Mother's Blessing

So many thanks to Rae Ann for grabbing my camera and documenting the day!  

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I had such a wonderful time at my Mother's Blessing.  I was feeling a bit "off" all day (lack of sleep? just general pregnancy yuck? who knows...) but I really enjoyed the afternoon.  It was wonderful to be surrounded by such an awesome group of women- some mothers, some who now don't want to become mothers because of some of the stories shared. :-P  

Everyone came into my community in different ways- it was nice to see the diverse group of neighbors, friends from college and Cleveland (fellow PDX newbies), and more random connections from mutual friends.  Each woman adds something unique to my experience as a mother, a wife, and a friend.  I'm one spoiled lady, and I'm so grateful to each of them for coming to celebrate our newest addition.  

My henna artist showed up promptly at the start of the party, so we got to work while the rest of the ladies filed in.  Amazing food was eaten- in fact, I'm pretty sure some folks never put their plates down (no shame in that!)  It was quite a spread of wonderful treats.  

I am so impressed by the talent it must require to do such amazing artwork- especially on a moving target.  Yes, baby tiny was squirming like CRAZY during the entire hour.  

I had brought a sample photo of some henna that I liked (see it in the background?)  She did a great job of recreating it.  I'm so pleased!

Seriously- amazing work.  I'm in awe.  It was one thing to watch from "above" as she worked- I could clearly see that it was beautiful, but I was viewing it from one rather strange perspective and couldn't see the whole picture.....  But when I did, oh my.  In the words of one dear friend- it is breathtaking.

Have I mentioned the spread?  Oh wow, Marissa is a wonder in the kitchen.  She made wonderful party favors of Peach Lavender Butter and Salted Caramel Pear Butter.  Both vegan!  They're absolutely delicious.  I don't know about anyone else, but I think you're just supposed to eat it straight off the spoon.  Ahem.

Kraig was a sweetheart and got a tray of tahini, pita, and falafel from my favorite restaurant.  Oh my word, I could eat that falafel everyday.  Marissa made two kinds of fall vegetable tarts, white bean spread, apple cobbler, and double chocolate chip cookies.  Donna made a citrus salad and there was a cheese and cracker tray.  I didn't eat much during the party, but there are lots of leftovers in my fridge right now.  (Thanks Marissa!)

The artist finished up and I finally got to take a look at the full masterpiece (remember, I can't see the bottom half of my stomach from up here ;-))

I think you'll agree that it is magnificent.  Absolutely gorgeous.

I knew before I got pregnant with Baby2 that I wanted to have a special henna ceremony.  I had heard from a more experienced, wiser mama (Hi, Kate) that with baby #2 there is not as much time or opportunity as there was with #1 to connect with and focus on the new baby growing in my belly.  Obviously a toddler in the house makes it more challenging to spend mental and physical energy connecting with the newest addition.  Thus, having a special ritual to honor this child was important to me.  I didn't want the experience of this second pregnancy to get lost or diluted just because we already had a baby.  He's every bit as anticipated, wanted, and loved as Owen was (and still is), and I'm glad we had a chance to pause to recognize that.  I had the afternoon to celebrate, focus on the upcoming birth, and enjoy some "downtime" without worrying about Owen or Kraig.  The day was all about Baby2 and me.  I'm so grateful for that time.

And I'm so grateful for the generosity, kindness, and love of these women.  Your out-pouring of love has filled me up and our little family is so lucky to have each and every one of you in our lives.

L-->R: Brie, Marissa, Wanda, Donna M, Donna G, Me, Sandi, Heather.  Rae Ann was behind the camera :-)

This is completely out of order, and I wish I could find a way to end with that, but that wasn't all!  Rae Ann had prepared a ridiculously cute flag bunting for Baby Tiny.  Each woman wrote a special note or blessing on the back of a flag.  I read them all when I got home, and I can tell how loved he already is :-)  I also opened a slew of wonderful, thoughtful gifts for me and baby.  We're so blessed.  So, so very blessed.  Thank you all!

Pumpkin Carving

Annual neighborhood pumpkin carving.  So fun!

Papa Gordon made this one.  Reason #209438 why we love him :-)

Someone won a special award....

This is a WAY overdue posting.... Anyway, enjoy!

Yep!  Kraig won second place in his category in the Oregon Brew Crew's Fall Classic!  We're ridiculously proud of him, of course.  He got a medal and a special pint glass :-)  He's very excited about placing and is looking forward to many more awards in many more competitions!

This particular competition had over 200 entries in ~30 categories (styles) of beer.  Kraig ultimately wanted to win "Best New Homebrewer" since this would be his only chance to do so- and while he didn't win, he was only ONE point behind the winner!

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!

