If it's Sunday...

...it's Meet the Press. Even though Tim Russert is gone, it is still part of the Sunday morning routine. I made possibly the best bowl of oatmeal for breakfast and promptly started knitting the second of a startlingly cute pair of yes, more booties. I'm on a roll. They are very satisfying to make AND my kid needs socks. So, it's actually quite practical. Here is the latest pair, with Donavon modeling:



Just as a recap, I wanted to get on the record all of the things I've been doing, particularly since 36 weeks, to prepare for this adventure.

• Herbs: alfalfa, evening primrose oil, nutribiotics (plus prenatal vitamin and DHA that I have been taking all along), in addition to pregnancy tea and red raspberry leaf tea - at least 2 cups of each daily.
• Relaxation CDs: Obviously, I have been doing this for awhile now, but I'm ramping up the review.
• Exercises: Nothing drastic here, but staying limber and active is supposed to be helpful at this point, keeping the hips all loose. I do a lot of cat stretches (on all fours, arching and rounding) and the goofy hula hoop move whenever I am standing around. I think I was doing it unconsciously in the market yesterday.
  
• Baths: Almost daily, I'm in the jet bath for two reasons. It is one of the more comfortable places to be, what with defying gravity, and it is very relaxing, which helps my back and all the ligaments and muscles that need to be all limber. It augments the relaxation stuff and the stretching exercises.
• Drinking a LOT of water: I'm staying as hydrated as possible, drinking water or tea constantly.

I spent a good three hours on hypnobirthing - there is this one section on the final CD during which I always fall asleep so I have to go back and then I fall asleep again. I don't think it is a bad thing to go over it again and again, but it makes for a long lazy afternoon. That also included practicing with Donavon. It doesn't seem like the kind of thing that one can overdo...personally I would like to spend the next two weeks or so in a constant state of bliss.

Donavon watched "Hancock" while I did things around the house - mostly because I just didn't want to sit. It is definitely the least comfortable position.

We did address a few more Christmas cards before bed. Christmas is starting early around here this year!

The cub seems to be getting lower. And he is still moving around in there. His little pokey parts are really hard and sharp now, it is incredible to feel, like so little separates us.

Sleepy Saturday

After another craptastic night of attempted sleep, I managed a few good hours this morning. I got up just before 10. I took a long bath. I had a couple of moments of fear while looking at my giant belly in the bathtub. That thing has to get out and I hope I'm ready.

Donavon and I went to Chipotle for lunch and then grocery shopping.

There were more booties and then more birth practice.

We had another movie and dinner night (at home). Although this one wasn't a surprise. After a long discussion about James Bond at Thanksgiving, we were inspired to watch one last night. We picked "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". And D made burgers. We were in bed by 10 something.

Black Fridayversary

No, we did not partake in the life threatening black friday madness. Never have, never will. Someone was actually killed by trampling at Walmart. That's not right.

Today was spent making more baby booties and then listening to just about all of my birthing CDs. It is sort of like cramming for an exam, I am in constant review mode now. Plus, I want to be as stress free and calm over the next few weeks so that whenever it happens, I'm in the best frame of mind possible.

I've also started doing funny pelvic exercises at any random moment of the day - kind of like a hula hoop move - as it is supposed to help with labor.

Donavon surprised me with mystery movie night (at home). He queued up "The Way We Were" which is one of my all time faves. That was awesome.

We did have a late night romp in the field with Merle where we met a couple of guys with their hyper pup. It was amusing because they actually wanted Merle to growl at their dog and teach him some respect. So, Merle sat around growling at this other dog while they tried to get him to mellow out. We don't usually encourage this behavior, but they appreciated it.

Happy Thanksgiving

We did two things today. I made a pumpkin pie this morning. Then we spent the rest of the day around our friends' table eating and enjoying their wonderful company. That is it. It was wonderful and we couldn't be more thankful.

The cub seemed to enjoy being fed little pieces of turkey, vegetables and pie every hour or so. He was moving around a lot.

