Isn't she lovely?

She takes my breath away every day. Her joy and excitement about this whole experience of pregnancy and bringing our daughter into the world is a constant source of wonderment to me. She'll laugh for no reason and smile in wonder every time Kylie hiccups or moves. Yesterday she tickled herself by trying to say 'monogamous magnanimous' over and over and kept getting all tongue tied. She thinks it would be a great name for a Dr. Seuss character (so do I).

Pretty soon we'll be three instead of just us two. But somehow, even with all the love I know I'll have for Kylie, my sweet Wendy will always be my heart.

- Karen
[34w,1d]

Photos and Flowers

On Friday Karen and I went to a photography studio to have our pregnancy photos taken. We took around ten outfits each because we had no idea of what to wear. It looked like we were moving into the place! The photographer has a style that I just love. Here's a photo (not me) to show you their style.

However, to get these beautiful photos, the pregnant gal is basically nude. I was nervous at first. Especially for the first round of pictures which was of me in one of Karen's oversized shirts with the belly poking out and nothing on underneath! But the photographer and assistant had such a lovely, easy-going manner that I was able to relax and enjoy the process.

My favorite part was putting on and wearing this tight mesh tube. It was like having your body completely wrapped in a light-weight ace bandage. When I walked, I had to take itty bitty steps and looked like Morticia Adams. But it really accentuated the belly!

The photographer had Karen wrapped around me, hugging me, nuzzling and kissing me for most of the shots. The photographer would say, "Let me see in your eyes and smiles how much you love each other!" It was so very sweet and loving.

I really recommend having your portrait taken while pregnant. Whatever your body type, if you have a good photographer, you'll leave the shoot feeling beautiful and glowing. And as I told Karen, "I'm just going to pregnant once. I want lots of keepsake photos!"

On Saturday, we had beautiful weather and we spent most of the day in the garden. Karen planted over 40 plants in our backyard. The plants came from a mail-order nursery. Well, I've learned my lesson from ordering plants online. There is an amazing selection but when you get the plants, they are mostly tiny little rootballs. So although we have a large area planted, it still looks like an empty plot of dirt! Oh well, maybe it will actually look like a garden by the time Kylie is five or something.

If anyone has ordered plants this way and has had success, please drop me a line and let me know. Right now I'm a bit discouraged that a) these plants won't live and b) it will take forever for them to grow so c) it was a waste of time, money and effort.

On Sunday I woke up to find several stretch marks had bloomed across my lower belly. I guess I can expect new stretch marks every week from here on out.

Lastly, I'm so tickled to be at 34 weeks. For some reason, I've been really looking forward to hitting this milestone and now that I'm here, I'm pleased as punch! 34 Weeks... WOOHOOO!

-Wendy
[34w, 0d]
[37 Babies R Us visits]

Handicap

I've never been one to use the handicap bathroom stalls in public places. To me, they were like handicapped parking spaces. I leave them open and available for the people who really need them.

But lately I've been giving myself permission to go in there. And I've got to tell you... I love the extra room and the handrails. I love that I can use the handrails to heft myself up.

But I'm jumpy when I'm in there. I'm afraid when I open the bathroom door there will be some bathroom police person writing me up a citation. Or that other women who might be waiting for a stall will stare me down, shake their heads and make that tsk tsk sound under their breath.

Hmm.... I don't think Freud covered this one.

-Wendy
[33w, 3d]

No energy

Today is one of those days where I'm just dragging about with no energy.

And it is so very tempting to reach for some carbs (in the form of chips, or bread, or cookies)to just get an extra boost.

I really need to be writing thank-you notes for our shower gifts but have absolutely no desire to do so.

I had my regular check up at the doctor's office yesterday. Everything looks great. My blood pressure is good at 102/64 and the baby is measuring at 33cm- right where she should for 33 weeks. She's still head down and will probably stay in this position until she is born.

Karen helped me run some errands today. She carried my books for me at the library. She carried Phoebe, the cat, into the vet's office for me for Phoebe's annual exam. She's incredibly sweet to drive me about and fetch and tote stuff. But the independent girl that I am wishes on some days that I could take care of these things on my own.

And dang it all... even knitting is getting difficult. I've been having some tendonitis around my thumbs which is getting worse. It doesn't actually hurt to knit. But a few minutes after I've finished knitting, my thumb joints want to lock up and burn.

Sorry to be so boring and whiny today.

I'll leave you with this interesting note. I dreamed last night that Kylie had grown up and become a chemist. She created a system to filter water through different chemicals to purify it. She could take the nastiest water (even nuclear waste water) and clean it without any residual affects. I have no idea what this dream might mean but it was cool to see her as a grown, passionate, incredibly intelligent woman.

-Wendy
[33w,2d]

Baby shower

Yesterday was our baby shower!



We had 16 smiling guests at our house from 2:00 until around 4:00. We had women we know from our Jazzercise class, women we know from PLOP and some of our best friends. We snacked on crab cakes, mini quiches, cheese ball, banana bread and scrumptious chocolate cake.