Apparently there was a scoring snafu and Kraig was actually asked to return his second place medal.... FOR A FIRST PLACE MEDAL!   When they were sorting through the scoresheets in the days following the competition they found some errors and had to throw out some bad scoresheets.  Thus, Kraig was bumped up to FIRST PLACE in his category.  He was also awarded a Second Place medal for BEST NEW HOMEBREWER!  

Have I mentioned we're so proud of him?!  I'm thrilled that he has found some hobbies (beer brewing, coffee roasting) that he both loves to do and is really skilled in.  It brings him a lot of joy, and thusly makes us all happier.

WAY TO GO KRAIG!  

We knew you'd be a winner :-)

Anniversary Date!

aka our second date of the year!  Woohooo!  

This is totally an aside but yes, we go on approximately two dates per year.  We're those people.  We hate leaving Owen.  Owen always does wonderfully- he doesn't even notice we're gone- but we miss him!  I know, wah wah.  He also makes it very easy to take him with us, since he's extremely well-behaved in even the nicest of restaurants.  But this time, yes, we got a babysitter (well, he went to Donna and Gordon's next door ;-)).  They said we could stay out as late as we'd like.... we were back within two hours.  I know.  We're lame.

Anyway- here is a nice couple shot.  These are rare, you know.

We went to the highest rated vegan restaurant in town- Portobello Vegan Trattoria. The food did not disappoint, but the service was a bit lacking.  That's another story for another time, though.

We started out with a bowl of white bean soup.  It was phenomenal.

And here's my oh-so-handsome date!

We also ordered some olives.  I can't turn down olives.  Or pickles.  Yes, I am pregnant.

Kraig ordered the pan-crisped gnocchi with brussels sprouts and chanterelles.  Oh my, this was amazing.  We're lucky we got this photo- it was gone within 2 minutes.  Don't think I'm kidding.

I ordered the portobello ballontine with polenta.  So savory, so delicious.  Also, so filling.  I took half of it home.

blurry photo.  This was the first night I've tried shooting in all manual mode.  Still learning....

And for dessert- a scoop of handmade dark chocolate ice cream (not pictured) and tiramisu.  Yes, all vegan all the time.  It didn't miss a beat, and I'm still wondering what the "mascarpone" was made out of.  Absolutely delicious dessert.  I'm jealous I only got two bites.

We had a wonderful time talking, eating (obviously) and celebrating four years of marriage.  We're really blessed and so grateful that we have had such an amazing four years together.  We're the parents of (almost) two sons, living in our favorite city, and loving life together.  I love being home with Owen, and Kraig is lucky to be gainfully employed in job that he absolutely loves.  We have a fantastic support system of friends and neighbors that are like family.  We really can't complain!

We went for a post-dinner walk to make sure my glucose levels stayed down (wow, so romantic, right?)  and then headed back to reunite with our little man.  It was a lovely evening, and likely our last date before Baby Tiny arrives!  It was funny to talk about "the next time we eat at Portobello" because I doubt we'll be brave enough to bring two kids out to dinner for a while.... Sigh.  There's always takeout.

Pregnancy: 37 weeks

I wish time would slow down just a bit.

Don't get me wrong- I am EXCITED for baby to come.  We are so looking forward to meeting him, really.  But the days are going by just a wee bit faster than I'd like and I can't quite squeeze in all the productivity that I want to.  I know, I know- having my husband hang the bike hooks in the laundry room is SUCH a first-world issue, but it seems quite necessary before baby comes.  (What's he going to do, hang them AFTER? Puh-lease).  

I know that soon, very soon, we will be holding our new little boy in our arms.  I know when that happens that I won't care about the bike hooks or the dusting or whether the tupperware cupboard is organized (it is, by the way.)  But I'm Type A, so bear with me.

Next week I'm going to start being a belly model for the local midwifery school.  It's a "paying" job and only takes a couple of hours on Thursdays.  I'm excited!  My midwives informed me that there is also a foot massage involved.  YES PLEASE!  Mostly, I just want to have a reason to get out of the house and ignore the approaching "due date".  I really, really don't think of my due date as a deadline- more of the central date between a month-long time period when baby *could* come, but getting out of the house alone will be nice.

My shower/blessingway is this weekend, and I am ridiculously excited for it.  Mostly I am excited for the special art that will be taking place- if you don't remember what I'm referring to then you'll have to wait for the big reveal!

Here's an especially poor-quality 37-week photo.  I want to take photos weekly now so I can see when baby drops.  He's still positioned very high, so heartburn is still raging.  Yeesh.  I want him to drop but my chiropractor says that will likely make my SPD worse.  I can't win!

I'm wearing my new "birth gown" that I bought for early labor (i.e. before I get into the tub).  It's super cozy!  I don't anticipate it getting stained or anything since I won't be wearing it to deliver in (probably, unless I have some crazy fast labor) so hopefully I will get to wear it in the future, too.  It's ridiculously comfy.   Yes, it's just a sleep tee.  It's the little things, you guys.