Good day

I had another poor night's sleep - it's not comfortable these days. Oh, and the pre-bed pizza dinner was a ticket for serious heartburn. I was up for a few hours, watched some news, then went back to sleep, with the help of the hypnobirthing relaxation CD. Magic stuff.

We received another boatload of goodies in the mail today - baby bottles, the last of the cloth diaper bounty, a few baby toys, another swaddler. Cute stuff requiring more laundry.

I spoke with Evelyn, my wonderful midwife. She was very understanding and even appreciative that I told her my concerns about her new assistant. She promised I would see her for my last few appointments and reassured me that I would not be alone with the assistant for the birth. I'm comforted and reminded how excellent she is.

I made something TOTALLY unglamorous - a diaper pail bag. When you cloth diaper you need to have a waterproof, washable liner for the pail that you can throw in the wash along with the diapers. I had an extra nylon shower curtain, the right material, so I sewed that up. Not as cute as the booties, but a necessary item that only took about 15 minutes to make.

We filmed a video for Donavon's HomeserverHacks blog. He is writing an article about our sweet new video camera, the Flip MinoHD, so I got to play director and camerawoman.

I hauled myself outside to play with Merle. Donavon has taken over all daily dog romping activities in the last month or so since I just really am not that fun to play with. But I ventured out today with them to witness his latest favorite toy - a golf ball he found in the field. It's pretty cute to see him acting like a dog, chasing a ball, running. It is not his normal state of being.

As usual, D and I did our birth practice and then I did the part on my own...I fell asleep, which I seem to do every time. So when I woke up I had to listen again.

Dinner was yummy Donavon chili - a couple of bowls out of a big batch that is going in the freezer. I really hope I can eat somewhat spicy food while nursing...I've been eating it all pregnancy so he should be used to it! And we have a LOT of chili in the freezer that I want to eat.

We watched a bunch of news, mostly about the terrorist attacks in India, while I knitted. I started another pair of booties but can't show them yet. I was having way to much fun making them, I stayed up pretty late. It's 11:45 and I am off to bed. Sweet dreams of turkey and pie...

Big Belly Tuesday – Week 37

This week's Big Belly Tuesday comes to you from the Land of Enchantment.

Big belly Tuesday 37

I had a pretty bad night's sleep last night, so I started the day a bit grumpier than normal. Donavon made me toast and eggs, because he is swell. I felt a little better after that.

I made really cute baby booties/socks. Here is one in Donavon's hand.



I had a 37 week appointment this afternoon. All is well - baby is still head down. His heartbeat was in the 120s-130s, which is a little lower but in the normal range. My blood pressure is starting to get a little higher, which she said is normal. It was 112/50, kind of a weird reading but still just fine. I'm measuring 38 weeks. The only upsetting thing about the appointment is that I am not entirely comfortable with the new birth assistant that my midwife brought in. She had an assistant that I really liked and got to know, and then she left. At around 32-34 weeks, this new one came on. She is medically competent, which is certainly good. But at the last two appointments I have noticed that she smokes. The smell on her is faint because I think she probably does try to manage it. But you can't hide that smell and it basically repulses me when she is touching me. I find it upsetting in a health care setting. And the thought of smelling that while I am in the middle of managing labor is upsetting. And the thought of her touching and caring for my minutes old baby is really upsetting. While the smoking is the main thing that makes me uncomfortable, I don't exactly love her personality, either. In theory, her job is to help my midwife. But depending on schedules and other births, there is a chance that I could spend some of my labor with her alone and then, heaven forbid, there is even a chance she could catch the baby. Distressing me. I've got a call in to my midwife to share these concerns and I really hope she understands.

We did some grocery shopping where Donavon got to play with the new scan as you shop technology at Giant. He had a better time than I did, I think. I mostly just wanted to sit down and eat something and cry a little about the appointment.

In the evening, we went to a happy hour with the boys next door from Alter Urban. They are the architects who totally redid our house. They redid the house next door as well, where they put in their office. I stayed too late and stood way too long, but otherwise it was a fun night. They are good guys and they have nice friends. Again, one of those last nights of getting out that I appreciate.

