When Lapland Babies Go to Church

As the weather changes, I've been wondering how other cultures, especially those in northern climates, deal with babies in cold weather. I found this on the web and thought it was amazing.
(http://www.gutenberg.org/files/14101/14101.txt)

When Sunday morning comes, the Lapland father harnesses his reindeer to the sleigh. Father and mother wrap themselves in fur coats and put a fur coat on the baby, and away they go over the snow to church, it may be ten or even fifteen miles, for the reindeer can go a good deal
faster than a horse.

But the old Lapland custom of caring for the babies while the grown people are in church, you never would guess. For as soon as the reindeer is made secure, the father Lapp shovels out a snug little bed in the snow, and when it is ready the mother Lapp wraps the baby snug and warm in skins and lays it down there. Then the father Lapp piles the snow around and over the baby, when they go into the church and
leave the baby in the snow. So common is this that sometimes there are twenty or thirty babies, down to the little wee-est ones, buried in snow around the church.

You might think the babies would suffocate, but they do not, nor do they freeze. In fact, the snow does not make them cold. For when it covers anyone all over, if they have clothes enough on, so the snow will not melt and wet them, it will keep them warm. And as the little Lapland babies are not strong enough to knock the snow away and let in the cold, they just lie there safe and warm and go to sleep.

When church is out the father Lapp goes to the spot where his baby is, puts his hands down into the snow, pulls the baby our and shakes the snow off it; then the reindeer is unfastened, father and mother tuck themselves and the baby in the sleigh, and over the snow away they trot home again. (1914, "Dew Drops")

Still not sleeping through the night

OK, I heard from an online friend of mine that her daughter is sleeping from 9 pm to 7 am every night without waking up. She is almost exactly the same age as Melina. What's up with that? Melina still wakes up about twice during the night to feed. The friend's baby is eating solids and formula, and sleeps in a crib; this may be the difference. Melina is breastfeeding and sleeping in our bed, and has just begun eating solids. Apparently, babies who sleep in cribs sleep longer. I'm thinking it's about time to make that transition, because I need more sleep. I've been continuously sleep deprived for about 2 weeks; before that I got a few good nights of sleep, and before that I've been sleep deprived for five and a half months. Actually, no, longer than that, because I couldn't sleep when I was pregnant, either. Anyway, I like having M. in the bed with us - it's nice to wake up to a little baby. When I wake up in the middle of the night I just look at her sleeping peacefully, and that's usually relaxing enough to get me back to sleep. I think it's good for her, too, to be next to us as much as possible for these first few months. However, this sleep deprivation has got to stop. We haven't bought a crib yet, but perhaps we should start looking for one.

First Halloween

Last night was Melina's first Halloween. She dressed as a pirate with a black and white bandana, a puffy white shirt, jeans, and little black satin shoes. Needless to say, she was exquisitely cute. We had a very busy day, starting with a trip to Pix Patisserie at 2:30 to meet with someone in my mom's group (whose daughter, 5 months, was dressed as a pumpkin); then we went to the Kennedy School to meet with another mom, whose son was dressed as a bumblebee. The Kennedy School was crawling with toddlers in cute little costumes - bees and princesses seemed to be the most popular. Unfortunately, all this activity meant that Melina missed her nap, so she got grumpy just as we were sitting down for a well-deserved pint of ale. I brought her home and she got a quick nap in as the trick-or-treaters began showing up. Later, when Jeff was home, we went for a walk around the neighborhood while Melina looked around or slept in her stroller. I don't think six months is really the optimum age for enjoying Halloween. I'm looking forward to next year, when she should be able to toddle around on her own.

A half birthday

I hosted a party for Melina's half birthday (Jeff was in Minneapolis for work). It was also my friend Sue's half-birthday, so with two half-birthdays we had a full cake, along with pumpkin carving. Melina slept through much of the first half of the party, but woke up in time to mash some cake into bits and make the rounds of admiring friends. She was decked out in several layers of pink (photo to be posted soon). A good time was had by all.

Melina's first shots

Melina's first vaccinations went off without a hitch. She was real trooper. She didn't cry or really even bat an eyelash, and she had no delayed reactions to the shots. As for her stats, she has shrunk a bit since her last visit to the doctor: she is now at the 50th percentile for length and the 25th for weight (14.6 pounds). Her head remains large at 70%!

Vaccinations!

Today Melina goes in for her first vaccinations. I waited until she was 6 months old to get any shots, because it just seems unnecessarily cruel to subject a tiny baby to vaccinations (especially if she's not in daycare). Also, I wanted to wait until her system was a little stronger. Vaccinations are so controversial in certain circles - on one hand I feel like a terrible mother risking her life unnecessarily (especially after reading Mothering magazine). Dr. Sears, on the other hand (who is also on the alternative parenting side of things) is pro-vaccine. Anyway, I don't want her to get sick, and I generally believe in vaccinating kids. Today she gets the whooping cough and HIB vaccines. Whooping cough seems to pop up here every winter, so I think it's a good idea. I am not looking forward to it, though. Apparently I'm supposed to act like nothing is wrong, greet the doctor as if I'm glad to see her, massage Melina's arm before the shot, and then instantly distract her with a toy. She doesn't seem so into toys lately, but maybe a bowl of spaghetti would work...

Lots of laughs!

Jeff got Melina laughing last night more than I've ever heard her laugh before. He made a bunch of funny faces and whooshing sounds that she found absolutely hilarious. It was unbelievably cute. We got some of it on video (sideways, unfortunately... it's so hard to remember not to do that!).

Babies on the way!

I know so many people who are pregnant right now, or who have just had babies. My friend Amelia just had a baby boy, Andrew, last week; my friend Tara is due on November 7; my friend Becky is due in late March; and my neighbor across the street is due October 28. Very exciting! I can't wait to get all these babies in one room!

No rolling yet

Melina still hasn't rolled over on her own. It's strange, because she is very advanced in other areas. She's been holding her head up since she was about 1 month old, and has been standing for 2 months. Now she briefly can sit up unsupported before flopping over onto her side, but she still has yet to turn over. I wonder if it's because I don't give her enough tummy time, or maybe because we're still swaddling her at night? She sleeps so much better swaddled up. When she's in our bed it's impossible to sleep with her if she's not swaddled, due to flailing limbs. She doesn't really like to be on her tummy, though she's definitely getting better at it. After a few minutes of looking and grabbing at the rug, she starts to cry; she doesn't show any interest in (or awareness of) turning over by herself. Oh well. I guess she'll figure it out eventually...

Grabby grabby!

According to my Dr. Sears Baby Book, the primary accomplishment for baby's fifth month is to accurately reach out and grab things. Melina has been working hard on mastering this skill. She can now reach out and grab an eye, a nose, a string bean, a few single hairs, a fork, a cup of coffee, a dinner plate... Now when we go out to dinner she can sit up in a lap (propped up with arms on both sides). She puts both hands on the table and can reach out and slap or prod whatever happens to be on your plate. It must be so much more satisfying for her to actually grab the things that interest her! As an adult, it's a whole new world of keeping hazardous items out of her grip.