So yeah, I'm 9 months pregnant, and considered *full-term*.  This means that baby's organs should be completely good-to-go, however, the longer he stays in the better!  We really value all the development that happens in the womb, so he can stay in for a few more weeks!  I told my midwife that I have had no signs of impending labor and I would like to keep it that way for 2-3 more weeks.  Not that he couldn't decide to come any day despite what my wishes are.....which is nerve-wracking.  She said that was different, (most moms are D.O.N.E. at this point) but she understands.  We have some things to accomplish before he makes his appearance, though I do try to think about being prepared for labor any day.  I do my "labor checklist" each morning.  Mostly I would want the house to be in order and for Owen to be set for us to leave him with his caretaker.   I know, Type A, blah blah blah.

At my appointment this week his heart rate was great, lots of movement, and I'm measuring a bit small still.  (Of course that means nothing.)  My midwife mentioned that from her palpations she'd guess he's on the smaller side- like maybe low 7lb range at birth if born at 40 weeks.  Owen would have been the same had he come at 40 weeks (he was 7lbs 9 oz at +10 days) so it seems I grow smallish/average sized babies.  Wahooo!  I was just happy she didn't think this little guy was huge- obviously a concern with GD moms.  And as for my weight gain, well I was pleasantly surprised and that's all I'll say.

My glucose levels have been good.  The only "bad" news was that my GBS test was positive, again.  I was positive for Owen's birth as well.  (You can read more about this, and our treatment decision, below if you are interested.  Or you can skip it.  Your choice!)  I have to say, between the GD and the SPD I am really glad that this is our last pregnancy.  Both of those things can be present much earlier in subsequent pregnancies and I'm just glad this is it.... It's not that we don't love kids- we certainly do and we especially love our own but for a lot of reasons we know we want two.  Period.  So it's just nice that I will not have to go through these things again.  Overall, it's been a really great pregnancy, though.  I feel really comfortable and relaxed given the circumstances.

So anyway, time is winding down and we're scurrying around trying to finish up a few tasks.  Maybe by the end of next week I can breathe a sigh of relief and say that I am finally *ready* for this baby to come.  We're soaking in all the time we can with Owen, too.  It's bittersweet, of course.  For now, it's party time!  I'll be sure to post photos and stories from my shower/blessingway, as well as Kraig's Man Day!  Exciting!





more info:

GBS (Group B strep) is a normal bacteria found in the body, and it comes and goes.  It's kind of silly that I would need to say this, but it is not a sexually transmitted disease.  Everyone carries it at some point, and about 25% of pregnant women will carry it towards the end of their pregnancies.  There are a lot of bacteria- good and bad- present at all times, and they test for GBS because it can, very rarely, make babies ill (aside: it is odd to me that they only test for this bacteria, since others can make babies ill as well.  Like E. Coli, etc.)  The stats are: of mothers who choose not to take antibiotics during labor, half a percent (0.5%) of babies will become ill with GBS disease.

However, the CDC recommends that all mothers who test positive be treated with antibiotics during labor. I mentioned in a previous post that we are waiving the antibiotics unless I have a risk factor such as fever during labor or premature rupture of membranes (meaning my water breaks 18+ hours before the onset of labor).  Those risk factors increase baby's chance of developing an illness.  So I will have antibiotics on hand just in case.  The other important thing to remember is that antibiotics aren't always effective, AND that GBS comes and goes so I could have tested positive at 36 weeks but be negative at the birth.  With all of these variables as well as the tiny risk of illness, we have opted to not preventatively treat with antibiotics during labor.  My midwives will be alert to any signs of GBS illness in the baby after birth, and we can treat with antibiotics then.

I personally feel that, according to the stats, treating 200 women so that one baby doesn't become sick is irresponsible.  Antibiotics do not come without serious side effects (creation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, for instance, which has been well-documented in research of infants with GBS illness whose mothers were treated with antibiotics during labor).   Antibiotics also eliminate the healthy gut flora as well as the "bad bugs" and I things that healthy gut flora is so, so important, especially in a newborn and especially during cold and flu season.  If both myself and baby were treated with antibiotics (which would be the case if treated preventatively during labor) I would not have those healthy bacteria to pass along to my newborn at birth.  Newborns receive those healthy bacteria from their mamas.  See the issue?

Anyway, I will be doing some natural preventative measures here at home to increase the chance that I will be GBS negative during labor.  My midwives don't push cervical exams during labor, and do not artificially break the bag of waters so I won't have to worry about that (those things *can* increase the amount of bacteria that enter the uterus.)  Finally, my midwife does not think there will be enough time, once I arrive at the birth center, to administer the two doses of antibiotics anyway (they are administered 4 hours apart.)  So, overall I feel very confident that everything will be fine despite this rather annoying diagnosis.  I kind of wish I hadn't taken the test at all, but at least now we know to look out for it (though, like I said, the risk is minuscule).

