beach trip

My parents came over MLK weekend to visit with Evie and Jack, and to help with the traditional post-baby mayhem. It was loads of fun having them here, and we got a lot of useful projects finished. (You know -- the kind of thing that sits around for weeks, being small but ANNOYING and not getting done because you're busy with a new baby.)

Then on the last day of their visit we didn't do a single thing but just go to the beach and enjoy ourselves. It was really fun. We made a fire and threw rocks into the water, and it was gorgeous in a beach-in-January kind of way! We also got to see that there has been a LOT of erosion on the beach since August, when I was last there. For almost the entire beach, the sand was washed out to literally 6 feet lower than it was in the summer. There was a thin strip of the old beach along the side, but that was it. I guess the heavy rains this year really tore it up.

Without further ado, here are the pictures from the beach!

14/365: Baby coming!

There is SO much left to do! I can't believe there are only eight more days until December. I wouldn't say I'm starting to panic or worry, but I've definitely noticed how much I want to get done before I have the baby! For now I'm going to bed. No matter how reasonable it seems at the time, staying up past 11:00 is never a good idea.

9/365: The Countdown

Alex and I recently realized that we could have a new baby as soon as three weeks from now! Holy smokes. I feel like there must be a million things we're supposed to be doing, but darned if I could tell you what they are!

On top of any baby-related work still to do, I feel like the holidays are suddenly barrelling down on us and before we know it, it will be the new year! I'm supposed to be baking a turkey for Thanksgiving this year, too. That's something I've never done before!

...and we are still having a heck of a time choosing baby names. I tell you what, one way or another this is going to be an exciting month and a half ahead of us!

no baby yet!

Sorry, I know I've been neglecting the blog. I've been too busy enjoying maternity leave. I've been taking loooong naps and having daily walks, and cooking basically anything I think of. Yesterday it was soda bread; today it will be quiche! Lest you think I'm tiring myself out on crazy cooking projects, know the apartment is clean and baby-ready, so there really isn't much else to do! I even read a GIANT book called Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.

Yesterday I found out that the full moon is on our due date. (An old wive's tale says that if you're due near a full moon, the baby will likely come ON the full moon....) Not that I really believe it, but it's entertaining to think about. If Critter is born on the due date, he/she will join only 5% of babies who make that happen! In any case, as I keep telling myself, nobody stays pregnant forever--stay tuned!

more critter prep!

1) I found out there is a library within walking distance of our apartment--this is going to be a prime spot to go on walks to visit! I am going to see it in person tomorrow.
2) Chris has sent us four cloth diaper covers that she made for us (yay!), and we've ordered some inserts and some nice gadgets called "snappies" to hold the diapers together in a less stabby way than safety pins.... I think all the parts will arrive in a week or less.
3) We are continuing to arrange/reorganize, so the stroller, for instance, now has an actual spot in the corner rather than just being in the middle of the room. I think that by the beginning of September, we should have everything just about set up to where I'll feel like I can stop fussing with it. :)

3 1/2 weeks to go?

Or 1/2 week.... or 5 weeks... or 2... Argh! If only someone could invent a way to know when a baby would be ready, they would be very rich.

We have all our baby shower things settled in now. Critter is very well-stocked, with clothes, bassinet, diapers, stroller, car seat, toys, all sorts of bath goodies.... and we have a small mountain of very snuggly, soft blankets! Add to that the fact that we have a few gift certificates for remaining items (like baby wipes) and I think we're all set.... Alison and I are going out on an expedition tomorrow to make use of the gift cards. :)

I have 1 1/2 weeks left at Starbucks before my maternity leave kicks in, and I am down to 4 1/2 hour shifts (which I think is the absolute minimum length that we schedule!). You'd think that the shorter time span would make it easier (or at least the same as the longer shifts during earlier pregnancy), but I am still ready for a nap after each one! At this point I am pretty excited to start maternity leave.