Our guests guessed on when they think Kylie will be born and how much they think she will weigh. We plan to give the "winner" a Starbucks gift card. The dates people guessed are: 4/23, 4/26, 4/27 (2 votes), 4/28, 4/29, 4/30, 5/1, 5/3 (3 votes), 5/4, 5/5 (2 votes), 5/6 and 5/17 (gasp!). My due date is 5/1. We'll just have to wait and see who wins.

We racked up on presents for Kylie. We ended up with 14 blankets, 10 outfits, 8 books, lots of bathtime supplies and plenty of toys. If you are interested, you can see pictures of all of the presents here.

Our good friend Heather bought us this beautiful cake, wrote down the list of presents and helped us clean up afterwards. Thanks Heather!

Karen asked me what was the best part of the shower for me. I told her that I loved having so many guests in the house and loved reading all of the cards. The cards were filled with such love and such blessings for both Karen and I and Kylie.

At the end of the day, my face hurt from smiling and laughing and my ankles were swollen but I wouldn't have changed a single moment. It was simply perfect!

For more party pictures, click here.

-Wendy
[33w, 0d]

Music

Please tell me that I'm not the only pregnant person who has fretted over the fact that I haven't played the Biscuit ANY Mozart or Vivaldi. I have this image that I should be sitting in the nursery, rocking in our new glider, listening to Mozart while sending soothing, loving, brain-stimulating waves to Kylie.

Instead, the only music she's heard so far are billboard top hits. I've been Jazzercising (and she's been bouncing around) to the likes of Christina Aguilera, Bob Sinclair, Beyonce, and Shakira played at top volumes. Eeekk....what have I done to my child?

However, I will say that anytime I start to stress about Kylie's well being, I'll hear a little voice in my head. This little voice says, "Relax Mom. I'm doing just fine". In fact, she's been "saying" this to me since she started living in my body.

It's no wonder to me then that "Kylie's song" is "Have a Little Faith In Me" by John Hiatt.

I played this song when I would get scared about losing her in the first trimester, when I would freak out about birth defects in the second trimester, and when I've worried about her gaining too much weight in the third.

I do have faith in you baby.

And believe me... you can have faith in me too.

-Wendy
[32w,3d]

Presents

My Mom sent some presents for me to open during our baby shower. But I simply had to open them today. I LOVE to get mail and two packages of baby stuff was simply irresistable. She sent me a onesie, a blanket and teddy, Kylie stickers, nursing pads and some lovely organic baby care supplies. Thanks Mom!






-Wendy
[32w,2d]

Note to self

Do not e-v-e-r call your pregnant wife with gestational diabetes "sugar lump" and expect it to be received as a wonderful endearment. {wink, wink}

- Karen
[32w,1d]

Crazy cats and spring cleaning

I had several mischievous snickers and snorts yesterday. I rearranged furniture in my family room in preparation for our baby shower this Sunday. Now normally this is a fairly mundane activity. What made it so fun was watching my two cats freak out.

You see, my cats have what I call an "attack run" for each room of the house. An attack run is where they can tear across and circuit a room without actually touching the floor. The run and leap across the furniture at top speeds.

But when you move their furniture, they give you this look like, "Holy Crap! What have you done!" And then they start trying to find the perfect "new" attack run. So I had quite a time watching them tear about with freaked-out wide eyes and bushy tails. What can I say...It doesn't take much to amuse me.

I also rearranged our food pantry. Don't ask me why. I really don't think that our shower guests will stick their noses into our food pantry and yet I felt compelled to clean and rearrange it. Do you think this constitutes nesting or spring cleaning? Anyway, I'm glad I did it. There was a bunch of expired canned food in there!

I also bought two spring/summer maternity dresses. I'm getting to the point where I don't want any clothes touching my belly, even light and soft stuff. I would post pictures of the dresses but my official picture taker, Karen, is in Dallas this week at a large conference. Last night, there was a western-themed reception at the conference and someone took her picture with two of her colleagues. Doesn't Karen (in the middle) look fabulous?

I think I'm over the worst of my cold/allergies. I still have a stuffy head but it's much better. And I managed to get some sleep last night. I'm only getting about one night of good sleep per week and I treasure it! Other nights, I'm awake with pregnancy-insomnia for 2-4 hours.

I'm still doing well with my glucose levels. But I'll confide this yucky tidbit. When you draw your own blood four+ times a day, it starts to show up in your dreams. Almost all of my dreams have blood in them now. Eeewwww.

And another interesting tidbit about my restricted diet is that I'm not gaining any weight. I haven't gained any weight in a month. But it feels to me like the baby is gaining some weight and mass (because the belly is growing bigger) and that I'm losing it.

Lastly, because my belly is getting bigger, I'm more aware of people's looks and stares at me. It doesn't bother me at all. Yet many times I wonder, as I'm passing people by, if I'm waling past someone who is struggling with infertility. And I wonder if my baby belly causes them a bit of heartache. It makes me count my blessings and say a quick prayer for anyone out there who desperately wants a child.