Potty trained!

I don't really know when parents consider their child "potty-trained".  All I know is that Owen is consistently going in the potty and rarely, rarely has accidents.  He's not night-trained, of course, as that won't happen for a year or more.  But we are just SO proud of him!  We are fairly comfortable taking him out in his undies- we just diligently ask him over and over if he has to potty.  He's so great at staying dry.  I can hardly believe it!

I don't know what clicked for Owen, but one day he just started doing it and we kept rewarding.  Treats, bribes- you name it, we did it.  I'm not ashamed.  Ha!  IT WORKED DIDN'T IT?!  I think it was good for him to have a tangible reward rather than just praise- though we did a lot of that too.  A lot of people say that then they get hooked on the reward.  Well, not Owen.  He asks for a treat almost every time, but he doesn't get one every time.  He is fine with that.  We upped the ante to "no accidents all day" or sometimes no treats at all, and he doesn't seem to notice.  So, no issues there.

He is really proud of himself, too, which is great to see.  So it's not all about the (psych nerd moment ahead) extrinsic value (i.e. the reward)- there is intrinsic value as well and that is a good sign that it will stick.  Fingers crossed, of course.

Also, let's hope he doesn't regress (at least not for too long if he does) after baby arrives.  Either way, I think it was wise to train him now rather than waiting- and training him to continue going in his diaper, in my opinion- and then starting at square one with a (likely) more defiant child then.  Plus, you know there was NO WAY I was waiting until he was THREE to start potty training.  I'm just so glad we're on this side of things now.

Hooray, Owen!

The Pumpkin Patch

On our fourth wedding anniversary we went to  a  two pumpkin patches!  The first one was disappointing, if you ask me (Kraig thought it was okay) so we tried another one nearby.  It was much better.  

Here are some photos from the first farm:

The second farm had many more activities.  Perfect.

Owen loved running around (and around, and around) in the hay maze.

And we explored the pumpkin patch.  Not for long, though.  Owen was pretty excited about all the other stuff.

My baby is SO BIG!  Does this make anyone else's heart hurt?!  He's such a little man.   

Sigh.  They truly grow up so fast.

We tried for quite a while to convince him to go into the bounce house.  He was NOT having it.  Finally, after some sweet talk from his mama, he excitedly got in.  Kraig was impressed with how I was able to persuade him.  I never give away my secrets but I didn't bribe, didn't threaten (why would I ever?), and didn't force.  I am just that good ;-)

He loved it, of course.  And then we couldn't get him to come out.

Ha!


We also brought Sophie along to the farm.  Obviously she needed a bath when we got home...  But it was her birthday (!!!   She is one year old!) so of COURSE she came along.

Supervising the bouncing, of course.  

We had a wonderful time.  I'm glad we found our "favorite" pumpkin patch for next year.

Pregnancy: 36 weeks (!!!)

This week is the one I've been waiting for.  Being 36 weeks pregnant means that if I were to go into labor now, we could have our midwife attend an out-of-hospital birth.  The midwives cannot legally attend a birth at home or at the birth center before 36 weeks.  So, this was a big milestone.  Not that I thought I was actually going to have the baby that early, but it's good to have reached that marker.  

(Only because I know many of you are in Ohio, I have to mention that the laws in Ohio regarding midwives are much different than here in Oregon.  CPM's (certified professional midwives, like the one I have) are technically legal but not regulated in the state of Ohio (they are only legal and regulated in 27 states).  I know home births happen in Ohio, and they are not technically prohibited, just not legally defined or regulated.  This means, among other things, that it is hard for a midwife to get physician back-up or to even be treated respectfully by hospital staff if a hospital transfer were necessary.  This is, of course, bad for mamas and babies.  Moral of the story: our health care system is really screwed up and women should have the option of out-of-hospital births with a regulated, licensed midwife.  I haven't spent much time on this site, but here is a resource to look at if interested.)

Anyway, we're just one week from being considered full-term.  Wahooo!  I'm mostly at peace, but also a little tiny bit stressed about getting a few more things done around here.  Obviously, whatever needs to get done will be done and whatever doesn't... well, whatever.  At least we'll have another baby when it's all over, regardless of if I finished my latest knitting project. ;-)

My appointment this week was great.  It was a home visit, so I had the luxury of getting to stay right here while the midwives came to us.  I baked chocolate chip cookies for everyone and we went over some necessities (hospital transfer info in case it's necessary, newborn prophylactic protocols, etc.)  My vitals were good, my iron results from my last bloodwork were great (YAY!) and baby is measuring just fine (if not a week or so behind, though fundal height measuring is notoriously inaccurate).  He's been measuring about a week or two behind for the past 12 weeks, and +/- 2 weeks is well within the normal range.  So no worries, there.  I'm actually just glad he's not measuring super huge.  I guess my GD is indeed controlled.  