Squishy squash

Last night we tried giving Melina some "solids" for the first time. She's been showing a lot of interest in food lately - studying what we're eating and grabbing at our food. That, plus the two teeth, is a sign that she might be ready to start solids. (Though why they're called solids I don't really understand...)

I wanted her to have "real" food for her first try (as opposed to prepared baby food), so I mashed up some acorn squash and Jeff fed it to her on his finger. She gummed it for a bit and rolled it around in her mouth with a "what the hell is this?" expression on her face. There was no apparent moment of epiphany; instead she spit most of it out and grabbed for the empty squash skin, which provided several minutes of messy entertainment. We'll try again in a few days with more squash. (Apparently you're supposed to give them the same food over and over for several days, to get them used to it and to watch for any allergic reactions).

I was a little disappointed in her reaction. I wanted her to get all excited and start bouncing up and down. I guess she's not quite a "foodie" yet.

Back to work

I'm on my third week of half-time work now. I was kind of dreading it, but it's not that bad, especially since the rainy season has started and it would be dreary to hang around the house all day. It's nice to be using new parts of my brain, and to be able to respond to emails and drink coffee with both hands. I'm working a full day on Mondays, and half days (until 1:00) on Tuesday through Thursday. The biggest challenge is not getting quite as much sleep as I was before, though I can still take naps in the afternoon. Luckily we found a wonderful person to take care of Melina; she's our old neighbor, and a friend. She has a ten-year-old daughter who also comes over after school on Mondays to play with the baby. I have no doubt that Melina is in very good hands, and she doesn't seem to be unhappy or lonely - heck, she doesn't seem to miss me at all when I'm gone. She obviously knows who I am and prefers me over other people at times (especially when she's in the car seat), but she doesn't bat an eyelash when I leave for work. We'll see if that changes as she gets older.

Two real teeth

Melina now officially has teeth. They have pushed up through her gums and can be seen with the naked eye. They both came out at the same time, right in the middle of her lower front gums. They do make breastfeeding a little more interesting, though I haven't really been chomped yet. Apparently we are supposed to start brushing them sometime soon, though that just means rubbing them with gauze. I think I'll wait a few more weeks, until they're more than 2 mm long.

Working on a tooth!

Melina has been hard at work pushing up new teeth, figuring out how to use her hands, and experimenting with new vocalizations. Today I noticed two tiny white ridges pushing through her lower gum - teeth! She has been drooling a lot and complaining a little more than usual, so I'm not that surprised. Today she also discovered that she can use her voice in a new way. Instead of a whiny sound, it's more like a real voice. It's kind of hard to explain.

In the last two weeks, she's also made leaps and bounds in the ability to use her hands. Now she can grab the binkie, pass it from one hand to another, and try to put it back in her mouth - usually upside down. I wouldn't be surprised if she was hammering out Beethoven on the piano by the end of next week.

Apart from that, she's even more interested in what's going on around her. If she hears something interesting while she's eating, she'll turn her head and look around. She's easily distracted and usually easily amused. She's laughing a little more every day, though her laughs still sound a little rusty.

She just managed to pull my glasses off for the first time. What a victory! She studied them for several minutes, grunting softly, and managed to fold them up before losing interest and bursting into tears.

Melina Update

Melina's grandparents Frank and Alba visited last week. We went wine tasting, then went over to Cannon Beach for a night. They were great guests, and were crazy about Miss M. Here's a picture of Melina on the beach.

Katrina Survivors

I met some survivors of Hurricane Katrina today. They were shopping at Marshall's with a check for $650 from the feds. One was a very frail, petite old lady--maybe 80 years old--and the other was a tall, gangly man with a fuzzy beard, a patch over one eye, and bright new tennis shoes. Both were black. They did not look like your typical Portlanders, and they had thick southern accents that were hard for me to follow. I got into a conversation with a large woman in a wheel chair who was related to them. Apparently they had gotten trapped in their attic and had broken out with a sledgehammer and an ax. The old lady had a beautiful grand piano that was destroyed. They were trapped on the roof without food or water for several days, while helicopters flew by. The man told me that he had waved to the helicopters, but none had stopped until maybe the fifth day. Then they were taken to a dry overpass in New Orleans, where they were stuck for several more days. Without food and water. (Couldn't they have been taken somewhere safer??) People were breaking into stores to steal food and water, and were selling it at high prices to those who were trapped. (I learned all of this in a 2-minute elevator ride to the food court). It was amazing to meet people who had been through everything we've seen on the news. It was amazing that this frail 80-year-old lady survived. The whole story was amazing.

Little stringbean

Here's a song I like to sing to Melina (to the tune of "Little Boxes"):

Little stringbean on a trellis
Little stringbean full of little beans
And you're growing, and you're growing
And you're growing
Extra long.

Today Melina met two other babies about her own age. We had them all laid out together on a blanket. Very cute!

Not sleeping through the night

Well, the sleeping through the night phase didn't last long. Last night Miss M. woke up at 2:00, 4:00, and about 6:30 to eat. What's up with that? I guess babies do this occasionally even after they've been sleeping well. I hope it doesn't last. Luckily I can feed her lying down now, so it's not quite so disruptive.

Melina's First Real Camping Trip

We went to Olallie Lake last weekend for Melina's first real camping trip. We've been going to Olallie Lake for several years now. The second time we went, a forest fire was sparked by lightning and we had to evacuate. Now the burned forest is starting to recover, mostly with grasses and small huckleberry bushes. Olallie means berry, and it really is huckleberry heaven. There are probably 10 different varieties of huckleberries, all with slightly different flavors.

Anyway, it was very hot during the daytime and very cold at night. Surprisingly cold. The first night I spent most of the night hovering over Melina to make sure she didn't freeze to death. She was wearing a terrycloth sleeper, two layers of fleece sleep sacks, and a cotton/wool hat. I pulled her into the sleeping bag with me, but then I was worried about suffocating her and it was impossible to change position or turn over, so I didn't sleep at all. Melina slept like a log.

The second night was a little warmer. We swaddled M. and then put her in a fleece sleepsack. She slept like a log again, and this time I got a little sleep too.

We went hiking on Saturday. Olallie Lake has some wonderful hiking. Lots of small alpine lakes with easy trails lined by huckleberry bushes. Definitely a good place to hike with a kid.

Little laughs

Melina laughed for the first time on August 16 - I mean a real recognizable laugh, not just a squeal. Two local kids had come over to see her, and they were making clicking sounds with their mouths and bobbing their heads up and down. Melina broke out laughing - kind of a creaky laugh, like the laugh of someone who hasn't laughed in many years (or who has never laughed at all!). She's done it a few times since, and I think it will be more common now. She was laughing at her reflection in the mirror this morning.

