shhhh! don't wake Joe and Karen

My in-laws, (Grandpa) Joe, (Grandma) Karen, and (Auntie) Katie stopped in Babies R Us last night to test-drive some gliders with us. They look mighty comfy on those gliders! :)

(Shhhh.... Joe's still sound asleep. Poor guy... all tuckered out from his golf tournament.)

happy buddha bellies

Lee says he's having twins. :)

our first venture into Babies R Us

Just a couple of snaps from our first venture into the Babies R Us megastore as parents-to-be.

Daddy's checking out a co-sleeper (it's a bed for baby that connects to the parent's bed).










Jason notices the apparent "must-have" feature on a car seat: a side cup-holder.

Where am I registered?

Hello loves!

I've been getting questions about registrations. We are working on a Web site with our wish-list of baby-related items. We've been blessed with several 'must-have' items from friends and are in the process of taking inventory of what we have and what we'll need. As soon as the site is ready, we'll make the link available on this blog. *heart*

Thank you so much for your e-mails, inquiries, and gifts to our little one. What a blessing you are to us.

*big hugs*

synchronicity? we shall see...

I'm excited to see the baby again next week via ultra-sound. There's a small part of me that's still hopeful it's a girl. *grin* So I'm looking forward to getting another look-see at the "parts".

A few weeks back, I was out trimming roses when a woman walked by and struck up a conversation. One of the things she said was, "I had three ultrasounds - one of them was late term. I was told each time it was a boy. Then I gave birth to a girl. It took me two weeks to name her because I just wasn't prepared for a girl!"

Again I was re-minded that the Universe has a keen sense of humour. Just when I accepted the evidence (given by the ultrasound technician) that I was going to have a boy... this woman comes bee-bopping into my awareness with THAT message. I don't believe in coincidences, but I do have a strong appreciation for synchronicities. So I've been shaking my head and smiling when I think about that little interaction.

We haven't settled on a name for our son - we've been pretty laid back about it. Playing with words and meanings; when the mood strikes each of us has been doing online research. It did occur to me last week that maybe a name hasn't come to us because maybe, just maybe, we're having a girl. *grin*

Now, I don't want you to worry that I'm deluding myself about this. If we have a boy, I will be absolutely thrilled and positively in love with him. I knew, years ago, that if on the off-chance I did have a child, and if, on the off-off chance it was a boy, it would be to raise a boy who is free of the bonds of machismo. Now I'm married to a man who is not only just that (machismo-free), he's writing a book about the 'new male'. So, if we are to have a son, his timing is sheer perfection and I am honoured to be the portal which brings him forth.

And... hope springs eternal. *laughing* Stay tuned... I'm hoping to have photos (and video!) to post after next Thursday's ultrasound.

I can still ride a bike :)

Our HypnoBirthing class was canceled last night. Our instructor, who is also a licensed doula, called to say she had a mama go into labor. When Jason came home from work, I suggested we ride our bikes to a nearby pub for a bite to eat. It's the second time in my pregnancy that I've been on a bike and it's much easier for me to ride than it is to walk. I'm sure I look pretty funny from behind - I ride with my legs really spread on the account of my big belly. Here's a photo of us from last night. Hope you are all doing well!





xoxo's!

... a lil discouraged

I saw my doctor today, who is a doctor of osteopathic medicine (D.O.). I chose him after I moved to Portland because osteopathic medicine is: "dedicated to treating and healing the entire patient as a whole, rather than focusing on one system or body part. An osteopathic physician will often use a treatment method called manipulation -- a hands-on approach to assure that the body is moving freely. This free motion ensures that all of your body's natural healing systems are free to work unhindered." Sounded great to me.

I saw him three weeks ago because of the swelling in my hands and feet, specifically because of the constant numbness and tingling in my hands, and more worrisome, the associated pain in my right wrist. He declared it carpal tunnel and prescribed my gorgeous wrist-slints for three weeks of 24/7 wear. Lovely. I was pretty good about keeping them on much of the time. Three weeks later, the tingling sensation in my left fingers increased and my right hand hasn't improved. Bummer. I am buoyed by other women telling me that their own carpal tunnel-like syndrome went away right after or within a few weeks after giving birth. I am (working on) knowing this too will be my experience - that or - the swelling and related symptoms will naturally go away on their own, prior to giving birth.

My first appointment was riddled with the D.O. talking about the possible need for surgery (after the baby is born). I did not want to hear that word. In the second visit today, he again kept talking about the worst-case scenario (surgery). He had my blood taken to check for thyroid issues and wants me to see a nuero-physician for a nerve test to establish a base line.