Speaking of that, my numbers have been awesome and I can start testing just 1-2 times a day rather than 3-4.  This is great news.  They do not think additional testing (BPP or NST) will be necessary, but I let my midwife know that I wouldn't mind a BPP at term.  We'll see.  I go back and forth about it- I know that size measurements are, again, notoriously inaccurate even in something like an ultrasound, so if they were to say he was "large for dates" I know not to necessarily trust it.  However, IF they said that, I am afraid it would really get in my head during labor and I'd fear that I couldn't birth him.  Now, I know women- small-framed women- who have birthed 8, 9, 10 lb babies, without meds, even.  I know if our body can grow it, we can birth it (within reason, and regardless of what a doctor might tell you, unfortunately).  But I suppose the medical mindset (specifically, to just cut a mother open if a doctor decides that a baby is "too big") has permeated my subconscious, even though I know better.  So clearly, I need to think more about it..... and keep affirming my body's ability to birth him no matter how large he may be!   (I do not think he will be large.  But an ultrasound might (inaccurately) tell me he is, and then there's the "white coat" effect and blah blah blah...)

Kraig and I have made some of the necessary decisions regarding the birth and such, and we're slowly but surely getting our supplies ready for our birth bag.  It's funny how much you forget what to do.... even if it's only been 2.5 years.  I suppose having an older child adds a whole different dimension to planning and decisions regarding what to do when I go into labor.  We're feeling prepared, though.

Speaking of that older chid, look how helpful he is!  Future midwife, right here ;-)

measuring his baby brother

I am feeling very patient regarding baby's arrival.  I know I'll be more uncomfortable at the end (well, maybe.  I'm still feeling pretty great!) but I also know every day spent in the womb is so great for baby's development.  Even if that means I go past my so-called "due date".  We need the next few weeks to keep preparing, anyway.  I feel so much different this time around- I could NOT wait for Owen's arrival.  It's not that we don't want to meet our new little man, we just know that birth happens when it happens and there's nothing we can do to speed it up or slow it down.  We're much more at peace.  It also helps that we don't have a nagging induction "deadline".  Hospital induction is pretty much completely off the table (barring any emergencies), and knowing that really changes our perspective.  Nobody is going to force our baby out at a certain time, thank goodness.

Let's see some pictures, shall we?

36 weeks, hello bellybutton.

Baby is very much tipped forward and therefore off my cervix (sorry, TMI?) which means he has not dropped yet and is therefore not putting pressure on anything *down there*.  So, no dilation or anything is happening yet.  The issue is, a lot of women who have been pregnant before have less abdominal tone and thus baby stays tipped forward (his bottom is pushing on my bellybutton) and this obviously doesn't help get things going, you know?  So I am taking a tip from some other mamas and midwives and I am going to start wrapping my belly with my moby wrap to try to get him tilted back a bit.  Plus, him being tipped so far forward really strains my abdominal muscles and, well, that hurts.  

He's ~5.5 lbs according to generic fetal development estimates.  This is the month of rapid weight gain for baby- about half a pound a week.  Maybe that's why I'm suddenly more hungry (not that I can eat more because, um, he's still taking up a lot of room.  Please drop, baby!) 

We are so ready to meet him!  (But please, take your time sweet baby.)

Apple Festival

One of our neighbors recommended that we check out the Portland Nursery's annual Apple Festival.  It sounded like a perfect fall outing, so we went the next day.  

We sampled some prepared apple products (apple butter and the like) and grabbed some popcorn to keep Owen happy. 

Oh, and we had to keep Kraig happy, too.  Coffee was in order, naturally.

We tasted over 30 different types of apples- the ones I thought were my favorites (granny smith, gala) were actually, most definitely, NOT my favorites when put up against some other varieties.  I was partial to the sweeter apples (ambrosia, golden pippin, swiss gourmet) and did find some varieties that we absolutely did NOT like.  Weird, right?  Who's ever met an apple they didn't like?  Apparently, we have.

There were also a variety of pears to be sampled.  Nothing really stuck out to me there.

We then headed back to the kids' tent to get Owen a pumpkin and play around a bit.

We didn't stay long, as some other children were less than hospitable in sharing some of the "attractions" (rolls eyes).  But that's okay because we needed to shuffle along to the bulk apple bins to make some purchases.  It was a speedy visit but very fun!  We'll be back next year.

pregnancy: 35 weeks

It was really shocking to just type "35 weeks".  Does that seem really far along to anyone else?  We're just two weeks away from being considered "full-term"  which is pretty shocking to me (WHAT ABOUT MY TO-DO LIST?!)