We are doing a little bit each day to get the apartment ready for B-Day and I think we just might have it ready if Critter doesn't decide to come too early. This Saturday is when the baby becomes "full-term" so in my book, all bets are off after that. I am planning on just sticking close to home and trying not to wear myself out! This nesting thing is not for sissies--I am fairly constantly torn between the desire to prepare something and the desire to lay down for half an hour.... :P So far, preparation is mostly winning, though I have to admit I took two naps today! I consider them perfectly deserved (my belly is HEAVY!), so I'm not having any conscience issues. ;)

Alex is still taking me for almost-daily beach walks (barring thunderstorms or exhaustion), and that has been really nice because we can get a LOT of space to look at, fresh air, nice cool water on our feet... all without me having to overdo it by walking for miles or something silly like that!

I think that covers everything for now.... The bassinet is the last major baby item that we don't actually have in the house, and that's because it's being shipped right now. Once we do have it I will go around and make a photo-tour of Critter's new digs and goodies. :)

another thing on daddy class

Alex mentioned this to me in person and then forgot to write it down: :P

Apparently something that the dads covered is that new mommies can be VERY territorial about not wanting to share the care of the baby. This was a REALLY common experience among the attending daddies. For instance, it's apparently pretty common for the mom to not feel like she can leave the baby unsupervised with the dad.... some kind of idea about him being "just a man" so he'll break the baby?

I thought it was really interesting that this would be an issue. I guess I was surprised because I wouldn't have thought of having kids if I didn't think Alex was going to have a big share in taking care of them!

4 1/2 weeks to go.... status report! :)

We got a special information packet from our Doc appointment today that basically was prep for the final weeks --phone numbers to call at any time, things we should or shouldn't feel like we need to call in about, reminders of actual labor signs.... good stuff!

I also got my last blood drawn today, which is definitely cause for celebration! This one was for a final check of my iron levels, which should be fine, since I was barely under the borderline of okay at the last draw (39.9 when they like to see at least 40.0, I think), and have been taking iron supplements since.

Alex and I are working on getting things all squared away for the baby's arrival. At some point we realized that although the due date is in four weeks, it's not uncommon to have the baby arrive up to 3 weeks early, so we want to be ready just in case!

We found out that we do have a storage space up in the attic of our apartment building, so we've been making a lot more room for baby stuff down here in the living space, and carting the extras up to hide for a while. (For instance, we probably aren't going to need 7 suitcases any time soon!)

I am starting to make some pre-made meals that we can freeze up and have ready for when the baby comes home. I figure that if the baby is late, we can just eat them and make more so the food doesn't get old and funky, but I do want to have some meals ready from now on just in case.

I am possibly going to start taking Zantac (over the counter heartburn medicine) before bed for the final stretch here, since I am now regularly waking up with WICKED acid reflux about every 45 minutes. Dr. Browne is a bit concerned that I am now burning away my esophageal lining, and I'm inclined to agree. It's been at least three months of this nonsense escalating more and more, and Tums is just not getting the job done anymore. I'm getting acid reflux more and more frequently and strongly, even during the day when I am fully upright and haven't eaten anything in hours.... Aside from the fact that it HURTS, how am I supposed to finish growing a baby when I can't sleep because my throat is always burning up?

The baby shower had to stop being a secret, since there were just too many variables to be scheduled in, so I know it's coming this weekend. (Yay!) By the end of this weekend, we will have all the baby goodies ready to be settled in to the house (and will know what remaining items we need to get).

Chris and I have FINALLY settled on colors and styles for the cloth diapers she is setting me up with, so that's good! I think they are going to work out well. Also, we realized that it is perfectly do-able to wash the diaper inserts in the dishwasher, which is much more cost-effective for those of us who don't own our own washer and dryer. (Don't worry, you can totally keep it sanitary between dishes and diapers --or maybe just handwash dishes. Haven't quite decided on that one yet!)

I feel like we're way too ahead of the game on this. What (massive element, probably) are we forgetting???

Tummy!

Also known as "baby house" as it gets bigger and bigger... it seemed to just need a bigger name!

donating breastmilk

Sometimes because of adoption or a health issue with the mother (taking certain medicines, for instance) a mom can't produce safe milk for her baby. The mom can be stuck thinking that her only option is now formula feeding.

Chris commented on my post about the breastfeeding class I went to, and she reminded me that I wanted to talk about donating milk for this kind of situation. This is SUCH a good thing to do! Nursing moms operate on supply and demand, so if you plan it properly and pump between feedings, it's totally possible to have enough milk to feed your own baby AND to donate.

