were scheduled every 6 hours or so, and it ended up that she had a dose at 2am both nights. The first night, we were ALL awake for it and it took a while for things to get settled back down. So imagine my surprise when I woke up on Thursday morning at 4am and didn’t remember anyone coming in. Did they… skip her meds? I was confused.

Turns out they have Ninja Nurses at Children’s Hospital and they gave her the medicine without waking ANY of us up. Awesome.

—

When we finally got admitted, it was hours past our normal dinner time. I had brought snacks to our appointment but I only expected to be there a few hours, so the goldfish crackers and fruit snacks were long gone by then. Around 8pm, Audrey got her first patient food tray delivered, and I’m not even kidding when I say she was dancing with excitement.

—

Wednesday afternoon, I left to pick Maggie up from preschool/daycare, get both of us some dinner, and grab more clothes and overnight things for all of us before Maggie was handed over to Dan’s parents for the night (GOD BLESS NEARBY GRANDPARENTS IS ALL I’M SAYING.) Dan texted me while Maggie and I were at dinner, asking where all the pacifiers were. When I left the hospital room, I SWEAR there were like four of them sitting on the tray table (both of my girls are/were Pacifier Hoarders when they sleep. It’s their Thing.) But he couldn’t find ANY.

Crap.

I realized had one in my purse, but obviously that didn’t do him any good at the moment. A few texts back and forth and finally he found ONE, on the floor, under the bed. ?? We still have no idea what happened to the other ones, but at least we had enough to get us through the night.

That’s not the funny part though. The funny part is hearing Dan describe the absolute SHIT FIT Audrey was having because she was ready for sleep and didn’t have her pacifiers. So she was running around in a circle, flapping her hands and shrieking. When he finally found one and washed it and handed it to her, she snuggled up with him and was out cold within 5 minutes.

The girl knows what she likes.

—

Thursday morning we were given our discharge instructions and a prescription for another 10 days of antibiotics. We showered, packed up the room, and headed downstairs. We told a confused Audrey, “We’re going home!” She stared at us for a while, then as we were walking down the long corridor to the parking garage, she grinned at us, started waving her hand and saying, very quietly, ‘BYYYYYYEEE!’

(I like to think there was a ‘BITCHEZZZZ!’ at the end of that, but she was too polite or tired to actually say it.)
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]]> http://jayesel.net/2012/05/15/scenes-from-a-hospital-room/feed/ 0 http://jayesel.net/2012/05/15/scenes-from-a-hospital-room/ Five Ways To Make Your Summer Photos Fabulous http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/jayesel/~3/DCX9EG8VPSM/ http://jayesel.net/2012/05/14/five-ways-to-make-your-summer-photos-fabulous/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 13:30:42 +0000 Jen http://jayesel.net/?p=5163 I have well over 20,000 pictures on my computer (I KNOW), and if you looked at them closely, you’d notice that most of the pictures are taken during the summer months. It just kind of happens naturally that More Fun Things take place in the summer — swimming, playgrounds, vacations, amusement parks, family picnics — so out comes my camera. Plus, the warmer weather is just PRETTIER than winter. (I mean, sure, snow is pretty and photograph-worthy for like 5 minutes, all white and peaceful and clean. Then someone drives through it or a snow plow comes along and POOF! Now it’s a muddy, brown, slushy mess, and who wants a picture of THAT??!)

But there can be a lot of pressure to take awesome pictures of your once-in-a-lifetime summer vacation or family gathering, so here are some ways you can capture your summer, even if you’re a camera newbie.

Five Ways To Make Your Summer Photos Fabulous

1. Just DO IT. You don’t need to know how to use every setting on your new, fancy DSLR camera to get a great summer shot. You don’t even NEED a fancy camera to get a great shot — a basic point-and-shoot camera will work just fine. Heck, even a cell phone can take a fantastic summertime photo.

Hula girl 30 bucks, baby.

Goal Number One for me when I take pictures is creating a record of the things we’ve done and the places we’ve visited. Some of my favorite pictures aren’t technically great, but they are photos from OUR lives and THAT is what makes them special. If I’m spending the whole time worrying about my shutter speed or my ISO setting, I’m probably going to miss out on some great moments. So don’t be afraid to put your camera on auto so you don’t miss anything. It’s NOT cheating! I promise.