A few firsts

Melina has experienced a few firsts lately! These were all around her three-month birthday.

First dip in a mountain stream (toes only): around July 22, in Early Winters Creek
First visit to an alpine meadow: around July 23 (she slept)
First visit to an alpine lake: the same day
First time hearing the peeping of pikas: the same day (maybe she heard them in her sleep)
First encounter with a deer: around the same time
First toes in the grass: yesterday, July 27
First time noticing herself in the mirror (with a big smile!): yesterday

What a busy baby!

Sleeping through the night

Melina just started sleeping through the night at around 2.5 months. Technically, "sleeping through the night" means they sleep five hours in a row. The first time she "slept through" was when we were camping out at the Oregon Country Fair; at that point she slept until 4:00 am a few times, which was new territory. Then when we went camping last week in the North Cascades she started sleeping until 6:30 a.m.! She's backtracked to 5:00 a.m. now, but that's a huge improvement over being woken up several times a night. After I feed her at 5:00, she goes right back to sleep until 8 or 9. Maybe we should go camping more often so she'll sleep all the way through. It seems to agree with her.

SIDS

A woman from my pregnancy listserv just lost her baby to SIDS. He had been about 3 months premature, and she went through terrible postpartum depression -- and now this. I can't imagine anything worse. I don't think there really is anything worse. My heart goes out to her -- I can't imagine the pain she must be feeling. At the same time, I'm selfishly trying to come up with reasons it could never affect MY baby. I guess that's just a way of not dealing with the reality that bad things happen to everyone. Melina doesn't have any of the risk factors for SIDS (she's a girl; she was born on time (late even) and had a high birthweight; we don't smoke; I'm not under 20; etc.) , but I have a feeling I will be checking on her more in the nights to come. So much for sleeping peacefully.

Three-month stats

Melina had her three-month checkup on Tuesday. She weighed 12 lbs 4 oz, which is the 50th percentile (exactly in the middle of normal). However, she was in the 95th percentile for length and the 75th percentile for head circumference. She's a stringbean!

Melina's First Country Fair

Last weekend was Melina's first trip to the Oregon Country Fair. It's a three-day hippie festival held in the woods outside Eugene, and we go almost every year. There's lots of music, good food, costumes, camping, and creativity. Melina seemed to enjoy it. She spent most of the time in the front pack on Jeff, though sometimes we held her over our shoulders or in front of us so she could see what was going on. She got lots of smiles from passers-by. Camping wasn't a problem at all. We used my parents' VW bus, and Melina slept in her Moses basket swaddled up like a little mummy. She actually slept better for those three nights than any time before or since. *I* did not sleep well, though, and am still recovering. Next weekend we head to the North Cascades in Washington for another adventure!

Names we call Melina

Here are a few names we've called Melina:

In utero:

the grub
the peanut
the alien

Once born:

the midget (little midge, the wild midget from hell)
Honey Girl
Pinky, little Pinky
little girl
Babe
Squirmy McSquirm

I'm sure there are more, but I can't think of them at the moment, so I'll add them later.

A Typical Day

Here's a typical day in Melina's world. We'll start with her last feeding of the night.

9:00 p.m. Eat. Sleep on dad's shoulder while he surfs web or watches soccer.
11:00 p.m. Get changed and swaddled; eat again if hungry. Lights out; fall asleep.
3:30 a.m. Begin grunting softly. Eat. Go back to sleep.
5:30 a.m. Begin grunting in earnest. Eat again. Grunt loud enough to keep mom awake, but not loud enough to wake dad.
8:00 a.m. Dad leaves for work. Get changed, if awake.
8:00-9:00 a.m. Make sure mom is really awake. Begin standing, walking and flying practice.
9:00 a.m. Cry a bit. Take nap on belly with butt sticking up in air.
10:30 a.m. Lay on back and stare around bathroom while mom showers. Cry if she doesn't pay enough attention.
11:00 a.m. Eat.
11:30 a.m. Sit in car seat or swing and cry while mom tries to wolf down breakfast.
11:45 a.m. Rest on mom's shoulder and look around while she reads email.
12:00 p.m. Get put in car seat. Depending on mood, either smile or cry. Get driven somewhere.
12:30 p.m. Arrive at destination and look around. Possibly get stuffed into baby carrier; if so, cry a bit while stuffing is completed.
1:00 p.m. Sleep during whatever activity mom has planned.
3:30 p.m. Get put back in hated car seat. Look around quietly for a few minutes. When traffic jam is sensed, commence crying. Cry as if heart is breaking. Mom will stop car, replace binkie, and comfort. When car begins moving again, recommence crying.
4:00 p.m. Be calmed again by mom. Begin nap.
6:30 p.m. Get put back in hated car seat. Go to meet dad; smile and coo. Get removed from car seat. Look around while they eat dinner at restaurant. Smile and coo occasionally. Rake in compliments from strangers.
8:00 p.m. Get put back in carseat. After 10 minutes, commence crying. Dad will shake car seat. Stop crying.
9:00 p.m. Eat.

Melina's Hike to Ramona Falls

This Sunday Melina, Jeff and I hiked to Ramona Falls on Mt. Hood, about 7 miles round trip. It was Melina's longest hike yet. She weathered it well, tucked away in her Ergo baby carrier. Part of the time she looked around at the trees going by, and the rest of the time she slept. When we got to the falls, she had a little snack, practiced standing and walking on dad's lap, and ignored a nearby chipmunk. This was her second hike in a week - the first one was a trip up the Horsetail Falls trail in the Gorge with mom.

Stats

Melina is nine weeks and one day old today. Today she weighed 12 pounds 1 oz. with her clothes on.

She is just starting to outgrow some of her 0-3 month clothes.

The Face that Launched 1000 Ships

Melina continues to be a delightful little baby. She is smiling and laughing more often, and she has just discovered that she can suck on her hands for entertainment. The more babies I meet, the more I'm convinced that she's hyper-cute. (Is that a terrible thing to say?) I mean, of course, all babies are cutest to their mothers, but I think we have a special one here.

She's been napping on her belly lately. It's so cute the way her little butt sticks up in the air.

She's also cute when she's swaddled up. She looks like a little inchworm, with her little round head sticking out. Then she sticks her legs up in the air and looks like an inchworm searching for a blade of grass to land on.

I have been very happy being a SAHM (that's Momese for "stay at home mom") lately. Of course, the beautiful weather helps. Today I was weeding under the old pear tree, with Melina in her Moses basket wrapped in gauze to keep away the bugs, drinking lemonade, and I reflected back on my office job and realized... working in the garden on a beautiful sunny day is infinitely better than working behind a desk on a beautiful sunny day, no matter what stage of your career you're in. At least for me.