The really important thing to realize is that a baby benefits by having real human milk even if it's not from the baby's own mom. Even if you only get an ounce or two per day of extra, that's a little benefit for someone's baby that wouldn't have happened otherwise.

I found out after the class that there is actually a milk donation center being set up for New England, and that I can be connected up with them so I can participate in their program if I want to. I haven't found out much more than that yet, but I will be, and will post what I find.

Critter's college fund started!

A woman gave me 57 cents for Critter's college fund during my shift today. She said we need to start saving now, and she wanted to get the ball rolling. :)

Dr. appointment and a class

Wednesday was a double-whammy on the pregnancy front. In the morning we had a check-up with our primary doctor, Dr. Browne. (Highlights included her calling me "so skinny".... what a nice person!)

We talked about a TON of stuff more related to the delivery than to pregnancy, and found out that we are still happily on the same page. For instance:

Eating during labor: (Some doctors won't let you eat, in case you need a c-section later.) She says totally, bring snacks. Just don't bring your favorite food in case you throw it up and don't want to eat it ever again!
When to clip the cord: (Standard is pretty much RIGHT when the baby comes out.) She says "Yeah, we can wait until the cord stops pulsing. Just bear in mind you might have to remind us--we get a little excited!"
When do you use a vacuum/forceps: She hates forceps and the only situation where she'd use a vacuum would be if the baby was in enough distress that it needed to come out NOW. And she would always give the mother the option to say no to the vacuum, even if the only other choice was a c-section.
Birth plan: By all means, write one. Try to deal in positives ("dim lighting" vs. "no bright lights") so you don't make people scared of you. :)
....AND about a bajillion other points.

THEN I had a class on breastfeeding that evening. There was just me and one other woman (with her husband) in attendance, so it was nice and personal.

The first 1/3 of the class was geared toward convincing you that breastfeeding is a good idea. Preaching to the choir, folks! But there was a bunch of really good information about the proven benefits, such as the mother having reduced risk of osteoporosis later in life, and the baby getting REALLY good odds against ever contracting two kinds of lymphatic cancer later in life. (Those were some of the more dramatic examples--there are also other things like fewer ear infections and doctor visits, higher IQs, etc....) It reenforced my belief that there really is no good reason not to breastfeed.

The middle chunk of the class was really cute, because obviously you can't really just TALK about how to nurse properly, or the idea just isn't really going to arrive. So what they would do is talk about "here is how to get the baby to latch on" and then show a little video set to music of a bunch of teeny tiny babies latching on properly. The other woman and I were just sitting there giggling every time they played a video--the babies were just TOO cute! We did separate sections on latching on, nursing, how to fix improper nursing, and the baby being done. That last one mostly consisted of babies falling asleep all over the place. SOOOOO CUTE. The nurses call that the "drunken sailor" look, because they totally look like boozed-up happy little passed-out sailors.

The end of the class was about how you can maintain breastfeeding along with work and stuff and how you can involve the dad, so we went over bottles and pumps and how to figure all that stuff out. (Did you know that frozen breastmilk can last up to a year? I didn't!) After the class I was examining the example products and rather admiring a hand-powered pump that would work nicely for what Alex and I are planning for his part in doing feedings (we really don't need a big electric one) and the nurse who taught the class told me that secretly, they use those exact ones on the delivery floor and if I ask for one after I deliver, they'll give me a freebie to take home. :D

Maternity Leave

Well, it's all squared away, and it looks like I will be starting my maternity leave on September 1st. I know, I'm due on the 15th and babies are late sometimes, blah blah blah.

It's actually totally fine because I can extend my baby leave until January if I want to, so I'm not concerned about having to rush back to work right after the baby is born. AND that means I don't have to spend my final weeks of pregnancy with people in my face every other second going "Wow, you haven't popped YET?" and other such charming commentary. (As a sample, all this week, perfect strangers haven't seen any problem with asking me, "Are you SURE you only have one baby in there????" while making google-eyes at my evidently mammoth-sized stomach...) I think I'm going to like the peace. :)

mornings these days

I always know I've actually woken up this time because Critter wakes up too. For some reason, we are right in sync on our morning wake-ups. :)

mornings these days

I always know I've actually woken up this time because Critter wakes up too. For some reason, we are right in sync on our morning wake-ups. :)

Hallelujah!!!!