-Wendy
[32w,1d]

Waddle and sniff

These days my walk resembles E.T. The Extraterrestrial's.

My head is too stuffy to even think of anything clever to blog. I'll leave you with today's belly picture. Note the red nose, bleary eyes and very pale skin. What's even scarier is that I thought I was smiling for this shot.

This picture's caption could be:
"How in the hell did I get this big?" or
"How many more weeks until I can swig down some Nyquil?" or
"Why didn't anyone tell me about reduced bladder control and really hard sneezes?"

If you have a funny caption for today's photo, please leave it in the comments.

-Wendy
[31w,3d]

Baby video and little boy smiles

The February issue of Babytalk magazine has a great article on the Dunstan Baby Language DVD. Did you happen to see Priscilla Dunstan on Oprah? I did and was so impressed with her that I had to buy her DVD.

If you aren't familiar with Priscilla Dunstan, she has identified five cries that a newborn makes during the first three months of his/her life. She teaches you how to identify the cries so that you know what your baby needs. The five cries are:
I'm hungry = Neh
I'm tired= Owh
Burp me=Eh
I'm uncomfortable=Heh
I have low gas=Eairh

The system was fun to learn. Karen and I got to practice recently at a family restaurant. There was a very young baby nearby who was starting to cry. She very clearly made the "neh" sound. Karen and I grinned at each other and said, "Hungry!". Of course, the real proof will be whether or not this training helps us quickly decipher Kylie's cries once she's born.

But mostly I was impressed with Priscilla's story. She is a former classical musician in Australia who has a "photographic memory" for sound. She created the system by interpreting her newborn son's sounds and then tested the system with over 1,000 babies before creating the DVD. What a cool thing for a stay-at-home mom to do!

The DVD is a bit pricey (at $60 in you live in the States) but overall I'm pleased with the purchase. And if it works, I'll be happy to loan the DVD out to new parents who live in our area. If you want more information about Priscilla and her DVD, you can find it here.

And if you've used the systsem with your little one, please let me know how it worked for you.

In other news, I've had a stuffy head with runny nose for the past two days. I think it might be allergies rather than a cold. I'm hoping it will clear up soon. And little Elijah loved his scarf. Hurray! The smile in the picture his mom sent to me made all the work worthwhile.


-Wendy
[31w,2d]

Harry Potter Scarf

Knitting is my thing. I love, love, love it and spend a lot of time with it. But occasionally, it gets me into some trouble.

This latest project is an excellent example. My childbirth educator called me up last Thursday. She told me that her son's birthday was coming up on Tuesday (today) and that he was a huge Harry Potter fan. For his birthday, she actually sewed him a mock invisibility cloak (how cool is that!!). And she asked me if I could knit her son a Hogwarts scarf.

Well I was so tickled to be asked that I immediately said "Yes" if she would buy the yarn. She gave me the yarn late Thursday night. She asked what she could pay me and I waved her off and told her that I would knit it for her and her son as a gift.

Since then, I have been a knitting-obsessed crazy person. You might ask yourself, "What does a crazy knitter look like?" Well, she will say things like, "I really need to pee but first I need to finish this row" or "I'm really hungry but first I need to finish this section". And she will knit like the wind from morning until night with a glazed look on her face.

She will measure the time it takes to knit a row and a section and then do all kinds of weird math in her head in order to calculate how many more hours she has to knit before she can go to bed. When she finally lies down at night, she will have ice packs on her swollen, pregnant wrists. And when she sleeps, she will snort and whimper and say things like "knit one more" in her sleep.

What made this project particularly challenging was the fact that I decided to knit a tube in the round and sew up the ends rather than knit a plain stockinette scarf. I wanted this smooth look and didn't want the scarf edges to curl. Perfectionism and a four-day timeline are not happy bedfellows.

But I am so pleased to show you my finished Harry Potter scarf.

I am going to ask that the Mom NOT let her son see the scarf or open the gift in my presence. If he ignores it or doesn't like the scarf; if he gets it filthy dirty or tries to flush it down the toilet, I might end up having a Linda Blair Exorcist moment. I choose to stay in the happy bubble of my own imagination where the boy absolutely adores it and wears it until he leaves to go to college.

PS - I know that in the later movies, the Hogwarts scarves look different. Yet the little birthday boy is still only watching the early movies and wanted a scarf like this.


-Wendy
[31w, 1d]

Silly Me

Karen and I took our last Bradley method class on Thursday night. Kimberly, a postpartum doula, came and gave a great presentation on swaddling, diapers, and baby carriers. She had a wide variety of carriers to show us. Poor thing...I peppered her with questions and tried on each kind of carrier several times. You should have seen my hair after trying all those carriers on! I finally decided on the Kangaroo Korner pouch.

I then convinced my sweet wife to buy me a cheap babydoll so that I could practice putting a baby in the sling. I tell you... I can be so crazy sometimes! I think this picture captures my incredulity and delight both with the pouch and the practicing.