Yes, that's really all we need baby to wait on- for us to be done with our to-do's.  Otherwise, he has free reign to come whenever he feels like it.  Sort of...
 Please come before Thanksgiving, please, oh please, oh please.  Mama really wants to eat lots of       carbs and dessert.  COME ON BABY!  (Plus we don't exactly have a sitter lined up for Owen during the holiday weekend... so before that would be just perfect.) xoxoxo


We really don't have much left on our lists... except all the sewing and knitting I want to get done.  Obviously none of that is "necessary" though.


Anyway, I'm just trucking along!  October is flying by (anyone else feel this way?) and we haven't even started doing fun autumn-y things yet (pumpkin patch, pumpkin carving, fall baking (*sniff* I won't be doing that until after baby comes....)  We really need to make time for that, as well as to celebrate our anniversary.  Thankfully we are SO close to being done with our "big" projects.  We just need this wonderful Portland weather to cooperate so Kraig can finish painting some furniture outside.

I feel really good lately, which of course I attribute to my chiropractor.  Baby is also anterior (PERFECT) so he's way up in the front of my belly, not under my ribs.  This means he's not kicking me in the ribs (Thanks, Baby!)  I feel awesome.  My iron is great, my blood sugars have been good, I am sleeping pretty well- all things considered- and I feel wonderful!  Life is good.

We're not generally anxious about anything, just wondering when and how I will go into labor.  This curiosity is not necessarily for our own sake of knowing, just for the logistical aspect of how we're going to handle Owen.  I'd love to be able to put him to sleep and then head out, leaving him with one of our caregivers that we have lined up.  Then he could wake up and hopefully come to meet his younger brother.  Of course, the best laid plans..... And this is childbirth we're talking about here, so surely things will happen in the most inconvenient way possible, right?  Just as long as it happens before Thanksgiving! *wink*  But generally speaking, I'm pretty excited that we're getting closer and closer to the birth.  I'm ready.  I just can't wait to see how it all happens!  Will my water break?!  Will I be in labor for days or just for a few hours?  Will it be totally unexpected or will I know it's coming?  Will Kraig be at work and will I have to call him to come home quick?!  So much excitement, I can hardly contain myself.

We have our home visit next week and then we go to weekly appointments from here on out.  The last "hurdle" we have is the GBS test, which is next week.  It's a totally normal bacteria that comes and goes in the body and there is a 30% chance of having it around the time of delivery.  I was in the 30% last time and had to have antibiotic treatment while in labor.  The risk to baby is so, so, so, so, SO very low (fewer than 1% of babies become ill, and it is rarely (again, <1%) fatal).  But, standard hospital protocol is to test all mothers and subsequently treat all GBS+ mothers.  Well, this time we aren't in a hospital and so we are not following hospital protocol! (Who am I kidding, we haven't been following standard medical protocols for the duration of this pregnancy.  Ahhh, informed consent feels so good.)  We are having the test, hoping for a negative, and then using alternative treatments if it is positive.


This week baby is ~5.3 pounds and ~18 inches long.  WOW!


And the biggest news is that Kraig's baby came in the mail.  That's right, a brand new, super-amazing espresso machine.  My oh my, does it ever make the best lattes.  Well, I think my skilled husband has something to do with it too, but it's a great machine.  Kraig also thinks it's quite necessary for afternoon shots of espresso during the most sleepless newborn phase.  I agree!

Oh, hey blurry camera-phone photo!

 

27 years

this post is two weeks late.  Totally unacceptable, but Kraig was holding the camera hostage.  Not that we took many photos on his birthday (also unacceptable) but still....

For Kraig's birthday this year we decided to do the same as we always do for these types of occasions- eat a lot of really wonderful food.

The pre-birthday celebration started on Tuesday with a neighborhood potluck.  It was actually in honor of the neighbor boy (R, we'll call him) who turned 13 this year.  His birthday is the day before Kraig's, and his sister's is the same day as Owen's.  Fun!  The party was all about R, but it was a nice excuse to get together with our lovely neighbors and for Kraig to drink a special cocktail (his fall favorite- a dark and stormy (gosling's dark rum + ginger ale).  

Kraig watched his favorite movie (I Love You, Man) while I baked his cake.  Nope, no photos of the cake because it wasn't all that pretty.  But it was good- a rich genoise layer cake with chocolate-hazelnut frosting.  Yum! 

Wednesday was his actual birthday, so of course Owen and I made his coffee for him and let him open his first gift- a coffee mug that says "World's Best Boss".  Yes, that is a reference to The Office.  He was very excited to take it to work :-)  Then we headed out to Hash.  We have a 3-for-3 record of eating at Hash for birthdays here in Portland.  I think we'll keep the streak alive.  