A small miracle has occurred: Today I went to the social security administration's office in downtown Portsmouth, found parking really easily, was in and out in twenty minutes, and....

They actually are changing my last name to Bowling!!

I flat-out don't believe it, but the girl who helped me swore I'd be getting my new social security card in the mail within two weeks. This is a big load off of our minds (well, mine at least), because we really did want to make sure that Baby Bowling was born to Mr. and Mrs. Bowling, not Mr. Bowling and Hey Mom, Why Does It Say Marshall Here On My Birth Certificate? I do think it's easier for little ones to get the idea of a family when everyone has the same name.

The reason this is such shocking and delightful news is that I waged a three-year war with Social Security in Oregon to no avail, and without getting into painful details, was told time and time again that I had done it wrong, was missing key documentation, was a bad bad person who may not in fact exist.... you get the idea. They were determined not to help me. Contrast this with New Hampshire's service and you get yet another reason to be happy we're living in this state!

baby classes

One of the services our doctor's office offers is a bunch of free classes on pretty much every aspect of prenatal care, birth, and newborn babies. Tonight we went to two classes: one on newborns and one on epidurals and C-sections and the various medication options that come with the various birth options.

Let me tell you, I don't think you could ever create a more compelling argument for natural birth, personally tailored for me, than the epidural/C-section class! They showed pictures of the needles involved, a real c-section, and all sorts of stuff. It was definitely very informative.... and since I'm MORTIFIED of anything to do with needles, took a large number of options off the table in my book.

The good news is that there are milder, much less obtrusive ways to still get some pain relief if it's needed. The guy doing the presentation even made a point to mention that breathing and relaxation techniques totally do the trick for some women, so he advised us all to learn about those and not neglect them!

aha! Critter IS my baby!

We've been finding several things that make it really clear this is Alex's baby--like the fact that eating Chef Boyardee out of the can is suddenly NOT a weird/gross concept to me.

At last, I found one for me!

I went swimming at the lake near my sister's house and it was kind of a chilly day. I was getting in gradually, trying to accustom myself to the water, and everything was fine. I was only getting in the water for the belly-floating properties, or I wouldn't have bothered to face the chill!

Well, I finally just bit the bullet, dunked in to my neck ("it's not even cold afterward!" my mom and sister assured me...), and was instantly freezing--I didn't recover from the shock at all! The funniest part was that the baby instantly got all huddled up under my ribs, so tightly crunched and so far away from the outsides that you could press on my belly and not encounter baby anywhere!

After this I realized I should have known what would happen, since if I have a warm plate of food or a cat on my belly, Critter inevitably cozies right up to the warmest spot. :) Alex is doomed--I have someone on my side for thermostat settings!

maternity clothes that don't suck --hooray!!

Becca (my one-year-old niece) helped me pick this shirt out. I am looking off into the distance in a bizarre way because Alex sometimes takes a million years to actually snap the picture.... so I end up looking distracted and doofy. The shirt is the point of the picture, so kindly ignore the rest. :)

a sign of things to come?

Last night I was laying down with a pillow under my belly and tipped slightly forward in the process of getting comfortable. I was soooo comfortable and totally ready to fall asleep when I got this persistent little nudging (elbow? foot?) where my belly was hitting the pillow and bed. It just kept on nudging.... until I rolled backward a bit and made it so there was absolutely no belly-squashing. Then we were okay and could all go to bed.

I thought it was cute, right? :) BUT it seems to now be a determined trend. Any time something gives slight pressure into the belly, it gets a gentle but determined nudging until it goes away. Alex thought I was exaggerating so he just rested his hand there for a minute.... sure enough, he was told that was not okay. *bump, bump, bump* It's really pretty polite, just doesn't stop until the problem is taken care of.

My goodness, I can admire persistence, but I hope this determination is not entirely going to be a trend! I am not sure how to explain that it's only going to get more cramped from here on out!