I'm also jonesing for the Baby Hawk carriers but am going to wait a bit before getting one.

I had a decent night's sleep last night. At it feels like the baby is having a growth spurt today. I've followed this pattern several times. I'll have interrupted sleep for several nights in a row (awake 2-4 hours in the middle of the night) and then one great night of sleep. After the great night, my belly feels stretched all day.

-Wendy
[30w,5d]

Bread!

Well, I've been testing my blood four times a day and monitoring my diet for 9 days now. And it's been enlightening.

Sweets, of course, are out the window. No cakes, cookies, chocolate, ice cream, etc. - even in moderation.
So are any kind of chips.
But I've also lost bread! I didn't realize how much I crave bread.

I've had three evenings where when I tested two hours after dinner, my glucose reading was 20 - 30 points above acceptable. And bread was to blame each time. So bread has been cut out of my diet. And I'm shocked at how much I miss it!

So these days, I'm practically living on power bars. My favorites are the Zone power bars and Balance power bars. And I've spent over $50 buying boxes of bars of every conceivable flavor (except the nasty fruit ones). I have a sinking suspicion that I'm going to be very, very tired of power bars before the first of May.

I have a new level of great admiration for diabetics.

In other news, we have our last Bradley childbirth class tomorrow night. I'm soooo glad that we signed up for an 8 week course instead of a 12 week course. I'm excited about tomorrow night's class because a doula we know will be bringing different kinds of baby slings for us to try.

But it's killing me that I'm going to miss the "live" version of Grey's Anatomy! We are going to DVR it so we can watch it when get home. Is anyone else freaking out that they might actually kill Meredith Grey? I'm convinced that they are going to "bring her back" but there's this small niggling doubt chewing away at my certainty. Makes me want to chew my nails (particuarly since I can't chew BREAD!!)

-Wendy
[30w, 2d]
[36 Babies R Us visits]

I've decided

It hits me like a bucket of ice-cold water.

Yesterday it was, "Oh my gosh! You are so huge! I can't believe you have 2 months to go. You are so big!"

Today it was, "You are going to need a crane just to get around soon" and "It looks like you are carrying twins".

Sigh.

Two excellent reasons why your parents told you to THINK before you SPEAK.

What in the hell are these people that I hardly know thinking when they say something like that to me? To any pregnant person? Do they walk around to other people and say, "Wow, you're fat" or "Geesh, you're old and wrinkled"?

If they could look inside my life, they would know that I already worry about the size of my belly and baby (particularly with gestational diabetes.) They would see that I make good food decisions and I already track everything that I eat (and I'm not overeating but that's beside the point).

But most importantly, if they looked in my eyes, they would SEE how much a comment like that HURTS my feelings. They would see the pain they just unintentionally inflicted.

So here is your Miss Manners tip for the day--
If you want to comment on a pregnant woman's belly say:
"You're radiant".....instead of "You look ready to pop"
"You're carrying really well".....instead of "There doesn't look like there's anymore room" or
"You grow more lovely every day".....instead of "I only gained 10 pounds with my pregnancy".

So.

I've decided.

I've decided that anytime someone splashes me with the cold water of their unkind comments, that I will make penetrating yet soft eye contact with them and say in my deepest and softest voice,

"I feel beautiful"

Because I do. I feel beautiful.

-Wendy
[30w, 0d]

Weekend News

Karen and I saw a movie at a theater this weekend. I involuntarily snorted with laughter several times. Not a pretty sound! Of course, snorting made me laugh even more, and then I would have a little coughing fit, and then I would have to go to the bathroom. Ah... the joys!

I'm still having a bit of pain from my thumb to my wrist. It's worse while I sleep and first thing in the morning. I believe it's caused by some light tendonitis. Karen's sister, Amy, taught me some PT exercises which are really helping. It's not really slowing me down. And I think I've finally got over my cold! I'm just really greatful I didn't get the nasty flu bug that's been going around.

My sweet Dad sent me some baby gifts:

He sent these three bears. Note that each bear has his own tie! I guess Dad thought we needed a little male bear energy in the house.

He also sent this adorable sleeper

And this funny book

Thank you Dad!

I finished this cuddly, hooded baby sweater.

Yarn: Berroco Plush - 100% nylon
Needles: Size 10 circular & dpns
Pattern: Baby, Baby from the book "Minnies" by Jil Eaton
This was a great pattern. If I knit a sweater for someone else's child, this would be the pattern I would choose.

Hope you are having a great weekend!

-Wendy
[29w, 6d]

Nothing Much

Isn't this wonderful?.....
I had my hair cut yesterday from my gay hairdresser, Mark. As I was getting shampooed, another hairdresser announced, "Happy Anniversary" to Mark. Turns out he and his partner have been together THIRTY years. I think that's a heck of an achievement! Mark's eyes sparkled as he spoke about his mate and how they met on Valentine's Day. Doesn't that make you just want to thumb your nose at anyone who thinks we "can't" or "shouldn't" marry?


