Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Monkey Ears
This weekend my oldest brother got married! It was beautiful and wonderful. We are lucky to have Krista officially in our family. Besides the bride and groom, there was a little herd of children that kept stealing the show...(see above). At the reception, they weren't shy about getting out on the dance floor and giving everyone a good laugh. At the wedding Dan and I got to talk about all sorts of things wedding/kid related. It was nice to be away from the stress of studying for the BAR exam (for Dan) and work (for me). I got the go ahead from Dan to start the baby registry before he comes back from Chicago. Apparently, his feeling won't be hurt by missing those festivities.
So to kick it off., isn't this hat cute? I'm hoping a talented crochet person might be able to make one.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
25 weeks...on the inside
It's been a while since I checked what size fruit/vegetable I was carrying, but today I found out baby Nuggette is an eggplant. Pretty cool! And, if Dan wanted to, he could put an eat to the tum and possibly hear her heart beat. :)
Monday, July 18, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
"I can expand again"
I read the message below today on Marvelous Kiddo. I've been reading birth stories long before I was pregnant. I have always loved pregnant women, watching them grow and be a holy vessel while just being themselves. Birth stories are one of those things that I find so interesting. Soon, I will have one.
This letter is such a sweet way to explain the change that happens when a baby is born.
My dearest Daughter,
Just three days ago you came into this world, and my life changed forever. That was the day I realized there was no limit to my love. There are no borders, no confines to restrict the fierce affection that courses through me. The walls of my heart encompass only that, my heart, not my love. There are no walls, no boundaries to restrain my feelings. Just because I love your brother with all of my being doesn't mean that I can't expand again and love you too, with every ounce of my self. It's almost funny now that I was afraid of that. I was afraid of figuring out how I would fit more love into my life, afraid that there was no way I could love anyone or anything else like I love your brother. And then I met you, and you proved me wrong.
This letter is such a sweet way to explain the change that happens when a baby is born.
My dearest Daughter,
Just three days ago you came into this world, and my life changed forever. That was the day I realized there was no limit to my love. There are no borders, no confines to restrict the fierce affection that courses through me. The walls of my heart encompass only that, my heart, not my love. There are no walls, no boundaries to restrain my feelings. Just because I love your brother with all of my being doesn't mean that I can't expand again and love you too, with every ounce of my self. It's almost funny now that I was afraid of that. I was afraid of figuring out how I would fit more love into my life, afraid that there was no way I could love anyone or anything else like I love your brother. And then I met you, and you proved me wrong.
Monday, July 11, 2011
GRRRRrrrrrrr...
I'm not really that upset.
Dan and I have been having an ongoing conversation about our baby's name since the NCAA basketball tournament. He suggested Shaka after the coach of that one final four team that I don't remember. Since then our name picks have been more for a reaction than serious.
However, recently there have been a few that have stuck. Finding out we were having a girl has narrowed the field, but it also made the search more...thougtful. We've tossed around family names, popular names, looked through the lists that our family members have provided. On my latest visit to see Dan I threw out one while in the car on our way to see James. What do you think about, "Harper"? Almost immediately Dan turned to me and said, "I really like that." We are both a fan of To Kill A Mockingbird, in fact, we were talking about Boo Radley's character when the thought popped into my head. It just seemed to fit.
We didn't carve it in store, or state it as THE name, but it was a nice feeling to have one that we both, just, paused over.
Well, today I have been organizing my sewing materials and clearing out the sewing space. All in an effort to convert the second room into a baby space. There is progress! I picked up 10 bins from Target and things are getting labeled! I was sorting my chapstick-making materials when Entertainment Tonight casually announced in the back ground that Victoria and David Beckham announced that their newest baby was going to be named "Harper ....something...."
(insert boggle eyeballs)
It's not the end of the world, but I'm a bit bummed. They stole our name!
I still really like the name, but c'mon. They are supposed to pick a name that fits in with Apple, and Coco, and all those other superstar names. (I guess Harper fits that mold, but I don't want to admit that.)
Anyway, that was a bummer.
Dan and I have been having an ongoing conversation about our baby's name since the NCAA basketball tournament. He suggested Shaka after the coach of that one final four team that I don't remember. Since then our name picks have been more for a reaction than serious.
However, recently there have been a few that have stuck. Finding out we were having a girl has narrowed the field, but it also made the search more...thougtful. We've tossed around family names, popular names, looked through the lists that our family members have provided. On my latest visit to see Dan I threw out one while in the car on our way to see James. What do you think about, "Harper"? Almost immediately Dan turned to me and said, "I really like that." We are both a fan of To Kill A Mockingbird, in fact, we were talking about Boo Radley's character when the thought popped into my head. It just seemed to fit.
We didn't carve it in store, or state it as THE name, but it was a nice feeling to have one that we both, just, paused over.
Well, today I have been organizing my sewing materials and clearing out the sewing space. All in an effort to convert the second room into a baby space. There is progress! I picked up 10 bins from Target and things are getting labeled! I was sorting my chapstick-making materials when Entertainment Tonight casually announced in the back ground that Victoria and David Beckham announced that their newest baby was going to be named "Harper ....something...."