We followed breakfast with a family nap.  Oh, glorious family nap!  Owen happened to sleep extra long- 3 hours and 45 minutes... I know, we're spoiled- so we had lots of time to relax and get ready for the remainder of the day.   Once Owen woke up we let Kraig open his other gift- a pair of jeans (sounds thrilling, I know.  He really needed them :-))  Unfortunately I knew when I bought them that they were the wrong size/style.  Which reminds me, why do stores change the style/cut every so often, and get rid of the really, really good ones?

We headed out to find some food carts worth eating (aren't they all?) and boy did we ever.  Kraig and Owen ate dumplings at The Dump Truck (I can't make this up) and I had soup and salad at Savor Soup House.  We ate in a lovely nearby park.

Then we headed to the mall.  Oh, mall, could we dislike you any more?  We rarely (like, 1-2 times a year) go to the mall and for good reason.  It's basically everything wrong with the world :-P  Anyway, we found not one but TWO pairs of pants that were just perfect, as well as a few shirts.  Not bad, not bad at all.  (I'm still not purchasing anything new- more on that soon- but while nothing was bought for me I did end up "inheriting" one of the unisex shirts K got from H&M.)  

Kraig wanted to try a nearby local coffee shop, so we made the 4 BLOCK HIKE there (emphasized because I was in a world of SI joint pain (pre-chiro), and K assured me it was 2 blocks.  Ahem.  I think I made people nervous with my waddle and intense breathing pattern.)

We walked 4 BLOCKS back to the car and headed home to make dinner- K's special request was banh mi, and I was happy to oblige.  I did a special marinade for some soy curls (seriously, best fake meat ever) and also made a side of edamame.  Easy and delish.  We indulged in some birthday cake, and finished up the day with a special visit from Donna and Gordon who came bearing another gift for Kraig- a book about NW craft beers.  Awesome! 

We watched Parenthood before calling it a night.  But the birthday festivities weren't over yet! 

Thursday was a relaxing day, and we even got a few household projects done.  K also received a special surprise package in the mail, along with a half-birthday gift for Owen (thanks, Uncle Jason!) We had dinner plans with Donna and Gordon at Andina to continue celebrating K's birthday that evening.  We LOVE Andina, and we were excited to celebrate with D & G, too :-)

The food was amazing, the company was wonderful as always, and Kraig had such a great time.  We went back to D & G's house to play and read books to Owen for a bit, then O and I headed home (i.e. we walked across their driveway to our house) while K stayed and watched a special coffee documentary with Gordon.

It was a great birthday "weekend" for Kraig!  Happy Birthday, darling!

The Potty Train

Just wanted to quickly check in and say that Owen is totally mastering the potty.  He has stayed dry for over a day (since Sunday night he has not peed in a diaper).  It's Tuesday.  That means he stayed dry during his nap yesterday as well as overnight last night (probably a fluke, but I'll take it!).  We are not night-training him quite yet, but it was an interesting coincidence.  He is a potty-peeing machine!  We're so proud and trying to remain diligent.  He's even gone on little outings in his undies!  Wahoo!!

Our bribes to try to get him to go #2 in the potty aren't currently working.  Oye vey.  Any tips would be appreciated :-)

More nesting!

Kraig finished a bunch of little projects this week lately and now we're working on one of the last "big" tasks- steam cleaning the carpets.  Big task #2 is finishing decorations in the boys room- and I've made some headway there as well!  We found an amazing quilter in Ohio who is working on a special blanket for Owen's bed.  It will be the main focal point for our theme, so I'm really excited that we found someone to do it for a reasonable price (custom-made blankets/quilts are spendy!)  Now I can work on tying in the theme around the room and we'll be set.

I will reveal the theme once the blanket arrives on my doorstep :-)  It's really stinkin' rad, and I'm bursting at the seams with excitement!  I hope Owen loves it, too.

We purchased a few furniture items that were needed, so now Kraig just has to paint them (today) and the room will be SO close to being done.  We got some frames and I am busy picking out prints for them.  I have a few small projects I'd like to sew and that about wraps up decorating the boys' room.  I'm so excited!  I think it's going to turn out really great.

We've also been hanging wall art, shelves, new light fixtures, etc in various rooms.  I switched out all of our summer clothing to the wintery set as well, all while re-organizing some closets and cupboards.  We took a huge box (or more) of items to Goodwill.  It feels good to get rid of clutter.

We've been picking up items that we need for labor/birth bag as well as stocking up on household items so that we don't have to run to the store at the last minute while we're babymooning (i.e. holing up in our house for 2 weeks after baby comes!)  I'm freezing soups and such to be prepared to feed my crew with minimal effort for a few weeks.