Karen and I got our shower invitations (the picture has been modified to exclude our last name and address and such). Neither one of us has had any kind of shower before. We've been kind of tickled at how excited we are. It's been fun to hand out and mail the invitations.

Hopefully I'll beat the head cold that's been plaguing me for a week in time for us to go to our PLOP event this Sunday. Cheers for now.

-Wendy
[29w, 3d]

Valentine's Day

Feel free to laugh at this picture! A few days ago, Karen and I had our car seat installed by our lovely local firemen. There is an Oregon child seat safety program where you can get a check up to ensure your seat is properly installed. We had a very nice fireman teach us all the things to check for when putting your baby into her car seat. Since then, I've had a bit of fun practicing with Kylie's stuffed froggy.

Here are some photos to finish today's post. Feel free to click on the picture to see a bigger view.

Two new outfits for Kylie



A beautiful three-diamond necklace from Karen for Valentine's Day. (The three diamonds symbolize Kylie, me and Karen).


My 29 week belly picture


And a naked belly shot!

Anyone want to guess how long it will be until the belly button pops out?

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!
-Wendy
[29w, 2d]

Happiness Is

Happiness is....

Karen tying my aerobic shoes for Jazzercise because bending over is just too hard to do.

Me buying a cat bed to put on our dining room bar. The bar is Chloe's favorite spot in the house but she insists on sitting on something like our purses or our mail or a dishcloth so we thought hey... let's put her a cat bed there and see if she likes it. I know this makes her one incredibly spoiled kitten but seeing her smile and purr made it so worth it. (I'll try to get a picture later.)

Feeling the baby kick and

The freedom to take naps!

By the way, we had our appointment with the nutritionist today. It went fine but I was really glad I had done so much reading beforehand. I got my blood glucose machine and learned how to use a lancet to draw my blood. I'll be doing four sticks a day.

Thank you to everyone for your supportive comments and good vibes!

-Wendy
[29w,1d]

Gestational Diabetes

Yep. I have it.

I got the results from my three-hour glucose test. If you are interested in such things, here are the numbers:
Fasting 83 (< 105 is normal)
1 hour 230 (<180 is normal)
2 hour 167 <155 is normal)
3 hour 72 (<145 is normal)

And how did I react?

Well at first my reactions were all over the place. I felt guilty for every sweet thing I've eaten. But mostly I felt angry. Because I've worked really hard for many years to maintain a healthy lifestyle. For a long time, I've watched what I eat. I routinely exercise 2 - 5 times a week. I deal with stress in a healthy manner... and so forth and so on.

So I was angry that I was slapped with this "unfair" and "unhealthy" label.

Then I was worried. Would this mean an induced labor? Would that lead to an epidural? Would that lead to a c-section? Would that lead to a slow recovery? Would this affect breastfeeding? Would I still be diabetic after delivery? And so on.

So I did a very "Wendy" thing. I went to the bookstore and bought three books about diabetes. I wanted to get informed as quickly as possible and research is my way of getting a handle on things. I'm really glad I did.

I now feel prepared (and not pissy, defiant, sulky and rebellious like I was initially) for my meeting with my nutritionist on Tuesday. I'll be issued a meter which I'll use to check my sugar levels throughout the day and I get to start using it on Valentines Day. (I won't even issue a comment about the irony of that!)

So, I'm ready to be even more vigilant about my diet so that I'll stay healthy and hopefully the baby won't gain too much weight. For those of you who don't know, one outcome of gestational diabetes is that the baby gains a lot of weight. Instead of a 7 pound baby, I could end up with a 9, 10, 11, or 12 pound baby. If the baby is bigger, she and I could have a more difficult labor. This sometimes means an induced labor at 39 weeks and many times means a c-section.

I'm committed to sharing my progress with you, my blog family. At first I thought about keeping this diagnosis just among family members. But hell... I haven't done anything wrong so there is no need for me to hide it. And who knows, maybe we will all learn something or be entertained along the way.

If you are reading this long post, please keep this picture in mind. Karen and I are still visualizing a natural childbirth with no complications. We're holding a picture of us laboring at home for quite a while, a good transition at the hospital with no risk factors for me or the baby, and a very healthy Kylie laid immediately on my belly after birth. Wish us luck!

-Wendy
[29w,0d]

Special moment and favorite place

Each night when I get up to go to the bathroom, I'll pause to look at my silhouette. My shadow is cast onto a wall from the faint night light in our bathroom. Without my contacts, the image is very fuzzy. The silhouette allows me to take in the beauty of my growing belly without the criticism that can arise from looking in a mirror. I call this special moment my "hidden delight". It makes me want to grab my paintbrush and paint this line from my shadow onto my bathroom wall.

It's Photo Friday again and this week's theme (given by Erstellen Mutterschaft's blog) is "Your Favorite Place".