We ate a way too late dinner of Donavon's yummy pizza and were in bed before 11.

Some other things I have made

I made a stack of baby blankets, wipes and burpcloths a while ago but forgot to post. The blankets are just one ply of flannel with rounded corners, raw edges covered with bias tape. The wipes are two ply - recycled white tshirt on one side and flannel on the other.

37 weeks

from babycenter.com

Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

Some days are kind of useless

Despite a long list of things to do, it turned into a somewhat useless day. Basically, I spent the majority of the day online, shopping for Christmas presents but settling on only a few things I liked. I did buy a couple of cute newborn toys since we have about two right now. That was kind of fun actually, picking out his first few toys.

I did make all four of my remaining weekly appointments with the midwife! That is kind of exciting. Tomorrow we have a checkup and then every Wednesday until my due date. Will I make it to my due date? Will I need a fifth appointment? Such a crazy mystery this is.

I practiced daily relaxation stuff, first with Donavon and then the part I do on my own. And then Donavon and I were off for special dinner date night. We went to Woodberry Kitchen and it was SUCH a delicious dinner. It was also precious to spend the time together like that, before baby. I think we both realize how special this last period is and are grateful we can enjoy it. Here we are stuffed and happy (and as dressed up as I have been in a while).



We think we might have one more of these nights in us. Well, it is really up to me and I think I might have one more of these nights in me.

One of the last Sundays before Sparky arrives

Donavon and I were both up early. I suppose we REALLY should be sleeping in. We chatted about how Donavon is going to help me while this child is trying to get out. I've been listening to the CDs on my own for a while now, and he hasn't had a chance to be a very big part of it...beyond pinching my thigh really really hard so I can practice the techniques. Obviously, he needs to have different skills ready for the actual day. So, we are starting to go over the specific suggestions and reminders he can do to augment and encourage everything I have learned so far.

My wonderful friend Kathy came up to visit from DC. She and I went to the farmer's market under the freeway for crepes - yum.

Donavon and I spent the afternoon at babies1st, a store in Columbia, MD, where they installed our car seat. Apparently, our car is a little different and it took the woman an hour to do it. At one point she was physically standing on the base of our seat inside of the car - see video below. This is what you get what you pay a professional to do it the right way.


She actually gave us a discount for shooting the following instructional video of her doing it, to show how our car installation is so unique. As you'll see, she's impressively serious about her work.



We picked up some more random baby wares - a sun shade for the car window, a sherpa sack to keep him cozy warm in his car seat, a miracle blanket (kind of a strait jacket for babies, which apparently they like).

Tonight was supposed to be nice dinner out date night but I was exhausted. It's been postponed until tomorrow night. Tonight became order Chinese delivery night.

We practiced birth stuff together. Now, I am sewing up some nursing pads (with a cat at my shoulder and a dog at my feet) before heading to bed to practice some more on my own.

Oh and mancub is moving all around as I write this. He's been dancing for about a half hour now.

One of the last Saturdays before Sparky arrives

I did go back to bed at some point this morning and slept in, til about 9. Then, as is house tradition, we had Sci-Fi Saturday morning, which means watching whatever we recorded from Sci-Fi Friday night but were way too busy partying till all hours to watch. These days the only show in the line up is Stargate Atlantis. Then Donavon and I focused on domestic tasks, mostly for Christmas. I wrapped presents while Donavon not only designed but also finished making all of the Christmas cards.

In addition, I sewed a crib sheet. It came out perfectly fine and it was pretty easy, although I want to tweak the pattern a bit.

The diaper trial package came today. Those things are so darn cute. They have to be washed a few times before use, so yay, more laundry :)

I practiced hypnobirthing/napped and then Donavon and I had a late but ever popular breakfast dinner = waffles, eggs and sausage.