Today I went to my first mom's group "meeting." It's a long story how I met these women, but there are three of them and they seem very cool. They all have babies under a year old. It was great to talk and compare notes. On Tuesday I'm going to a different mom's group meeting. I'm also involved in one online mom's group based in Portland (haven't met any in person yet) and two online groups based in cyberspace. Suddenly I'm surrounded my moms.

Melina is making some funny sounds these days. I think she's experimenting. She's come up with some really alarming cries that make it sound like she's being attacked by wasps (heaven forbid). They are very effective.

A Few Reflections at Eight Weeks

Almost eight weeks have already passed since Melina entered the world! It's hard to believe. I've been meaning to write here, but, well, I'm taking care of a newborn. So here are some stream-of-consciousness reflections...

She's already grown so much. It's hard to recognize the little doll that she was just after birth (photo below). She's already developing so much, though she still has a lot of the same "mannerisms" that she had when she was first born, like the startle reflex, where she throws her hands and feet out when she's surprised. She also does this adorable snarfling at the breast when she's hungry. She's not doing it quite as much as she did when she was a newborn, though. She looks very serious and moves her mouth back and forth frantically, trying to latch on. As she grows, she gets better at latching on and looks a little less frantic, which is kind of sad.

She's a pretty easy baby. In general, I'd say she's a pretty easy baby, though she definitely has her moments of crying and screaming like a banshee, mostly in the car. But she goes to sleep very easily at night, and is usually pretty easy to calm.

Her crying breaks my heart. When she does cry - especially in the car when I can't go to her immediately - it just rips at my heart. She has actual tears running down her face and looks like I've just destroyed any trust that she may have had in me. It's terrible, horrible, awful.

More soon.

Life with a newborn

Here we are on day 11 of having a newborn baby. Melina is a very sweet and easy baby, in general... thank God. In general, she eats every 3 hours and then sleeps the rest of the time, except for a few hours here and there when she's alert and looking about. She cries when she's hungry (if I don't anticipate her hunger first) and when she has a horribly messy diaper, and she absolutely hates getting bathed or being naked, but other than that she doesn't cry much. Knock on wood.

Breastfeeding has been interesting. It's not as easy as you would think. Luckily in the hospital I had a bunch of lactation consultants at my disposal who showed me how to get her to latch on correctly, and I bought a "My Brest Friend" pillow that makes latching on very easy. My breasts were hugely engorged for about 3 days - like hard, painful basketballs attached to my chest - but that seems to be going down now. Now I just get engorged on whichever side she's due to feed on next. I like being her sole source of sustanance right now - it makes it easy to travel with her, not that we've done much "traveling" yet.

Melina's first outing was around the block, just about 4 days after she was born. I walked veeerrrryy slowly with mom and said hello to all the neighbors. Her second outing was to the doctor, at 7 days old, and at 8 days old Jeff took her to a teahouse (he's already indoctrinating her) where he sat and watched soccer and she slept in her car seat the entire time. Later that day we all went out for pizza at a local pizzeria. She cried a little there (and I turned beet red) but I think it was because there was hot air blowing on her from the soda machine. Jeff picked her up and ate his meal one-handed, bouncing her on his knee the entire time.

The night before last was pretty rough. I didn't get much sleep before 4:30 a.m. But last night she ate at 10:00 p.m., 2:30 a.m., and about 6:00 a.m., which is GOOD, though you might not think it. I actually got a fair amount of sleep (I stayed in bed until almost 11:00). I can't imagine trying to go back to work at this point - it would be insane...luckily I have the option of not working right now.

I am still convinced that she's the cutest baby in the world. OK, ONE of the cutest. The Gerber baby is pretty cute too. Probably every mom feels that way, but honestly, she is CUTE. I love how she has slightly darker skin than I do, and dark slate-blue eyes. I think it's Jeff's Mediterranean blood coming out. Melina means "honey girl" in Greek, and that's just what she looks like. It also means "little apple" in Italian, which she sort of resembles too... and "yellow songbird" in Latin.

My parents have been here for a few weeks now, and their help has been invaluable. I don't know how I'm going to adjust once they leave and Jeff goes back to work full time. Hopefully by then she will be in a little bit more of a schedule, and I will feel well enough to move around freely. Recovering from a C-section is not the best way to start life with a newborn, but I am feeling better every day.

At last, Melina!

Our beautiful new baby Melina (her middle name is my maiden name) was born on April 26 after a long and complicated labor and delivery.

On April 25 Melina was nine days late, so I had an acupuncture treatment to induce labor. I was kind of skeptical about it working, especially since the acupuncturist put only four tiny needles into my lower back. That was at 1:30 p.m. At 4:30 I started getting contractions, and at 8:45 p.m. my water broke while I was rolling around on an exercise ball trying to get the baby to go lower. At that point, the contractions were coming every minute and a half. My midwife and her student midwife showed up right away to assess the situation, and at 10:40 p.m. we drove to the birthing center – me in a great deal of pain, with Jeff rubbing my back in the back seat.

The first 6-8 centimeters of dilation went really fast, and were just what I was hoping for in terms of a natural birth. I labored in a hot tub with candles lit and music playing, with Jeff rubbing my back and helping me through the contractions. They were very painful, but I could keep on top of them with visualizations and chanting. I actually found that moaning at the same tone as the hot tub’s jet motor really helped. My parents were there in the background, along with the midwife and two student midwives. Things were progressing so quickly that at one point I thought the baby might be born by three in the morning.

By 5 a.m., contractions still two minutes apart and everyone was waiting for baby's head to drop. The baby was at –2 station – not nearly low enough.

The next 11 hours were spent in increasing pain and frustration as I kept laboring without any progress. A small bag of water had escaped in front of the baby’s head, and when the midwife broke it, my dilation went down from 8 to 6. I tried everything to get the baby to drop – squats, walking, laboring in a rocking chair, on a birthing ball, in the tub, on the bed, trying homeopathic remedies and herbs to focus the contractions… nothing worked. Jeff and dad were getting upset watching me in so much pain, and I was getting more and more exhausted, hopeless and frustrated. Throughout the whole ordeal, the baby’s heart tones were very strong and she seemed to be tolerating labor well, but we decided that if I hadn’t progressed any more by the next check, I was going to go to the hospital. At 3:30 p.m. I hadn’t progressed. The midwife made the arrangements on the phone and we drove to the hospital, with me having terrible contractions in the front seat of the car.

By this time, I was more than ready for an epidural, and my midwife agreed that it might help me relax enough to allow the baby to drop. They gave me the epidural right away – sweet relief! – and started pitocin to see if stronger contractions would help. I sat there talking and laughing while my body continued to labor away without any pain at all…

After a few hours of laboring with very strong contractions, my cervix still hadn’t dilated and the baby was still at -2. The doctor recommended a c-section, and I couldn’t see any reason to continue laboring, since I had been stuck at 6 cm for almost 15 hours. Jeff and my parents had taken off to get a bite to eat, so I had to call them and tell them to come back ASAP for the emergency c-section. At 8:30 Jeff and I went in for the section, which was completely painless. I was so happy to finally get to see the baby, that any reservations I had about c-sections evaporated. Jeff and I kept up a conversation while they opened me up, and at 8:58 p.m. he excitedly announced that it was a GIRL! Baby Melina had arrived in the world!