One of my favorite places in Portland is the Japanese Garden. Its meticulous beauty makes my soul sing. Every viewpoint is photo-beautiful. Here's a snapshot:


There's a place in the garden where you turn a corner in the path and find this lovely stone bench which looks out onto a beautiful greenspace and a trickling waterfall. This is one of my favorite places.


Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

-Wendy
[28w,4d]
[35 Babies R Us visits]

Hiccups

Kylie woke me up this morning at 4:00am with hiccups. This is the first time I've felt her have them. It was hard not to giggle in bed. I wasn't able to go back to sleep and now feel like a zombie but it was worth it.

Here's the latest picture at 28 weeks (my back is really beginning to sway). And for grins I've uploaded each week's picture to Flickr. You can check it out here if you are so inclined.

Still waiting to hear from the doctor about my glucose and iron tests.


-Wendy
[28w,1d]

You know this is your pediatrician when. . .

. . .she asks your knitting-obsessed wife if "she felts". We stopped in to check out a pediatrician's office we had on our list and to set up an interview with the doc this afternoon. While chatting with the receptionist, the doctor happened to walk out and say she'd be happy to visit with us then as she wasn't busy at the moment. We had a wonderful visit with her and she did/said all the "right" things...in particular, she was very animated and expressive as she spoke with us. The practice is comprised of only this doctor and her partner so we really liked the small office personality of the place.

As we were leaving, the doctor saw Wendy's purse (which Wendy had knitted for herself) and asked Wendy if "she felts". Now, for you non-knitters (like me), you may be a bit mystified by this question. However, Wendy gasped with delight and proudly said that yes, she had felted that purse herself. Felting, as my layperson's defintion has it, is throwing the thing you knitted into the washer after you finish knitting it so that it shrinks up and looks more like a solid piece vs. an actual knitted item (yes, there's a more technical definition, but hopefully you get the idea). Anyway, Wendy and the doc proceed to have this lovefest about how they both love to knit and the doc is even a "spinner" (spins her own yarn from wool/alpaca/cotton or whatever).

So...guess who's our new pediatrician? Dr. Knits-A-Lot! Hallelujah!

- Karen
[28w,0d]

Weekend News

Friday I had an OB appointment. I'm measuring right where I should be - 28cm for 28 weeks- and my blood pressure is good at 102/64. I had my blood drawn to check for gestational diabetes and anemia. I should get the results today or tomorrow.

Then we had some leisure time at our nearby Starbucks. We LOVE to sip our decaf coffees and read and hang out there. I'm reading "Diaper-Free Before 3" by J. Lekovic which Stacey & Angele recommended. And I'm reading "Good In Bed" by Jennifer Weiner which is frivolous and fun.

Saturday we made our requisite Babies R Us visit where we bought this adorable bouncing Tigger that sings the Tigger song.


Then we went to Pottery Barn Kids where we purchased their fantastic large wooden blocks.


And I finished this cardigan for Kylie.


It was incredibly fast and easy to knit (neck down and no seaming!). I picked a bright apple green yarn to balance all the pink outfits we have. The buttons are little ladybugs. I'm certain I will knit another one of these soon except next time I'll make the sweater a bit longer and the button holes a bit smaller. You can read the knitterly facts here.

Sunday we slept late and had brunch at Denny's. You've gotta love all the grease and carbs they have there for just $5.00. At one point during the meal, I looked over at Karen and said, "Soak this in. It won't be too long before sleeping late and eating out on a whim are distant memories". But we just smiled together. It's hard to be nostalgic for the past when we are so looking forward to meeting Kylie.

Later we spent some time with friends Jeff and Heather and their son Ethan. J & H gave us even more hand-me-downs such as some burp cloths, baby socks, bottles, an outfit, a Boppy and an infant bathtub. They've been incredibly generous with us.

And they even had presents from Jeff's Mom. She gave us two outfits, a bunny and a frame. You can see these gifts here. What a sweet lady!

And last but not least, we had chili and chips & dip and fruit salad with friends Jozette and Michelle and their 15 month old daughter Jillian while pretending to watch the Super Bowl.

All in all, it was a great weekend!

-Wendy
[28w,0d]
[33 Babies R Us visits]

Two memes at once

It's been a while since I've played along with Erstellen Mutterschaft's Photo Friday. This week's theme is sofa love.



Here I am, 7 weeks pregnant in September, knitting a hat for baby Ethan while plopped on our media room's leather sofa. Note the knitting lamp I'm peering around, the three remote controls to the television system, the two cushy pillows, and the two bottles of lotion on the nearby stand (we are big on night-time foot massages in our house!).

If you were to surprise me with a visit, this is what our couch would look like--in all its comfy glory.

The second meme I thought I would answer is Two Sharp Sticks "how did you learn to knit" question.

I learned to knit the summer of 2004 when I was 33 years old. I had recently moved from Tennessee to Portland, Oregon and had quit my full time career to become a stay-at-home housewife. I was really struggling with "how to stay busy". I met my friend Suzi at a nearby Starbucks with ugly plastic needles and ugly yarn and she showed me the knit stitch. I had tried to learn to knit from a book with disastrous results. As she showed me how to knit, I was jumping up and down with frequent, happy exclamations.