I agreed to the blood draw, but doubt I will peruse the nerve test. I just don't see the point. I appreciate where the D.O. is coming from and yet I expected more of a 'whole and natural' approach. I did not expect to repeatedly hear "surgery", but then today I realized, he is a surgeon as well, so of course that is part of his healing arsenal.

As I type this, I'm feeling a discouraged. I want to find a new doctor who is more in alignment with who I am. I am aware that it's time to take more responsibility for my own healing.

And, I'm beginning to wonder about my OBGYN. I really like her; I've been seeing her for my annual Paps for years, but when I saw her this week, and told her about the class we were taking, but she said she wasn't familiar with it. ??? When Jason researched the various natural birthing methods available, he found that there are only a handful of techniques, and HypnoBirthing is one of them. I was surprised she was unfamiliar. In fact, it's been bothering me. But again, I have to recognize that she is a medical doctor, and used to women scheduling to be induced to birth during her working hours. She isn't excited about mid-wifery, thinks water birthing is unsanitary, and when asked, proclaimed home-birthing to be "ludicrous".

I am wondering if my OBGYN will be on-board with our birth plan. Granted, we haven't actually created one yet, but we will begin one in tonight's class. I was happy to see that in the binder the hospital gave me, it encourages their mama's-to-be to create a birth plan so everyone (OBGYN, hospital staff) will be on-board with our desires.

Love and Joy to you.

baby tv - another chance to see our baby :)

Jason's been reading to our lil guy. It's very sweet. He lays with his head on my lap so the baby can hear him. So far he's read him a Dr. Seuss story and "Where the Wild Things Are" - a gift from John and Angela. :)

I had an appointment with my OBGYN yesterday who sympathized with my swollen hands and feet. She measured my belly - twice, because she noticed it was growing (quite a bit?) over my last three visits. For that reason, she asked if I'd like to have another ultrasound. From the perspective of "I get to see our baby again!" - why, yes! I asked her if there was a reason not to... and she said "no".

We weren't expecting another ultrasound, so I am looking forward to seeing the babe again and am holding that everything is absolutely right and perfect that my baby is the perfect size for me., Looks like we'll have photos and video to share in a few weeks. Stay tuned.

Love and Joy!

me, in my fullness, with my Love

Photos taken by Kim, at Brian and Shannan's sweet and lovely wedding on Saturday.

Second HypnoBirthing class

Lordy it was hot yesterday - 100 degrees and today is slated for 101. Too hot for me and I'm grateful that kind of heat doesn't stay around long. Already the forecast for next week is showing rain on Wednesday and a high of 69. Whoo hoo! I hope that occurs. :)

Last night was our second HypnoBirthing class. We watched several HypnoBirths on video. I wondered how the four Daddies would fare with that, but I guess they did alright - I was too distracted with watching the reaction of the newborns to pay much attention to anyone else. :) I love that this technique is about calmness, going within, and the word "joy" is used just often enough to make me smile.

Then we watched an old(er) video about communicating with our unborn child and how much research has been done to show that the baby really does respond to pre-birth communication, songs, singing, and playing on the part of the parents.

The video suggested we sing a consistent "goodnight" lullaby to the baby before we/I go to sleep. The purpose being that the baby is more easily soothed to sleep once he's born when he hears that familiar song. (For a fun example of this, check this video out.) When I got settled into bed last night, I started to sing "Goodnight Sweetheart Goodnight" and the baby started wiggling all over the place. Heh.

The night before the class, Jason had said he wanted to bring up his Dr. Seuss collection from downstairs and start reading to the baby. Last night the video mentioned the "hugely influential 1986 study" done using mothers reading a particular Dr. Seuss book to her unborn child. "Hours after the babies were born, the researchers played audiotapes for them of their mothers reading the Dr. Seuss story and a different story. By an overwhelming majority, the newborns exposed in utero to The Cat in the Hat preferred it to the story they hadn't heard." (Source.) Jason recalled that study as being one he learned about in his child psych classes in college.

I imagine I'll be seeing his collection of books in the very near future. :)

baby's on the move

I got up with Oliver (our 18.5 year-old mini dachshund) at 4 am this morning to take him potty and eat breakfast. As he's entering his twilight years, he sleeps more and more. Jason said he's still around because there's still food to be eaten. Heh. And wow... he does love his food.