2. Get down low. Or high. Or move over there. And move closer! If you’re taking pictures of kids in the summer, they will be MOVING. Be prepared to follow them around, and you’ll probably need to be quick. Some of the best things about summer photos are the expressions on the kids’ faces as they watch those fireworks or fly up high on that swing, and you won’t be able to capture them properly if you’re standing far away from them — so get in there with your camera and don’t be shy!

so. we're basically totally screwed with this one, aren't we? WASSSSUP! static! ice cream break

3. Capture the action. In addition to Getting All Up In People’s Faces, you’ll want to step back a bit and get some shots of the fun stuff that’s happening. Water battles, running on the beach, or even just dancing through the yard — all of these are awesome summer photo opportunities.

turning the tables twirl SPLASH! being silly with PapPap

4. Set the stage. Candid photos are usually my favorite, but in the summer there are parties and trips that you want to remember forever. So taking a few moments to set everyone up for a group photo is WORTH IT. No matter how much they all complain!

cheesy grins the family! us Jockey's Ridge

5. Keep it light! Be a little goofy and whimsical, then go have some ice cream. For goodness sake, it is SUMMERTIME!

Scuba Steve. SMOOSHYFACE. weirdo green fun dip tongue
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]]> http://jayesel.net/2012/05/14/five-ways-to-make-your-summer-photos-fabulous/feed/ 5 http://jayesel.net/2012/05/14/five-ways-to-make-your-summer-photos-fabulous/ Mom’s Weekend http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/jayesel/~3/ivZl24Z4CD0/ http://jayesel.net/2012/05/13/moms-weekend/#comments Sun, 13 May 2012 14:06:53 +0000 Jen http://jayesel.net/?p=5223 My weekend will be perfect if it involves only playing at the new water table on our new deck and nobody goes to the hospital.

(it was 65 degrees but she insisted on a bathing suit.)

cups

where did the ball go?

I don’t have high demands, really.

yay!

squirt!

Maggie showing her how the wheel works

So far so good.

best forty bucks I've spent in a while
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]]> http://jayesel.net/2012/05/13/moms-weekend/feed/ 1 http://jayesel.net/2012/05/13/moms-weekend/ home http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/jayesel/~3/Yahf_v30P4E/ http://jayesel.net/2012/05/10/home/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 20:12:50 +0000 Jen http://jayesel.net/?p=5214 Snuggles on the couch & a probiotic cocktail for her ravaged belly

Thank you all for your prayers and notes and well-wishes the past few days. We SO appreciate all the love!! It was very scary at first, but Audrey is doing well and hopefully after another week of regular antibiotics, she can kick this infection for good! She certainly has the attitude for it :)
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]]> http://jayesel.net/2012/05/10/home/feed/ 1 http://jayesel.net/2012/05/10/home/ Audrey’s Big Adventure http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/jayesel/~3/GK6MJinLmao/ http://jayesel.net/2012/05/09/audreys-big-adventure/#comments Wed, 09 May 2012 18:37:54 +0000 Jen http://jayesel.net/?p=5194 Well! Things for Audrey took a dramatic turn yesterday. We visited her pediatrician on Monday afternoon as a follow-up to last week’s ER visit, and my concern (and the dr’s) was that after 5 days of amoxicillin, there was no change at all in the swelling along her jaw. She was acting mostly normal- maybe a little more tired than she usually is?- but eating, drinking, playing, and sleeping just like always. The pediatrician recommended we make an appointment asap with an ENT (ear-nose-throat) specialist at Children’s Hospital, just in case.

So yesterday afternoon, Dan met us at the hospital (he works 10 minutes away so it was an easy trip for him, and I was thankful for his help with both girls) I really thought it was going to be a quick visit- maybe some bloodwork, another ultrasound, and a prescription for a new, stronger, different antibiotic.

Instead, I had to hold Audrey down while the doctor stuck a GIGANTIC needle into her neck to see if any pus came out. It was… awful. I have never cried during a medical ANYTHING with my girls (I don’t cry much. Just ask Sam! I am dead inside. Robot! ha) and I’m able to keep my cool during shots and when Maggie needed x-rays a few times and even when Audrey has been FREAKING OUT at regular doctor visits lately. I just don’t let it bother me (much) But this… the needle. In her neck. I couldn’t watch. I locked her legs between mine and held her hands down and the nurse held her head to the side and the doctor went in with it… I squeezed my eyes shut and tears streamed down my face. My BABY.