At one point, another Starbucks guest stopped by the table and had to ask, "What the heck are you so excited about?"

"I learning to KNIT!!!!" I exclaimed.

And a joyful little knitter was born. I still have my first knitted scarf with its horrible, hole-ridden, uneven stitches. I keep it to show new knitters what new knitting looks like and to remind myself how far my knitting has come.

PS- The second meme is a contest and if I was fortunate enough to win, I would like any of the knitting books offered except the "Men In Knits" book. If you read my blog, you know why.

-Wendy
[27w,5d]

Round ligament pain or Braxton Hicks

I'll be able to feel the difference between round ligament pain and Braxton Hicks contractions, right?

I walked around a lot on Monday and felt the usual tightening pull of the ligaments on my right side. But a couple of times, it seemed that my belly got tight and hard as well. A couple of times I would stop and rub/shake my belly as if to say "loosen up in there!" It was only later that I thought hmmm..... wonder if that was a Braxton Hicks.

I'm pretty sure I'll be able to feel the difference but wanted to put it out to you all to get your thoughts on it.

I haven't noticed any hiccups from the baby (something to look forward to!) And I seem to be getting used to turning from side to side in bed at night. I'm not grunting or rocking the bed as much and I'm able to fall back asleep more quickly. Of course, as soon as I write this I'll have another growth surge and this will change.

I do notice that I'm breathing deeper (and more noisily!) throughout the day and particularly at night. Have you seen the movie "Ghostbusters"? There's a scene where Sigorney Weaver, who is possessed with some dog demon, is sleeping on her bed and is sort of panting and gasping. Karen says that this is what I sound like when I'm asleep at night. And then I'll take a couple of long breaths in a row and then go back to panting. And many times I'll gasp myself awake. Not a pretty picture nor sound!! I told Karen that if it keeps up, I'll get her some earplugs.

-Wendy
[27w,2d]

Visit from Karen's parents

Karen's parents are visiting us from Tennessee. They arrived on Saturday night and will be with us most of the week.

Karen's mom gave us this pretty plaque right when she got off the plane. It's from Karen's sister Amy. Thanks Amy! It's beautiful!



It feels great to be in the last week of the second trimester.

-Wendy
[27w,0d]

Ring of fire

Last night we had another Bradley Childbirth class (4 down, 4 to go). In class, we learned about the second stage of labor or the pushing stage. There was lots of discussion about how some women's parts are blissfully numb while others experience the "ring of fire" (lots of burning sensation) when the baby's head is crowning.

I've heard the phrase "ring of fire" before. But last night was one of those times when you inexplicably get the giggles over something silly.

You see, it hit me where I've heard the phrase "ring of fire" before. From the movie "Finding Nemo"! There's a scene where Nemo is being initiated into the "bonds of tankhood" so that he can be part of the club with the other fishes in the dentist's fish tank. Bloat, a pufferfish, announces with this booming voice, "You can be part of us...if you swim through....The Ring of Fire!!"

And the other fishes are doing this tribal chant. Something like "za-who-wha-hey-ya-ho-ho-ho" over and over as part of Nemo's initiation.

So in the Bradley class, every time someone would say "ring of fire", I would have to bite my tongue to keep from snickering and snorting with laughter. I just have this image of Karen and the nurses doing the tribal chant while the doctor screams, "Ring of Fire!" as my baby's head crowns.

Even as I write this, I'm giggling. Yep. I'm so weird that way. Karen is just shaking her head at me.

-Wendy
[26w, 4d}

Enabling the addict

I'm an enabler. Yes, I admit it. I realize, even as I do it, it is pure folly to encourage the addict in her habit, but I just can't help myself. My partner is a knit-o-holic. It's bad...very bad. She must have at least 2-3 projects on the needles at a time as one at a time just won't do. She must have "stash" - the knitters term for the miles and piles of extra yarn they keep in every available cubby hole in the house...just in case. And heaven forbid should she have a project in mind that she wants to start and not be able to get the pattern and yarn needed for said project within 20 seconds of having decided upon it!

So, here's where I come in. I drive my love all over town seeking the exact knitting book, pattern and yarn she wants. I wait in the car, playing Bejeweled on my cell phone (geesh, I love that little game), and hope that when she returns she has found what she wants. I then drive her cute, smiling, and utterly blissed out little self home so she can pull out her yarn winder thingie (I'm sure there's a technical name for that contraption, but heck if I know what it is!) and gets her skeins of yarns turned into nice knitting-friendly little balls.

Let's look at how this addiction and my enabling of it has played out over the past few days.

Tuesday:
About 3pm Wendy coyly kisses my neck and says "I think I'll go over to the Knitting Bee. Wanna drive me?". This is followed by further nuzzling and purring noises. "Of course!", I respond with enthusiasm. And off we go.