I've also been knitting some items for baby and working on some Christmas gifts as well.  I might get sidetracked by a random knitting project for myself here and there, too. :-)

SO many things to do, so little time.  But we're getting there.  Six weeks (or less... or more?) to go!

Pregnancy: 34 weeks

Blogging through this pregnancy each week sure has made it go quickly.  There are probably a slew of other things (um, toddler?) that make the time fly, but I think journalling is helping.  We're getting REALLY excited to meet our new boy.  Things are falling into place, tasks on our lists are being checked off, the house is nearly ready (you wouldn't know that by looking at my to-do-list, though) and I've thought long and hard about the birth.  I feel much more prepared than I did a week ago.  Whew.

Our neighbor that was also pregnant just had her baby.  In fact, a lot of people who were pregnant this "round" are having their babies.  Oh my....  My number is coming up so soon!

My 34 week appointment was yesterday, and it went really well.  I had to get a follow-up blood draw for my anemia, but I'm confident that my iron levels are higher now since I've been supplementing.  I don't *feel* anemic, so that's a good sign (I can tell when I'm iron-deficient.  I get dizzy, fatigued, and lightheaded very often.)  I am measuring about 1cm behind (totally within the normal range) and I'm just happy to not be measuring larger, which is obviously a concern with GD.

We had to play a bit of catch-up with our head midwife since she'd been on vacation for the month of September.  She'd missed all the gestational diabetes stuff, so she and I both had a lot of questions to ask each other regarding how it's been going, what action we may take as I get closer to term, etc.

High point/low point for the appointment:  HP- I asked if the midwives are comfortable using our camera to take some shots during labor.  Stephanie said in her next life she is going to be a photographer, and they love taking photos.  In fact, they often ask if they are *allowed* to use the camera.  Um, yes please!  LP- I asked about a specific tincture for afterbirth pains they had listed on an itemized birth bag list.  I was curious because it said "not necessary for 1st time mothers".  Um, was I missing something here?  She let me in on the fact that afterbirth pains get worse with each birth, so mine will likely be much more intense this time than they were with Owen, hence why they recommend the tincture.  Uh, nobody told me this little tidbit!  I remember them being AWFUL for the first few post-partum days.  They'll be WORSE this time?!  Oh dear....

Our next visit (36 weeks) will be a home visit.  While we are not birthing here it is standard practice for our MW group to do a home visit at that time to see our home and get comfortable with where things are because one of them will be coming over during early labor.  (We call when we think we're in labor, one woman from our team comes as labor support, and once things are more active we all head to the birth center together.)

If you know me, you know that I'm taking my nesting up a notch to prepare for the visit!  Stephanie (head MW) asked Owen if she could see his new big boy bed when she comes over.  Eeek!  I need to get the boys' room ready!  Hopefully Owen's blanket will be done and be here in time.... I think it might be.  I need to get started on the other projects as well! (Painting furniture, sewing some decor items, printing wall art....)

Really, the boys' room is one of the last things we need to finish up.  We've been working on steam cleaning the carpets, which I find to be totally satisfying work.  I'm also a neat freak.  So there's that....  Overall I'm really pleased with how the house is shaping up after all our little tweaks.

I'm still feeling so great after my chiro adjustments.  I can't explain how wonderful it is to have zero back pain, zero hip pain, and to be able to walk normally.  I feel so, so comfortable.

Now that it's October plans are in high-gear for our baby shower/ blessingway!  I booked the henna artist and we've nailed down some details for the afternoon.  I'm really excited.  We have such a wonderful community here and I'm just so honored that they wanted to do something special for me and baby.  What a wonderful blessing these women are in my life!

Six weeks until our due date.  Can you believe it?

Chiropractor love

It irks me that chiros get a bad rap.

I love them so much, and I've never had a bad experience.  I have dislocated my hip many times, had whiplash and rotator cuff issues, and strained thoracic muscles.  Each time the chiro was able to completely fix the pain- no meds necessary.  Yesterday might have been the most amazing recovery yet, though.

I'd been in serious pain all week.  I couldn't walk without limping and hobbling around, and I thought this was just going to be my lot for the remainder of the pregnancy.  I didn't think the chiro would be able to adjust things quite enough, since I thought back pain was just a very normal part of pregnancy.  So I expected to still be a tad uncomfortable though hopefully not in serious pain like I was.

Well, she adjusted my SI joints, stretched the round ligaments, and adjusted some spots in my upper back and neck.  I hopped up off the table (carefully) and walked pain-free out of the office!  There is usually some residual soreness as the muscles adjust to the realigned spine/joints but I am completely, 100% pain-free.  No joke.  I feel like I'm not even 8 months pregnant anymore- I'm so comfortable.  I'm amazed.