So right now I am in the hospital recovering from the section, which really is major surgery. It turns out that Melina was probably at an odd angle and was unable to move through the birth canal. She has a bit of jaundice, so she is in the nursery today getting phototherapy. A good friend of mine works in the nursery, which is fantastic because she has been able to teach me a lot. I am very sore, with so much trapped gas in me that I still look nine months pregnant, but every day is getting better. Melina is beautiful and Jeff is quickly becoming a champ at calming her and changing diapers!

Although the whole experience was terribly grueling, I was glad to get the chance to go through both a med-free and a medicated birthing experience. My experience at the birthing center was as beautiful and spiritual as I wanted it to be, until my labor stalled; and when I needed it, medical technology was there to support me and possibly to save both my life and Melina’s.

The cutest baby in the world. This photo was taken about half an hour after she was born.

Past Due

It's April 18 and I'm officially two days past due. It's a very strange feeling to be waiting around with very little to do. I'm trying to keep myself from falling into the grumpiness and weepiness that seems to afflict many pregnant women at this point. I've been reading Anna Karenina, sitting in coffee houses with Jeff, swimming occasionally, catching up on Sex & the City, trying to make myself feel pretty, seeing friends, and doing prenatal yoga when I feel up to it. It's very uncomfortable to walk. We've been getting 3-4 calls a day from people wondering what's up. I was born two weeks late, so I hope that I'm not in for that long of a wait myself... At this point I think I'm more excited about not being pregnant than about actually having the baby, which makes me feel guilty and makes me wonder if the baby is staying inside on purpose!

The Waiting Game

Last Thursday (April 7) was my last day at work, and I've now entered a strange twilight waiting period where I can't plan to do anything (at least not without saying "if I don't pop first.") I can't do anything very active, but I know the world is about to change dramatically and get very loud, demanding and entertaining. It's very strange. I'm kind of bored, but I feel like I should be appreciating these last quiet moments before the baby comes. It would be a good time to go on some sort of spiritual retreat, or start writing the Great American Novel. Instead, I've been cleaning - I've tackled the laundry room (made hardly a dent), the freezer, my closet, etc. etc.

I'm feeling pretty good, although my stomach really feels like it's about to burst into a fireworks show of strech marks because there's just no room left. I had a very painful displaced rib, or something like that, last week that made it hard to breathe in all the way. Luckily, that's gone. I've been sleeping OK, taking lots of naps, and absorbing novel after novel (including Anna Karenina, a murder mystery set in Rome, and Operating Instructions by Annie Lamott. The baby seems to be dropping gradually - I'm still feeling lots of kicks, though not as strong as they used to be, because there isn't much room in there anymore. I'm definitely ready to have my body back so I can get some exercise and start moving again. On the other hand I have a hard time believing I could go into labor at any time. I'm trying not to think about the pain that I will probably have to endure!

The house is about as ready as it's gonna get. We don't have a separate room for the baby at this point, so nothing to paint. (Eventually the kid will move downstairs to the current guest room). At the top of our stairs there's a large landing that has become the baby's space. We have a bureau filled with tiny clothes and a desk that I've converted to a changing area, which a huge supply of cloth diapers (one weeks' worth, which is SEVENTY diapers) all stacked in a neat wicker basket. We also have a bassinet that will attach to the bed for co-sleeping. It all seems so surreal right now, though!

So, that's the scoop here. Just waiting in a kind of surreal, bored, low-energy state for the Great Excitement to come. I'm not sure what I'm going to do if this baby is two weeks late. I may drive myself to the hospital and demand a C-section! I think the waiting would really begin to drive me crazy. And I'm not sure how much more my stomach can stretch out.

Bottomless pit

I am a bottomless pit of hunger today, which is odd because I haven't been very hungry lately. So far I've had (1:00 pm):

A blueberry oatbran muffin
Grapefruit juice
1/2 cup of cottage cheese
1/2 a grapefruit
A couple of handfuls of pistachios
One Trader Joe's green chicken curry lunch
Three small potato pancakes, w/more cottage cheese
3/4 cup of coffee
The other half of a grapefruit...

and I'm still starving. I'm also craving grapefruit. Can you tell?

Jennifer

Appointment Update

I had my 36w5d appointment last night... it was the shortest appointment yet. My Group B Strep test was negative, the protein that I had in my urine last time has disappeared (protein can be a sign of preeclampsia), the swelling in my ankles has gone down a bit, and my weight has even gone down 2 pounds (probably because I was retaining water at my last appointment). She said that everything is completely normal and on schedule and healthy. Baby is measuring average, carrying low (and getting into place for birth). She said I could probably handle an 8lb 5oz baby (which is what I was) without too much problem. I had some cramping yesterday which she said is completely normal at this point. So, all is well - to the point of being boring. I hope it continues this way!!

On Saturday I'll be "term," which means that the baby is basically done baking and can come out at any time!

Only three and a half more weeks!

Only 3.5 weeks until my due date (April 16). I can tell it's starting to get a little crowded in the ol' womb, because baby hasn't been able to kick as much, but is mainly squirming around. Baby's still head down, and so far everything is right on schedule and doing just fine.

I had two baby showers last week - one at work and one at a friend's. My coworkers banded together to give us eight weeks of diaper service. Now I just need to buy some cute cloth diaper covers - we only have one that's infant sized. We're pretty much all set on clothes for the 3-6 month stage, but still need to buy some onesies and things for the newborn. For furniture, we now have a bassinet (an Arm's Reach co-sleeper), a dresser (already full of tiny clothes), and a bouncy seat (that attaches to a door jamb and hangs from a spring). We also have a car seat and a light stroller. Our next big purchases will be a jogging stroller (perhaps the Chariot Cougar One, which converts from a jogging stroller to a bike trailer to a cross-country ski sled), and a backpack for taking long hikes with the baby.

It's amazing how much stuff you "need" (or think you need) for such a tiny, helpless little pink thing.

A few things you're supposed to do when pregnant

Here are few things I've been told to do:

• Drink 80 ounces of water a day
  
• Eat 80 grams of protein a day (a hamburger has about 30 grams)
  
• Increase calcium consumption by huge amounts
  
• Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day
  
• Exercise for at least half an hour every day
  
• Sleep 12 hours a day (um, does that mean I have to go to bed at 7:00 p.m.?)
  