Meanwhile, the cub is definitely positioning himself lower. Donavon claims I have been saying this every day for the last two weeks. I have noticed that I am not getting kicked in the ribs anymore even while he is clearly getting much larger. Plus, I swear I felt him being pushed down with a lot of those Braxton Hicks the last week.

4 am

I have been pretty lucky lately, sleeping through the night. I usually get up once around 3 and fall back asleep pretty easily. But tonight, I'm up. This time I'm hungry and thirsty and my head is full of thoughts. Mostly good thoughts - baby, Christmas, the whole giving birth thing. I woke up around 3:30 and tossed and turned until 4:30, when my growling stomach finally got me out of bed. A little toast and tea should help and then I will listen to a hypnobirthing CD to float off into space or wander through the forest or go somewhere equally mind numbing and soporific.

Little cub seems to be awake, too. He's stretching around and kicking for over an hour, in what must be very tight quarters.

Oh and to add to the cat behavior documentation, he now sleeps with me every night, curled up next to my belly. He used to do that occasionally, maybe a few times a month, but it's become a nightly habit. And since I am up now, he is wandering around meowing like crazy and looking at me as if to say, "Why are you not holding me or in a position where I can be sleeping on you?" And then he runs REALLY fast to another area of the house, his claws scraping and sliding on the hardwood floors. The dog is still quite happily curled up on his bed in our bedroom. Good dog.

Friday

Since the days of just the 2 of us, before there are just the 3 of us, are numbered, I'm thinking I should write down the banal stuff we do in these last few weeks...for posterity. As much as we have been planning, we are at the point of "Oh hey, we really should get that car seat installed" and a few other things that haven't been crossed off the list, yet. And we are trying to seize the preciousness of these last days of relative freedom.

LAST weekend, I took Donavon on a mystery ride - a longstanding family tradition that he is trying to embrace, although they usually make him nervous. I surprised him (kind of) with Quantum of Solace, opening weekend, at the new Landmark Theater in Harbor East. That place is sweet. Bond and a beer - I think he was happy. The seats are comfy enough for an 8 month pregnant lady, which is saying something. It was one of our last date nights without requiring babysitters and nursing arrangements. As unwieldy as I am getting, I want to fit as many of these nights in as possible.

During the week we made the uber important champagne purchase. We got a half bottle for the two (three?) of us, for right after he is born, and then another to celebrate when the whole family arrives. Something exciting about having champagne chilling and waiting. That is the general mood in the house - chilling and waiting.

Yesterday, I went on a diaper buying spree. It occurred to me that will need a serious supply of them. We are planning to use cloth, but for the first few weeks, not knowing if he is small...and with the umbilical cord care...and since we don't know what we are doing...and since there will be lots of family around, I figured it might be wise to have disposables on hand. Just a whacky thought. And although I bought about 8 or so newborn cloth diapers a few months ago, that is not nearly enough. So I finally rounded out the supply, including a cool trial package with all the different types that allows you to return whatever you don't like. (And yes, there are MANY types of cloth diapers - it is way beyond the white squares of cotton these days.)

A portion of every day is inevitably spent doing laundry, washing all of the new baby items that smell like plastic or just plain weird. (I realize this will still be the case when there is an actual baby, although stuff will smell weird for other reasons.)

For today, the big fun was a trip to IKEA for some last minute things. We got a Poang chair for the nursery (gift of Grandma) and a few other baby things. Like crib mattress protectors and other boring items that babies need. We also bought meatballs because those IKEA meatballs are greasy and salty and tasty (not for the baby).

I spent a good fifteen minutes of my life amused by the Sarah Palin interview shot on a farm, unfortunately in front of the guy bleeding struggling turkeys for slaughter.