Thankfully, there was no pus- almost totally ruling out an abscess or an infected cyst, which would require admittance to the hospital and surgery. Next on the list was a CT scan with contrast dye- requiring an IV in her hand and being strapped to a board. EXACTLY what every 19 month old would LOVE to do! oy. I wasn’t in there for this part- I took Maggie down the hall to play and Dan went in with her. He said there was screaming (duh) and she fell asleep in between the two scans while the nurse was rocking her. But overall, she did great. No need for sedation during the scan which I was really worried about.

After the CT scan was over, we were taken to admissions- which COMPLETELY FREAKED ME OUT, because so far, nobody had actually told us what the diagnosis or plan was. And we’re being admitted? What? We have never ever (thankfully) done this before. Was it still just an infected lymph gland? Or was it something else? Something… bad? Like, really really bad? I was exhausted and emotional and my brain was starting to wander to those dark places again… I prayed.

Post-CT scan (hand is wrapped bc of the iv)

It took about an hour to get our badges and info and to be transported up to her room. That’s when we finally (!!!) heard the plan: an infection, like we thought- a nasty one- and it would require a few days of IV antibiotics to make sure it didn’t turn into something more serious.

DEEP EXHALE.

(Just a note: the delay in the communication was actually because of a good thing- a MIRACLE! perhaps- which the doctor explained today. Turns out he wasn’t expecting radiology to be able to squeeze us in immediately like they were able to (woohoo!) and was waiting for a call BACK from them, telling him when we were scheduled, etc etc. So. Yay for expedited service? heh)

We got Audrey settled into the room and placed an order for her dinner tray once we were given the all-clear that she could eat (it was nearly 8pm and she was huuuuuungry, but since we spent a few hours not sure about what Things Might Need To Be Done, they didn’t want her to eat or drink) No joke, she was dancing while she ate her chicken nuggets.

She literally was just dancing over her chicken nuggets. She is SO my daughter. I love her.

I think she was just SO RELIEVED to get a break from the poking and prodding and annoying doctors for a while. Poor kid.

We called the grandparents and gave them an update and figured out plans for the next day or so, then Maggie and I left and headed home. We stopped to pick up dinner then I ran into the house to grab her some pajamas and clothes for school today, then we went to my parents’ house. And we ate tacos.

Made a quick stop on my way home to get clothes. Because today was LOCO, YO.

As much as I wanted to hurry and get clothes and stuff from home and get back to the hospital before midnight, I just needed to take a break and sit for like TEN MINUTES. Plus I wanted to give Maggie a bit of attention. She was seriously AMAZING the whole evening while we dragged her through the hospital while her sister wailed and screamed, and she was rewarded with a creamsicle and a sleepover at Grandma’s house. I think Maggie won the day!

After tying up some loose ends at the house (almost forgot I had a wet load of clothes in the washer and MAN would THAT be fun to come home to in a day or so! GAG. But I left the counter and sink full of dirty dishes because WHATEVER, DUDE.) and frantically packing up some overnight stuff for Dan, Audrey, and me, I made it back to the hospital around 11pm. Audrey was already asleep, and she’d had her first dose of antibiotics around 8pm.

I passed out around 11:30. I was DONE.

Around 2am she had another dose of medicine, so that interrupted the night a little bit, but eventually we all zonked out again. This morning, the doctor came by to check her and we all noticed a significant change in the size of the swelling, after just two doses. Very encouraging. She’s had a very good day so far today- she slept in a little bit:

Yelling at doctors & nurses for 6 hours is EXHAUSTING.

And then we got her cleaned up after her morning IV and explored the halls and found the playroom.

Jammin'

I’ve had a few people ask me about the cause of all this, and the doctors haven’t even ventured a guess. There’s no real way to know what caused the infection- just that it exists. They did say that there is no reason to worry that it will happen again- it seems isolated and the CT scan was clear everywhere else. So for that, I am extremely thankful.

(Also thankful to everyone sending sweet messages on Twitter and Facebook and texts with happy thoughts and prayers for Audrey. We feel very loved.)

If things go well and she continues to improve, we should get to go home tomorrow sometime. My fingers and toes and all my things are crossed.

I’m also eating cake from the cafeteria.