• Do perineal massage for five minutes every day (I can't even REACH down there)
  
• Lay on an incline with feet above head for 20 minutes three times a day (when I was trying to turn the baby)
  
• Get on hands and knees with belly hanging down for a good amount of time each day (to encourage baby to get in correct birthing position)
  
• Eat extra fish (but only the right kinds of fish) or take supplements to increase baby's brain power
  
• Spend 1 hour each day with headphones attached to stomach so baby can listen to Mozart
  
• Drink 5-6 cups of pregnancy tea (red raspberry leaf) every day to tone uterus
  
• Do 200 kegels a day
  

And I'm sure there's something I'm forgetting. Does anyone want to subsidize me so I can quit my job to attend to these duties?

Infant care class

Jeff and I completed our series of two infant care classes last night. They were pretty good. We learned how to diaper (neither of us has ever diapered a baby!), how to swaddle, how to calm a fussy baby (using the Happiest Baby on the Block technique), what to buy and not to buy, and how to get our car seat checked out. It was a very diverse group of students, mostly couples. Unfortunately I don't have any amusing anecdotes about the class, because it was very straightforward and nobody made a fool of themselves (though Jeff did poke me several times during one of the videos about "baby's six states of consciousness.") I almost broke down crying during the Happiest Baby on the Block video because those babies were just so darn CUTE. Obviously I have been taken over by preggo brain, because the sight of a baby usually doesn't make me burst into tears.

What's up, little one?

Baby Metolius has been quite the gymnast lately, first kicking here, then there, then punching my bladder and sticking his or her rump into my ribs. At least, I'm hoping that's the rump and not the head. Last night just as I lay down to go to sleep, Baby decided to start playing drums against my side - and I'm talking fast Zimbabwean drumming, not the sedate Native American kind. And then it suddenly stopped and there was complete calm, no movement at all, for about half an hour. It got me a little freaked out because the doctors always warn you to report any "frantic" activity. I was picturing myself laying on the umbilical cord wrong or doing something equally terrible, with tragic results. But today Baby is up and moving again as usual. I'm looking forward to my next appointment (tomorrow) so I can figure out what position it's in.

An overview of the pregnancy experience

(I first posted this on a pregnancy board I belong to...)

This pregnancy has been surprising for me in several ways. First, I was amazed at how easy it was for me to get pregnant at 38, after being warned by several doctors that it could be very hard. It just took about a month. I feel very lucky that way.

I'm also surprised at how easy it is to generate a baby, and basically how easy it is to host the miracle of birth. It's just incredible how the baby develops from a single cell (or two) to a full-fledged human being - and it just happens. Your body knows what to do and it doesn't require any intellectual effort at all!

This has been a very easy pregnancy - no complications (knock on wood) other than an early scare about a possible blighted ovum. I haven't had a lot of unbearable symptoms and I didn't get morning sickness, thank God. I also haven't been the hormonal wreck I was expecting to be - actually I think my hormones have been more even than usual - I have had fewer meltdowns with Jeff than I did before I was pregnant!

On the other hand, I'm suprised at how incredibly uncomfortable it is to be in the third trimester. Nobody ever warns you about that when you're thinking about getting pregnant. I can't walk without pain, it's hard to sleep, I get heartburn, I have a pinched nerve that's really annoying, etc. etc.

I'm also surprised at how much I miss exercising (the kind of exercising I like to do - skiing and hiking).

All in all, though, I'd have to say that being pregnant has been a very positive experience. I'm not dying to do it again anytime soon (especially not right now), but I really can't complain. I'm looking forward to meeting the baby but I know I will miss my belly, the specialness, and the baby's movements. But it will be nice to have my body back, too.

Birthing class

Last night we had a birthing class in our home. Originally there was going to be another couple there, but they broke up, so it was just Jeff and I. Jeff hadn't been too keen on taking a birthing class (mainly because he read all the wrong parts of Birthing From Within and thought any nontraditional birthing class would be all about co-chanting and creating a partnership with your unborn baby). Anyway, the midwife who was teaching the class showed up with her things at quarter to six and set up her little ritual candle and placed a small statue of a pregnant Lucy (our hominid forebear) on the table. I was a little concerned about what was going through Jeff's mind at that point, but he maintained his composure well. The midwife explained the birthing process, showed Jeff how to rub my back in labor (very nice!), explained how NOT to touch a woman in labor (don't just diddle around without intention, and don't talk to her when she's in a contraction), did an exercise with icewater (more on that later) and talked me through a guided meditation, where you visualize contractions as waves in the ocean (which might have been more calming before the tsunami).

The ice exercise was really helpful. First she had Jeff do it. He put his hand in a bucket of ice water for 45 seconds (while I talked to him normally) and then took it out for 45 seconds. Then he put it in again for 45 more seconds, closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing. Then, out for 45 seconds, and back in for 45 seconds. This time he wandered around the house with his hand in the bowl of water while I talked to him and rubbed his back. Afterward, it was my turn. I was surprised at how painful ice water can be! I also found it helpful to have Jeff try to distract me, and to concentrate on my breathing and focus on the pain. Walking around aimlessly didn't help quite as much, but it could be useful if the contractions weren't too intense. All in all, it was a useful exercise, and one that I might practice again.

OK, I'm starving now, Nature calls, and I must go home.

Right side up!

At my appointment last week the midwife confirmed that the baby is indeed right side up. I'm now getting kicked in my upper right side (facing away from my body) and feeling little hands moving around very low, near my pubic bone. (Now, that's a strange feeling!). When the baby hiccups, which is usually about ten minutes after I eat, I'm feeling it along my left side. The baby's head hasn't moved into delivery position yet. No worries (actually, maybe that's a good thing), but the midwife told me to keep on walking so the baby's head will lower. I've heard about how uncomfortable that can be and I'm not sure how eager I am for it to happen!

My most recent nightmare

The night before last Jeff woke me up because I was wimpering in my sleep. Actually, I was screaming in my dream, but it came out as a wimper. In the dream I was in a big old mansion making up a four-poster bed. Some unseen hand pushed me from behind and I fell over the side of the bed and got completely tangled up in the bedcover. That's when I started screaming.

This dream makes sense on so many levels. First off, our bed has become a nightmare to me because it's so high and it's painful to crawl up there. I avoid getting out of bed as much as possible for that reason. I never make the bed anymore because it's too much work, especially since we have a large, unwieldy duvet cover (anyway, that's Jeff's job). I get tangled in my Snoogle every night, and every night I seem to get less sleep.

Of course, on a deeper level it makes sense too. I got into this whole mess while I was in bed! An unseen hand keeps pushing on me - from the inside! I'm trapped and I can't get out!

A friend suggested that it was actually the baby dreaming of a former life, but that's just too complicated for me.

Right side up?

I'm thinking the baby may have turned. I'm getting kicks now where the head used to be, and feeling hiccups down low on my left side. Both of those seem like good omens. I should find out tomorrow when I visit the midwife again.