For about a year now, he's been waking up anywhere between 2 am and 5am - not (I suspect) because he has to potty, but because he wants to eat. He's limited in his physical abilities, which means we have to carry him from the bed, and set him on the grass (usually it's in the dark) and then when he's done with his "business" (thankfully - he gets right to his business), we carry him back inside.

He will not settle down if we attempt to put him back in bed with us unless he's been given breakfast. He's trained us well. Jason once said that one of his biggest hesitations in having a baby was the lack of sleep. After a year of taking Oliver out (Jason is often the one who gets up to take him out, especially, I've noticed, now that I'm preg-oh), Jason has credited Oliver with preparing him (to a small degree) to be the father of a newborn. Heh.

So this morning, I was already awake, having just made my third trek to the loo, when I heard Oliver wake up. Jason seemed to be sound asleep so I took Ollie out. Once we returned to bed, I was pleased to note that I had two full hours of sleep left before the gentle music of the alarm clock went off. Just as I got all settled in, the baby started doing some major movements. Usually he's good for one or two good pushes, or kicks... but he just kept going. He's big enough now, in my 6th month, that I can sometimes feel him on opposite sides of my tummy simultaneously. Jason had his arm draped across my tummy, but I could tell by his breathing that he was asleep. With each movement, I couldn't help but smile and chuckle silently, wondering what my funny baby was up to so early in the morning. (Maybe he's trying to tell me something right now... I just felt a good "whomp".) Heh. It seems like he was at it for a while before he (and I) settled in for more sleep.

Yea for sleep! ZZZZZzzzzzzzzz...

First HypnoBirthing class

We had our first class last week, and I really liked the approach. The class itself is limited to four couples and as it turns out, we're all having boys. With the exception of one gal who is due in December, I'm smack in the middle of the other two, in terms of birthing time - separated by just a few days on each side of me.

Since the start of my pregnancy, I've had an innate knowing to listen to my body, because I know it knows what to do. For that reason, I've read very little of the two pregnancy books that we bought, because I know how suggestive the mind can be. Lucky for me, Jason is very interested in the books and has read both books to the degree that he has them tabbed for reference, highlighted, ear-marked and underlined. Heh. I'll tell him, "whew... I'm tired." And he'll say, "yep, that's normal at this time in your pregnancy." Or I'll say, "wow - my feet are swollen" and he'll tell me all about compression socks, the need to elevate my feet frequently and to minimize my salt intake. I just love love love that he is that repository of knowledge for me - without me having to read through things like, "at this time in your pregnancy many women experience headaches". Bleh

Lately, in terms of preparing for the birth, I've been getting the message that it'll be important for me to "get out of my way" and let my body do what it will do, and to let my baby do what he needs to do to come forth. Finding this class was synchronisitic on many levels (in terms of timing; space available for only one more couple; seeing a CD that was on an end-table that was given to me by my Mum-in-law; having the book reference The Law of Attraction, and then turn the page to see a quote one of our current spiritual teachers), but in sitting in the class, I knew this was indeed the tool chest I wanted to have with me when our son chooses to come forth. It reminds me of a quote from one of my favorite films, L.A. Story: "Let your mind go, and your body will follow."

What I really wanted to share was this quote from the HypnoBirthing book:

Leave it to your baby to turn your world upside down, take your breath away and make you fall in love again. With his toothless grin, your baby sets your heart on fire. - Jan Blaustone, The Joy of Parenthood

PS - If you're still asking, "What is HypnoBirthing?" It's the practice of self-hypnosis. "Hypnosis is so effective that it was recognized in 1957 by the American Medical Association as a beneficial therapy for many physical and emotional needs."

(All excerpts are from HypnoBirthing: the Mongan Method" by Marie, F. Mongan, M.Ed., M.Hy.)

Love and Joy!

I keep thinking, "I can't possibly get any bigger"

Just a note to let you know everything with my pregnancy is going along well. This week was the last of my four weeks-apart pre-natal appointments - from here on out I'll be going in every two weeks to hear the little guy's heart beat and to (ugh) weigh-in and have the expanding girth of my tummy measured (I've been pretty good at ignoring the numbers on the scale, but this week it caught my eye. Oh dear that number is high!). Once I'm closer to my due date (11/3), I'll be going in every week.

I'm at the point (6 months along) where I am feeling so full and so big and I keep thinking to myself, "I can't possibly get any bigger" but I know that I will... at this point I'm very appreciative I'm not having twins! With that thought, the baby just gave a kick. Perhaps he's in agreement that he doesn't have to share space. Heh

The baby is quite active. It's just amazing to feel him move. I wonder what he's doing in there when I feel him (it'd be fun to have a home ultra-sound so we could watch "baby TV"). He's big enough now that I've started to feel him move simultaneously on both side of my tummy. He kicked Jason in the back this week when I came up behind Jason and gave him a hug. That was pretty cute.