Otherwise, we had a quiet night in, with Donavon's chili for dinner and watching last night's episode of The Office. Sparky had big hiccups shortly after I ate and was moving around for about 10-15 minutes. From now until bed time I will practice Hypnobirthing stuff with Donavon. And we'll probably take a minute or two to watch some puppy cam. Those guys are getting big and rowdy.

the cat and the dog

The cat, Reno, has always been lovey. He is an affectionate man. But since about Monday or Tuesday (36 weeks) he has been aggressively affectionate. It is only 9 am and he has bullied his way into my arms 4 separate times today. And he is spending less time outside - which means more time inside meowing incessantly and trying to get on my lap or in my arms. It could all be coincidence, but this seems like that 'animals know when something is up' kind of behavior that you hear about. The dog, Merle, comes looking for me when he can't find me...but he has kind of always been that way. He whimpers more since I got pregnant, but I can't tell if it is escalating more recently as the day approaches. There is some chance he is a bit more attentive, just not as striking a change as with Reno. It's so fascinating.

Guess and Win!

The baby is due on December 16th, just 26 days to go! Wow, it seem like only yesterday that Alyssa started feeling like cr@p in the morning.

When will the baby actually come? Leave your guess here. The winner will receive bragging rights and maybe even get to hold the man-cub a minute longer than everyone else.

Leave a comment with your name, date and time (any missing time will be entered as noon). The one who is the closest wins!

<a href="http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?vid=e7e6084e-00ab-443c-93b0-1a770a13e489" target="_new" title="Guess and Win">Video: Guess and Win</a>

baby sling

We found a cool baby sling that we liked, but the store didn't have the right size. So, I decided to venture into the world of DIY on the internet and I found a pattern to make a knock off. It was incredibly simple and took maybe 4 hours total. And now that I have a custom pattern, it will be even faster if I decide to make more. Here is Donavon modeling it with a flour sack baby to provide a little ballast (and a potato for a head).

And here is a little video of Donavon using it to steal groceries. It's sideways for a bit because I didn't realize that, unlike taking photos, you can't shoot sideways and turn it around later...

Big Belly Tuesday – Week 36 (Video Edition)

Today marks week 36 or in other words, only 4 more weeks! And to celebrate, this week's Big Belly Tuesday also includes a video for your viewing pleasure.

 

36 weeks

The midwife and assistant came to the house today for a home visit. They did the normal checkup - urine dip all normal, blood pressure 108/60, heart tones good (150s) and the baby is head down, still. They also checked out the supply kit I had ordered and got the layout of the house for when the big day comes. (Homebirth "supplies" includes things like an umbilical clamp, newborn hats and various things that absorb stuff...you can get ANYTHING on the internet.) My fundal height (i.e. baby containing portion of belly) is measuring 37.5 cm which translates to 37.5 weeks, which could mean he is a little big or it could mean nothing...he is likely not small though. I asked if they thought I might go early, considering size and the fact that I have lots of contractions now. The old wives' tale she used to see how long I would go said that it would be 3 more weeks, which would be early but within full term. (The test is how many of the mother's fingers fit between the xyphoid process and the top of the uterus. I fit 3.) We'll see! Overall, it was pretty exciting to finally have the home visit. From now on I have weekly visits at the office.



Also, as of today, here is the assortment of evening pills. In addition to taking a daily prenatal, nutribiotics (basically grapefruit seed extract) and DHA supplement, it's time to add alfalfa and evening primrose oil to the line up. Alfalfa contains vitamin K, which is important for coagulation, thus limiting bleeding after birth. Evening primrose oil prepares the cervix to let the kid through nice and easy. It is used more aggressively to induce labor if one gets to 41 weeks or so. In addition, I'm drinking as much red raspberry leaf tea as humanly possible, which is supposed to support all over uterine health. When not drinking tea, I'm to drink as much water as humanly possible. Dehydration is the most preventable problem that can occur during labor and birth, so I'm on that one.

From babycenter.com:

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.

One month to go...

While due dates aren't supposed to mean much, as of today, November 16, we have one month left. So we decided to celebrate with a special 8 month belly photo session. Yeah, amazing that thing is going to keep growing for another month.

Belly video

Today while watching Meet the Press, I got some good footage of the little cub stretching and grooving. We'll see how much more alien it gets over the next month.