(insert boggle eyeballs)
It's not the end of the world, but I'm a bit bummed. They stole our name!
I still really like the name, but c'mon. They are supposed to pick a name that fits in with Apple, and Coco, and all those other superstar names. (I guess Harper fits that mold, but I don't want to admit that.)
Anyway, that was a bummer.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Met the Midwife
I had a doctor's appointment today. Everything is good. Heard the Nugget's heartbeat and got my belly measured - I'm right where I'm supposed to be: 24 centimeters for my 24th week. I've gained 12 pounds since the start of this crazy ride, and that is just fine with me.
I met with a midwife today. She talked about what role she fills in the course my pregnancy, and then how she would help during labor. She explained when the doctor would have to take over and what sorts of procedures she is qualified to do herself (ie: epidural). I also asked about working with a Midwife and a doula, and she said many mothers work with both, which I was happy to hear.
Dan has been pretty open about know knowing how "able" he will be once labor starts, so I would like to help him out by having someone whose job is, well, me. He is happy to be there (well, I don't know if happy is the right word, but he will be where I want him to be, which is there in the room, seeing me in whatever state I happen to be in...Probably loud and in pain, as I'm not planning on having an epidural.) So I'm looking into having a doula.
My know a doula in Washington state, and seeing and reading stories from her life make it seem like a relationship that would be both helpful and completely welcome. I don't have a guarantee that my mom will make it for the birth (as it's hard to know really when the kiddo will come and plane tickets take a certain amount of planning) so having person who I know will be there only to insure that I have what I need, and has experienced birth before, makes me feel so much better about the whole thing. Granted, women have been having babies for thousands of years, so regardless of who is there, when she wants to come out, there will be no stopping her.
I just don't want to get stuck with a bunch of monitors and cords if I'm not in a high risk situation. I want to be able to walk around. I want to be able to get in a bath if I want to. I want to be able to eat and drink if I feel the urge to, and in all of my conversations, the midwife, Laura, and I are on the same page. I told her I was planning on laboring as much as possible at home before going into the hospital, and she supported that decision. Again, there will be signs that I'll be watching for to ensure I'm not going "too far" in labor at home, as I've promised Dan I wouldn't be having a home birth (poor guy. I told him all he has to do if it happens that way is not drop the baby, but that didn't seem to reassure him on his ability to perform. "Soft hands Swift! Just don't drop the kid!")
Now, if something were to happen that would make me incredibly unhappy, say, a million nurses start traipsing into my room and being rude, or having my baby taken away from me without finding out why, or a bunch strangers getting up in my breasts while I'm trying to bond and feed my child, I know Dan will be the first person to make sure it gets fixed. He will be my legs and my advocate. No question about it.
Yeah. 24 weeks down, 16 to go. Whoa.
I met with a midwife today. She talked about what role she fills in the course my pregnancy, and then how she would help during labor. She explained when the doctor would have to take over and what sorts of procedures she is qualified to do herself (ie: epidural). I also asked about working with a Midwife and a doula, and she said many mothers work with both, which I was happy to hear.
Dan has been pretty open about know knowing how "able" he will be once labor starts, so I would like to help him out by having someone whose job is, well, me. He is happy to be there (well, I don't know if happy is the right word, but he will be where I want him to be, which is there in the room, seeing me in whatever state I happen to be in...Probably loud and in pain, as I'm not planning on having an epidural.) So I'm looking into having a doula.
My know a doula in Washington state, and seeing and reading stories from her life make it seem like a relationship that would be both helpful and completely welcome. I don't have a guarantee that my mom will make it for the birth (as it's hard to know really when the kiddo will come and plane tickets take a certain amount of planning) so having person who I know will be there only to insure that I have what I need, and has experienced birth before, makes me feel so much better about the whole thing. Granted, women have been having babies for thousands of years, so regardless of who is there, when she wants to come out, there will be no stopping her.
I just don't want to get stuck with a bunch of monitors and cords if I'm not in a high risk situation. I want to be able to walk around. I want to be able to get in a bath if I want to. I want to be able to eat and drink if I feel the urge to, and in all of my conversations, the midwife, Laura, and I are on the same page. I told her I was planning on laboring as much as possible at home before going into the hospital, and she supported that decision. Again, there will be signs that I'll be watching for to ensure I'm not going "too far" in labor at home, as I've promised Dan I wouldn't be having a home birth (poor guy. I told him all he has to do if it happens that way is not drop the baby, but that didn't seem to reassure him on his ability to perform. "Soft hands Swift! Just don't drop the kid!")
Now, if something were to happen that would make me incredibly unhappy, say, a million nurses start traipsing into my room and being rude, or having my baby taken away from me without finding out why, or a bunch strangers getting up in my breasts while I'm trying to bond and feed my child, I know Dan will be the first person to make sure it gets fixed. He will be my legs and my advocate. No question about it.
Yeah. 24 weeks down, 16 to go. Whoa.
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