Tonight is our first of five "HypnoBirthing" classes, and in October we're taking the birthing class offered by the hospital as a 1.5 day weekend "intensive" course. My initial thoughts of home birthing and water birthing have waned, and in July we toured the birthing center at the hospital where my OBGYN is, and had a good feeling about the place.

Friends and family have been asking about a baby shower. It looks as if there will be three - four of them, so stay tuned. :)

Love and Joy to you.

"Don't hate me because I'm beautiful..."

Do you remember that old Pantene commercial that had the words, "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful"?

Well, here's my own spin:

Don't hate me because I'm a fashionata - on the cutting edge of fashion with my latest fashion accessory: haute couture wrist slints! hahaha
(Swelling due to being knocked-up is causing carpal tunnel-like syndroms in my wrists, dabnabbit. I get to wear these handsome puppies 24/7 for three weeks. Yes, you're envious now, arent' you? hehehe - Oh, and the nude-colour knee-high compression socks are over-the-top sexy, too!)

*well braced hugs and full-on smooches*

Jason's second baby purchase... hehe

I know it's not *really* the world's smallest bike... but it sure looks like it to me! (photos attached.)

We saw this tiny two-wheeler in our walk through the neighborhood last night... $15 - we couldn't say, "no". Of course I didn't expect Jason to ride it home when he went back to get it - but he did! hahaha
I'm wondering if our son will need training wheels for this bike... or if he'll come into this world ready to pedal! (I think John M. said our baby "will know how to ride before he can walk.")

Love and Joy to you!

Interesting timing our baby has...

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-07-16-baby-boomlet_N.htm

He and millions of others arriving at once.... hmmmm... :)

An exciting first!

I was laying down a few minutes ago and felt a 'boom' in my belly.
I wondered if it was gas (heh) and then I felt it again. I thought,
"hmmm, if that's the baby I can handle that feeling." Then it
happened again, so I put my hands on my belly and he kept
pushing. Then I started to cry (a happy cry), just a little...
and was wishing Jason  was here to feel it. I called him
right away and told him. :)

Thought I'd share my amazing "first" with you, too.

Jason's first "Jackson" purchase

Boys and their toys...

At the store last night, Jason saw a display of HotWheels: 10 for $10 and simply could not resist. Of course he had to get two for himself... the rest are for Jackson*. hehehe (As he said... he just needs to remember three to five years from now that he bought them!)

* We're liking "Jackson" as the baby's middle name, and as we don't have a first name chosen, we're temporarily calling him "Jackson" or "Action Jackson" for the time being. :)

Enjoy!

It's confirmed... it's a boy. (oh boy, oh boy!)

We had the last ultrasound today and the baby passed with flying colours - everything "normal" and looking good. The baby is a full and even one pound in weight, and didn't seem to be nearly as active as the last ultrasound. At one point the technician, Matt, took screen shots that he used to simulate the baby waving ("Hi Mom") and then nodding its head at us - we got a big laugh out of that. One of my intentions around this baby besides the usual "healthy, intelligent, and beautiful" is that the baby have a good sense of humour.

The baby is 20.5 weeks in age and the due date is 11/3/08, although my doctor said to allow an extra week on either end. To me... the baby is going to come when the baby's ready to be here - not much to "allowing" on my part.

And the big news is... our baby is a BOY! At our last appointment, Matt tried to learn the sex and said, though it was really too early to know for sure, his best guess was that it is a boy - and he pointed to the 'evidence'. I think both Jason and I needed that seven weeks between ultrasounds to get used to the idea that we may indeed be sharing our lives with a boy!

Later in the appointment, Matt said the baby was touching himself. I said, "Really?! Let me see!" Matt angled the wand to between the baby's legs and sure enough... there was his hand. "Don't worry," Matt said, "he'll only do that until he's about... 94 years old."

And so it begins...

Enjoy!

See our wiggling baby :)

Jason was successful in making a clip of the video he took of the second ultrasound on April 30 (yea Jason!!!). Now you too can see our active little baby.

The next and last ultrasound is scheduled for next Wednesday (6/18). We are looking forward to seeing the baby again and learning if we'll be sharing our lives with a girl or a boy. Stay tuned!




Enjoy!