I didn't have time or energy to eat my feelings last night. So today? I FEAST.
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]]> http://jayesel.net/2012/05/09/audreys-big-adventure/feed/ 20 http://jayesel.net/2012/05/09/audreys-big-adventure/ how jen got her groove back http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/jayesel/~3/RqC0VphbI1k/ http://jayesel.net/2012/05/07/how-jen-got-her-groove-back/#comments Tue, 08 May 2012 02:19:41 +0000 Jen http://jayesel.net/?p=5187 I spent this Saturday afternoon doing nothing but talking about pictures, learning about taking pictures, and… well, taking pictures.

hi!

I took 4,279 pictures of My Little Ponies.

photogenic AND delicious!

a flower

splash!

feet

splash!

Michelle Hammons Photography has had several ‘Getting Started With Your DSLR’ photo workshops this spring here in Pittsburgh, and I am so so glad I went. I have had my Canon Rebel for three years. I’ve FINALLY become brave enough recently to venture into trying my hand at full manual photography- and then quickly jumping back into one of the preset modes because HI, COMFORT ZONE! So even though I’m not technically ‘getting started’ with my camera, I still have plenty more to learn about how to properly use the thing.

And learn I did. About focus modes (So confusing! But now I get it! I think!) and white balance and reinforcing my kinda-okay-knowledge of shutter-speed and aperture and ISO.

fast water

slooooow water

bokeh

a fairy house!

fairy clothes!

Michelle

20120505-124

posing

But you want to know the best part of attending this little workshop? It got me excited about taking pictures again. I just haven’t been feeling it lately and I’ve let my cell phone camera do the job of taking pictures for me instead. And that’s fine, I suppose, but this made me realize how much I missed my ‘real’ camera and taking ‘real’ pictures.

So when I ended up at the park on Sunday with the girls and my mom, I took my camera with me.

so much HAIR.

chub

WHEEEEEEEEEE!

wheee!

seriously.

um, that's not how you do it.

ham

They weren’t all masterpieces, but it sure was nice to hear that shutter button again.

(If you have a DSLR you’d like to learn to use and you live near Pittsburgh? DO IT.)
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]]> http://jayesel.net/2012/05/07/how-jen-got-her-groove-back/feed/ 5 http://jayesel.net/2012/05/07/how-jen-got-her-groove-back/ a lump in the throat. or on her neck, actually. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/jayesel/~3/M-j8lWcJBNA/ http://jayesel.net/2012/05/04/a-lump-in-the-throat-or-on-her-neck-actually/#comments Fri, 04 May 2012 20:15:19 +0000 Jen http://jayesel.net/?p=5167 I was just leaving work on Wednesday, headed to my car. I noticed I had a missed call on my phone, 2 minutes before… then I checked the number and realized it was the daycare.

CRAP.

I listened to the voicemail, and she said Audrey has a big lump on the side of her jaw by her ear and we just noticed it after her nap when we were wiping her down after snack and she cries every time we touch it and can you come and get her asap?

WHAT THE WHAT?

I was headed there anyway, but I definitely hurried and called Dan and OMG WHAT??!

When I saw her, I relaxed a little bit because she was acting totally normal and didn’t feel hot or feverish or anything. But there was a definite lump under her right ear by her jaw and it was HARD. And… kinda gross, I’m not gonna lie.

We headed to urgent care since it was after work hours (missed being able to see her pediatrician by like 20 minutes, dangit!) and Dan met us there. It was a quick visit and ultimately they said it was likely either an abscess or infected or clogged lymph or salivary glands. The only way to know for sure was to get an ultrasound, so they suggested we head to the Children’s Hospital emergency room.

Dan really wanted to come with us (love him) but we really didn’t want to have to bring Maggie along (sitting in the emergency room for hours with a toddler is bad enough, but add a tired 5 year old to that? No thanks!) My mom is awesome and was nearby at Target, so we met her in the parking lot and she took Maggie for the night, got her dinner, and brought her home for bedtime.

I’ll fast-forward to the end: it’s nothing serious. It’s a cluster of inflamed lymph glands, either because she’s fighting off an infection or they themselves became infected somehow. She had a fever of 102 at one point in the evening. Either way, the recommended treatment is antibiotics for 10 days. And of course yogurt because MAN, amoxicillin is wicked on the belly after only one dose!

Hard to see it because she's CHUBBY, but on her right side, below her ear. It's HARD. ew.
You can kind of see it on her right side. Tough to get a good picture because she’s always moving.