Names

So far, Jeff and I have not agreed on a single name for more than two hours. However, I know the baby will eventually be named one way or the other, so I'm not too worried. The other night I dreamt that the baby was the reincarnation of a Spanish comedian named Roberto Gonzales who lived during the Franco regime. How specific is that? I actually looked up Roberto Gonzales and Franco on the web, but I didn't find any reference to comedians. Anyway, even if the baby is the reincarnation of a Spanish humorist, I doubt we will name him (or her!) Roberto.

The novelty has worn off

OK, I have to say that the novelty of this whole pregnancy thing has begun to wear off. I don't need to hear one more person tell me that I look like I'm going to pop, or that I must be having twins, or that the baby will be a linebacker fer sure. I am ready to sleep without feeling the red-hot dagger of a pinched nerve under my ribs. I am ready to sleep without having to rearrange four different pillows each time I turn over. I am ready to sleep facing Jeff instead of away from him, because it's uncomfortable for me to sleep on my left side. I'm ready for a glass of wine, a real mojito, a beer. Most of all I'm ready to get some exercise (besides swimming) - specifically, for a nice long hike in the woods. Seven more weeks to go.

Upside Down

Last week my midwife encouraged me to start taking action to turn the baby upside down. (Last we checked, it was still proudly head-up - and I can't say I blame it for not wanting to hang upside down for eight more weeks). Anyway, one way to turn the baby upside down is to do handstands in the swimming pool. I dutifully went to the pool - a kind of strange 1950s style pool under a huge dome. I informed the lifeguard that I was going to be upside down a lot and not to worry. Then I plugged my nose with my new nose-plugger device and down I went. Well, first of all, it's not as easy doing handstands as it used to be. Second, I still require a lot of oxygen, so I wasn't able to stay under for very long. It seems like you would need to stay under for at least a minute or two to get the baby to consider flipping. I did about 10-15 handstands, but I didn't feel the baby move at all. I did notice some strange looks when a new lifeguard came on duty.

One more thing... when you go swimming it's always nice to bring a towel for drying off. I forgot mine, and had to drip-dry in the changing room.

Alien IV

Baby is moving more and more every day, and now I'm feeling body parts against the inside of my belly. Last night I yelped because it felt like baby was trying to get out (the wrong way). I know it's supposed to be beautiful and everything, but let's face it... there is something alive inside of me. Scary.

"Relaxation" Class

So last night I went to my "relaxation in birthing" class. When I signed up for it I got the impression that it was a class for moms only, or at least that partners were optional. After all, the class focused on hypnobirthing, which is really something that goes on inside of the mom, right? So I didn't even ask Jeff to attend; I figured it would be fine just to go by myself.

Well, I wandered at 6:25, comfortably early, and it turns out that a) the class started at 6:00; b) everyone there had a husband with them; c) they were just finishing up introductions. As I absorbed all this the instructor asked me a bunch of questions about my fears related to birthing. I was busy taking off my coat and trying to unravel what was going on, so I wasn't really in touch with my deepest birthing fears at the moment. I blurted something out about not really having any specific fears (which, in a way, is true) and everyone looked at me like I was from another planet.

The first half of the class was about identifying your fears (she seemed to think everyone was extremely fearful), and about how fears are created and amplified by the brain. We drew pictures of our fears (using our non-dominant hand) and surrounded these with pictures of things that alleviate our fears. (I'm sure Jeff is glad he missed this part).

Next, we were taught some affirmations and breathing exercises, and visualizations that proved to be pretty useful. First, she had us sit for a minute (the length of one contraction) doing nothing at all to distract ourselves. Then she had us sit and focus on our breathing for one minute, which made the time go much faster. Finally, she had us focus on our "happy place" and examine all the details that make our happy place so happy. For me, those details include water lilies, rocky outcroppings and a bamboo hut. That made the minute go by so much faster that I thought she was cheating and only giving us 30 seconds!

The third part of the class was couple time. The husbands (or boyfriends, I suppose) all massaged their women while I sat there feeling stupid. The teacher kept using inclusive language about alternative birthing partners, presumably so I wouldn't feel left out. Finally she just asked me if I *had* a birthing partner, which I assured her I did. No, I am not doing this *completely* alone!

Finally, she led us through a 45-minute guided visualization while we all lay on the floor in the dark. (Not so comfortable for a pregnant woman; of course, I had forgotten to bring a blanket or a pad, though she had some for us to borrow). I started drifting off a couple of times so I really don't know how much the hypnosis affected me. I am somewhat skepical of hypnosis, but I'm always willing to try again.

Anyway, that was my first birthing class. The next class we're taking is all about infant care, and Jeff will be with me. Then we're having a 3-hour private birthing class at home. We didn't plan it that way, but that's how it's working out. Finally, I'm hoping to take a "Ninth Moon" class for women in the ninth month of pregnancy. I guess I should check and make sure that husbands aren't required for that class as well.

A typical visit to the midwife

I went to visit my naturopathic doctor/midwife yesterday. She had two students with her, so it was sort of a group consultation. First she sat me down and asked me if I had any questions. I had many: what exactly will you be doing during the birthing process? What is the role of the backup midwife? Is it OK if Jeff goes on a ski trip on March 18, or should I ask him to stay around? Is anyone else planning a birth around the same time as me (and possibly creating competition for the birthing room?) What is your take on Vitamin K and eye drops for the baby? And on and on. I asked her if I really WAS huge for 29 weeks (as any number of people have told me), and she said no, I look like a typical 29-week mama.

Next, she asked me about my diet. I had been keeping track (see below) so she and the students looked over my list, proclaimed it good, but said that I should probably be getting more protein. (I went out immediately afterward and had a hamburger). She asked me about various symptoms I might have (headache, gastric problems, etc.) Apart from a pinched nerve under my ribcage, some lower back pain, and a lot of burping, I have been pretty free of irritating symptoms.

After this they asked me to lay down so they could measure the baby. My belly now measures 31 cm., which is about 1 cm larger than normal for 30 weeks, but certainly not outside the normal range. They listened to the baby's heartbeat (144?) and felt around to determine the baby's position. They were having a hard time distinguishing between the baby's head and its butt, but finally concluded that the baby is still head up, with its back along my right side. Apparently they don't start worrying about the baby being breech until 36 weeks, but she told me I should have a talk with the baby and tell it to turn over. So baby, if you're reading this blog... it's time to turn!

They also checked me for swelling, and said I was having a little swelling of the ankles. Apparently this is normal for the third trimester, but can also be caused by not enough protein in the diet.

The last thing she did was weigh me. My weight had jumped a bit since my last appointment, but she wasn't worried. She said that some of it was probably water weight because of the swelling. We made an appointment for two weeks away (appointments come every two weeks from now on!).

So there you have it - a typical visit to the midwife. It sounds a lot different than most of the OB appointments I've been hearing about, which usually take about 5 minutes. I really am glad that I made the choice to go to this birthing center.

Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Husayni Sistani

I had a dream last night that Ayatollah Sistani was sitting on my bed (in full Ayatollah gear) while I picked out something to wear for dinner. He was taking my family out to dinner as part of a goodwill mission to Oregon. He was very good natured, with a great sense of humor and twinkling eyes. We were discussing whether American women should adopt a strict Islamic dress code. He was trying to convince me that I should keep my arms and legs covered, and I was trying to explain to him that that wouldn't go over very well here. However, to please him I put on a long white gown with a flowing black robe over the top. I remember being very impressed that Sistani was visiting us, because I remember hearing that he was important to Iraq's future. It occurred to me that we might be in danger for hosting him at our house, but it didn't seem to matter. He exuded such an aura of calmness and wisdom. (Could this be because I was reading a book about the Buddha before I went to bed?)

Gotta love those pregnancy dreams.

What I ate today

I'm keeping track of this today because I have an appointment with my midwife tomorrow and she always asks me what I ate the day before. So...

One bowl of organic raisin bran w/organic milk
A sugar free butterscotch candy
Various mixed nuts (I ate so many I felt sick...and skipped lunch)
Yogurt with meusli (3:00)
A granny smith apple (3:50)
Half a cup of bad lukewarm coffee (3:50)
40 oz. water (so far) (3:50)
A slice of veggie pizza (at the Laurelhurst, while watching "Garden State")
A glass of OJ
A green salad (while watching bellydancing at It's a Beautiful Pizza)
An O'Doul's (you know, they're really not too bad!)
A slice of whole wheat toast w/butter (bedtime snack)
A glass of milk (bedtime snack)

That's it for Wednesday, February 2.

Chocolate mousse

Last night I hosted my book club at my house. We read "The Kite Runner" by Khalid Hosseini. It's about the relationship between two boys growing up in Afghanistan, among other things. It was gripping, horrifying, thought-provoking, edifying. A very good book.

Each of our book clubs is a potluck, so I made chocolate mousse. There's a great recipe on Epicurious that I use a lot. It's easy and people love it.

Other than that, not much going on today. Baby is very active, though!

Preemies

Why is it that everyone I meet lately had their baby *months* earlier than scheduled? We have a friend visiting who had her first baby eight weeks early and her second two about three weeks early. My coworker's wife had her baby nine weeks early. That would be next WEEK, folks! I am just not even ready to contemplate that possibility.

I'm starving.

It's 2:56 and I'm starving again. How is this possible? I've already eaten all the healthy snacks I brought for today, so I guess I'll finish off yesterday's rice pudding.

Also, I just wanted to clarify for all of you readers out there (all three of you) that the comments from the Jennifer in *green* are from me, and the comments from the Jennifer in *blue* are from another Jennifer who is also due in April 2005!

I'm going to pop.

I just ate lunch and I honestly feel like I'm going to pop. Today I've had: cereal and milk, a Krispy Kreme cake donut, celery with peanut butter, vegetable lasagna, and a granny smith apple. Pregnant women are really into keeping track of what they eat... have you noticed?

I'm wearing overalls today because they're the only thing I own that actually stays up. The pants I was wearing yesterday - the Motherhood Maternity "Miracle" Pant - would be down around my ankles in a flash if I didn't keep pulling them up. Overalls and suspenders are the way to go.

What I've eaten today

So far today this is what I've eaten.

I started off the day with some sort of organic cereal with organic milk. That wasn't enough, apparently, so when I got to work I had a granola bar that someone had left out on the "free food" table at work. Later I had a couple of rice crackers with smoked salmon cream cheese because I was still starving. For lunch I had an egg salad sandwich on dark rye, roasted red pepper soup, and a Coke. I don't drink a lot of Coke, but once in a while it really hits the spot. Right now I'm about to dig into some rice pudding that I bought at the deli. Tonight I will probably have something with protein and spinach.

Counting kicks

Between 3:22 and 4:22 today, I counted 18 baby movements. That's pretty good, considering this is usually the slowest time of the day for little Metolius.

Fetal development

This is a very cool graphic that shows how your organs get squished as the baby grows. OK, maybe that's not really the point of the graphic, but it's amazing we even survive this process.

I want a banana split.

This week I'm craving a banana split. Something about the combination of chocolate sauce, ice cream and bananas... Last week I was craving vegan poppyseed cake. I wonder when I will start craving healthy things like broccoli and brussels sprouts. I really have been trying to eat healthfully, so I haven't given into my ice cream cravings much - even though I believe that ice cream is the God-given right of every pregnant woman. Every day I tell myself "Maybe this is the day I will have that banana split..." and then every day I pass it by. That banana split is calling me. I can hear it.

Bedding

Last night we got into a discussion about baby bedding. It's ridiculous how many choices there are. You can get a crib (but which kind?), a co-sleeper (but which kind?), a "snuggle nest" that you put in bed with you, a bassinette, a pack'n'play with bassinette, an Amby baby hammock, a Moses basket... and there are different safety issues and philosophies associated with each one. I like the baby hammock, but I'm thinking some kind of co-sleeper arrangement would also work. (Oh, and then there's the ongoing discussion about co-sleeping. Some people swear by it, some people swear against it.) And then there's the matter of where the baby will sleep when s/he is downstairs. Everyone has an opinion, and they're all sure they're right. I wish we could get a test baby to try out all these different options.

My co-worker keeps telling me I'm going to have a round baby.

My belly on New Year's Eve 2004.

Why Octopus Jenny?

It has to do with the way I eat... or the way Jeff thinks I eat. Apparently when I eat I tend to reach out in different directions and grab things and stuff them in my mouth. This is especially true now that I'm pregnant, though my stomach is getting so small that I can only fit one Tic Tac in there before I'm full.

I've also done a little bit of firedancing (poi). Not so much lately, though. I think it looks kind of like an octopus on fire.

Seven months pregnant

It took me a while to start a blog, but it seems like a natural thing for me to do. I dreamed once that I found a blogging website just like this one, and I started a blog... just like this one. So I guess dreams do come true.

I am now seven months pregnant. That means that I am getting large and unwieldy, and I stand around with my hands on my lower back wearing tent-like maternity tops. Today I am wearing a green flowered maternity top that looks just a little too tent-like for my taste, but three different co-workers have come up to me to compliment me on it. I think they like that I'm wearing something feminine for once.

I've been pretty lucky so far in the pregnancy department. I didn't have any morning sickness to speak of, and I don't have many of the other undesirable symptoms that people get, like sciatica, swelling, bad hair, blotchy skin, incessant crying, sore feet, etc. My back is sore and I have a strange and annoying pinched nerve under my right ribcage that make it hard to sleep. Plus getting comfortable in bed requires that four different pillows be placed just so. One of them is a Snoogle, a big curvy body pillow that can seem very complicated in the middle of the night. Jeff has a very special relationship with the Snoogle, too. At first he was a little jealous of it, but now he's grateful that it creates a barrier between him and my constant tossing and turning and glomming-on.