Christmas stocking

I made a stocking for the cub. He really better be here for Christmas. Many years ago, my mom knitted stockings for me and my two sisters. I clearly remember her working them during football games. I want to continue the tradition - although without the football.

Big Belly Tuesday – Week 35

This Tuesday we are in New Jersey visiting Peter, Kristen and the kids. This will be our last trip before our self imposed travel embargo.

gestational update

So, there are some little milestones that should be recorded. I'd say at about 33-34 weeks, sparky started having hiccups. I wasn't sure what that would feel like until sure enough, it feels like nothing else. My belly turns into a metronome. He gets them at least once a day, 3 times max. Oh, he has them right now :)

About a month ago, I did finally get a sweet tooth, as I think I have mentioned. I have to watch it now as, frankly, if I could live on cake and cookies, I would. In these last few weeks, I want to get back to real healthiness though, getting my body ready for the big day.

As long as I was mobile and energetic, I have been keeping busy. Making food to stash away in the freezer, Christmas planning, knitting and sewing soft tiny things for the little creature and otherwise getting the house ready for baby and family. We've also been taking advantage of every party or chance to get out and be with friends, appreciating it while we can. Each day I have been able to do stuff, I have, anticipating that at some point, I won't want to move.

Well, I might be at that point. The election night party might be the last big event until baby. In the last few days, I have hit the wall, to use a marathon analogy. Within a couple of hours of waking up, I am ready for a solid nap. In fact, I've been getting a little woozy in the morning if I don't quite eat enough or drink enough water. Today, for example, I sewed a little burp cloth and that was the extent of the morning's accomplishments, aside from three small meals and many glasses of water. I moved myself to bed with some knitting and the laptop and eventually fell asleep for a few hours. When I woke up, I took a warm bath and then listened to Hypnobirthing brainwashing. I'm on a modified self-imposed bedrest because 1) I get Braxton Hicks after a seemingly lame amount of activity, 2) I'm just really tired, 3) my blood pressure was really low and I was woozy at my checkup on Thursday (84/60), which as I said, has happened every morning since then and 4) because I can.

It's all got me a little grumpy. I don't enjoy asking Donavon to run upstairs for things or to constantly bring me water. I REALLY don't enjoy doing so little - it makes for a boring day without much accomplishment. There are all of these things I want to do for the baby and for Christmas. And overall, I'm pretty much uncomfortable all of the time. Until this week I would get uncomfortable intermittently during the day, after too long sitting or standing, but it really is just starting to be perpetual. Basically, as I told Donavon to his amusement, I'm losing that can-do spirit. Intellectually, I am embracing the quiet and the ability to sleep as much as I want, as I know it will be very different soon. But truth be told, I would rather be busy.

From what I hear, this is the normal progression of things. I have another five and a half weeks, and who knows, maybe I'll rally again. But I'm accepting that I'm at the stage of sitting at this bus stop quietly, stuck on the bench waiting patiently with a pile of crossword puzzles and knitting to keep from going crazy, until my ride finally comes.

Big Belly Tuesday – Week 34

This week, Tuesday falls on election day. So I present to you this Big Belly Tuesday Election Day "Special Edition".

(click to view larger)

34 weeks

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which she'll need to regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

from babycenter.com

Sparky Voted

Alyssa and I just returned from voting. The line was only about 20 people long and we were in and out in less than 20 minutes.

I'm pretty sure that Sparky voted for Obama!

Look Ma, No Hands

Alyssa is modeling the knitted pants that she made for young Sparky. She went to hold them up for the picture when I pointed out to her that with the belly shelf, they would stay up all by themselves.

Big Belly Tuesday - Week 33

Here are your belated Big Belly Tuesday pictures for the week.

Happy Halloween

Yesterday was Halloween. Alyssa dressed up as a pregnant cowgirl, Sparky as a future wrangler (complete with cowboy hat and bandana) and I dressed up as a crazy McCain supporter (you know, then one who that faked an attack by a 6'4" back man and carved a backwards "B" in her face).