All is well that ends well (assuming the medicine works and it’s all better in a few days) but I’ll tell you what. Seeing your baby with a huge lump on the side of her neck and not knowing what the heck it is? It’s kind of freaking scary. She WAS acting fine, like I said, so that made me feel better. But your mind goes to some pretty dark places pretty quickly when you’re sitting in a hospital waiting for the third doctor to come and take a look and ask the same questions and nobody is really saying anything. We have been so blessed with healthy kids (THANK YOU LORD) and my heart just stopped a few times when I let my head go too far down that scary road. I just… oof.

But. She should be fine. The only lasting effects will be her continued hatred of any person equipped with a stethoscope. And any room with an exam table in it. (My ears are still ringing from all the screaming. She is way too smart, man.)

She did like the wagon ride in the waiting room, though. And snuggles with Daddy.

Getting a free ride in the waiting room with Daddy

Audrey thinks today stinks.
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]]> http://jayesel.net/2012/05/04/a-lump-in-the-throat-or-on-her-neck-actually/feed/ 15 http://jayesel.net/2012/05/04/a-lump-in-the-throat-or-on-her-neck-actually/ hanging out with Audrey on the couch http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/jayesel/~3/H9aNpAeyd7Y/ http://jayesel.net/2012/04/30/hanging-out-with-audrey-on-the-couch/#comments Tue, 01 May 2012 02:09:19 +0000 Jen http://jayesel.net/?p=5158 One of my favorite things to do these days.


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]]> http://jayesel.net/2012/04/30/hanging-out-with-audrey-on-the-couch/feed/ 2 http://jayesel.net/2012/04/30/hanging-out-with-audrey-on-the-couch/ favortweets, round #23 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/jayesel/~3/vjt-7wn-ICs/ http://jayesel.net/2012/04/28/favortweets-round-23/#comments Sat, 28 Apr 2012 13:32:25 +0000 Jen http://jayesel.net/?p=5139 I don’t know about you, but these past few weeks have cleaned my CLOCK. Work, mainly. But also life with two kids, just in general. As a result of the crazyness, I haven’t had enough energy to focus and write anything bloggable in like TEN DAYS. So, to continue my laziness, I’m gonna let 4 months of Twitter Awesomeness do my entertaining today.

(I will not lie: by the time I got to the end of this list, I WAS WHEEZE-LAUGHING. Nothing brightens my day more than my peeps on Twitter. Nothing. Love you guys.)

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]]> http://jayesel.net/2012/04/28/favortweets-round-23/feed/ 2 http://jayesel.net/2012/04/28/favortweets-round-23/ Maggie’s view http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/jayesel/~3/qWmjRXSJegQ/ http://jayesel.net/2012/04/18/maggies-view/#comments Thu, 19 Apr 2012 01:51:09 +0000 Jen http://jayesel.net/?p=5129 I got my fancy-pants Canon Rebel DSLR when Maggie was two, so I haven’t used my old point-and-shoot camera very much since then. I really only use it for videos of the girls being goofy and cute. But it’s a great camera to have on hand for Maggie to play with, taking pictures of whatever. I always forget that she DOES THIS, and then when I get around to downloading pictures (sometimes weeks or months later), it’s highly entertaining.

Most of her pictures are of the mundane stuff around the house.

bopit! (taken by Maggie)

the playroom (taken by Maggie)
I am not ashamed of this room. I find it impressive that I’m able to ignore the mess. PERSONAL GROWTH, WE’LL CALL IT.

She takes a lot of pictures of the tv.

hockey (taken by Maggie)

Sesame Street (taken by Maggie)
Audrey creeping in the reflection!

Audrey, wanting to get REALLYCLOSE to the tv (taken by Maggie)

And of course, she takes pictures of us.

sister (taken by Maggie)

sister (taken by Maggie)

Dan (taken by Maggie)

I won’t trust her with my good camera any time soon, but she has gotten a lot better with framing the shots and getting some interesting pictures. But BY FAR, my favorite are her self-portraits.

blaaaaah (taken by Maggie)

"I am really, really ridiculously good-looking." (taken by Maggie)

OH MY. ha
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]]> http://jayesel.net/2012/04/18/maggies-view/feed/ 7 http://jayesel.net/2012/04/18/maggies-view/