8 Weeks and Counting

As of last Saturday, my baby girl will be 8 weeks old. I decided recently to start blogging about my life and raising her. This first post will serve as a bit on an intro for me and for my family.

My name is Ravin, I am a fat (and proud) 28 year old, first time mom. I work part time at a university as a health educator and am 4 years into a 2 year Masters program in Social Sciences (that's what happens when life gets in the way). I LOVE my job. I run a Peer Health Education program on a college campus in Northern California. I get to teach students about health and wellness in a way that I hope is empowering and compassionate.

I am an intersectional feminist who is interested in disability studies, transfeminism, fat activism, sex positivity, queer studies, and the connections between health and shame and guilt... Also video games, mermaids, and fat fashion. If you saw the word fat and came looking for a work-out mom blog, this is the wrong place for you. I enjoy food, and exercise, but I am not trying nor will I be trying to lose weight or diet. I may share recipes I enjoy from time to time, and I will definitely be talking fat girl clothes, especially when I manage to find my way out of yoga pants after my maternity leave.

I am married, and have been for nearly 8 years to a wonderful man named Alex.

We thought we'd spend all our time playing video games and traveling and then last year we had this crazy idea to have a baby. This thought occurred to us while we were living in a tiny one bedroom apartment and barely making ends meet... we are super smart. I got pregnant (after literally one episode of unprotected sex) last February. About 5 months into my pregnancy my mom, who was my best friend in the world, very suddenly passed away. It was incredibly difficult, she was my biggest supporter and I never expected to have a baby without her.

But life went on, and then on November 1st after 3 days of labor my little baby Persephone arrived!

So Serious.

Last week right before Christmas I was diagnosed with postpartum anxiety and OCD. This came after an extended period of time with out sleep and hardly eating. I am now working on recovery and was put on Zoloft to manage my anxiety.

I expect to be talking about my days as a new mom, my nights desperately trying to finish my thesis, my struggle with anxiety and grief, fat girl clothes, geek culture, and activism. I hope you enjoy reading about my days. If not, go away :)

<3 Ravin