We arrive and Wendy hops out to go fondle the goods and make her purchase(s) and I fire up Bejeweled. My game is barely underway (only about 5 minutes have passed) when I'm startled by the car door opening and Wendy climbing back in. One look at her and I snap shut my cell phone and ask "didn't you find what you wanted?". She looked as if both our cats had died and the world was on the verge of destruction (really, I'm not kidding). "I'll just go over to the Naked Sheep tomorrow. I know she'll have what I want there. It's probably too late to go there now since the traffic will be so bad trying to get across town.", she says with a very heavy sigh.

My first thought was "cool...now we can go get an early dinner"...but somehow I knew that wasn't the best choice of response. I gently said, "I'm happy to take you over there. As long as we're together, traffic will be fine. How else are we going to spend the late afternoon?". She put up a perfunctory refusal but eventually I wore her down (notice how I take responsibility for this!) and off we went - across town, thru rush hour traffic - to her beloved Naked Sheep Knit Shop.

We arrived, she went in and I went back to my Bejeweled game and after a decently respectable passing of time, she emerged. This was a different Wendy! She was all smiles and clutching her purchases, which she informed me were *exactly* what she'd been looking for. And, glory of glories, she got herself a new canvas Naked Sheep tote bag (it was on sale after all). She proudly showed me what she had bought, stroking the yarn and holding up the new tote for me to oooo and ahhh over (which I did). Then, with a blissful sigh, she says "I sooooo needed that fix!". She was perfectly content on the drive home and commented on how it was so wonderful that I indulged her habit.

I just smiled...after all....I'm an enabler.

Wednesday:
It's after 6pm. We've eaten dinner and are sitting in our office blog surfing and checking email when she squeals with delight. She just found a new knitter-blogger site that has this "darlin' little baby sweater" pattern that she's just got to make! A quick check of the Powell's website and the book containing the pattern is located at the Powell's location on Hawthorne. "Wanna go for a ride?", she purrs at me. Even though I know I'm about to be driving the get-away vehicle for the 2nd time in as many days, I take the bait, "Sure...where do you wanna go?". The plan was to go to Powell's and get the book and then swing into the Yarn Garden (which just happens to also be on Hawthorne) to hunt the yarn she'll need. Off we go! Book is procured, and Yarn Garden is searched. Unfortunately the exact yarn she wanted wasn't there but the book she bought had several additional cool patterns in it, so she was able to say "well...I'll just order the exact yarn I want online...that way I'll be sure to get just the perfect thing".

I just smiled (and drove us home)...after all....I'm an enabler.

For those of you who don't live with a knitter, you don't know what you're missing. But, let me warn you - should the one you love take up the art of knitting, I can pretty much guarantee that you'll be an enabler too.

- Karen
[26w,3d]

Nursery pictures

Our changing table/dresser was delivered yesterday. It was fun to put our burp cloths and blankets and baby socks in their rightful drawers. I also spiffed up the toy chest and closet.

All of you nursery voyeurs... enjoy!!








-Wendy
[26w, 2d]
[32 Babies R Us visits]

Who is the warm one?

During a plethora of Sunday night television shows, including Rome, The L Word, Desperate Housewives, and Battlestar Galactica, I was able to finish knitting these fingerless gloves for Karen.

This pregnancy has really affected my body temperature. Karen used to be the "warm one" and I was the "cool one" but our roles have reversed. These days, I'll run around the house with just a t-shirt on and the heat cranked down, while Karen is stuck wearing both a turtleneck and sweatshirt just to stay warm. Many times, I'll reach down to hold her hand and find that her fingers are chilly. So I whipped up these handwarmers for her. Aren't they lovely? Pattern and yarn information can be found here.

I have to add that last night was a bit of a hard night. I awoke at 1:30am feeling extremely nauseous and very sweaty. It didn't pass for at least an hour and then started up again at around 5:00am. And then this morning, after my Jazzercise class, the nausea hit me again. It felt very similar to the constant pukey feeling during the first trimester so I'm thinking that my hormones just kicked in to high gear or something. Or my body didn't like that mexican food for dinner. Or perhaps I was fighting a bug. But last night in my panicked, "I'm going to throw up" mode, I was convinced that it was food poisoning. Good grief, wouldn't that be awful! And then I started worrying about failing my upcoming glucose test. How about you? Did any of you experience these type of symptoms in your second or third trimesters?

-Wendy
[26w,0d]

99 Days!

Tomorrow I'll be at 26 weeks and we will have 99 days of pregnancy remaining! Hurray! It's great to be in the double digits.


To celebrate I bought these two cute dolls. The one on the left is a ballerina fairy and the one on the right is a pink-haired mermaid. They have the sweetest embroidered faces. I've had my eyes on them for months. Kylie won't be able to play with them until she is at least three but I just really wanted a couple of dolls in her room. Of course, my next toy purchase will be a plastic tool box complete with tools. I'm an equal-opportunity, gender non-specific toy giver!



-Wendy
[25w,6d]
[31 Babies R Us visits]

A bit of pampering

I treated myself to a bit of pampering yesterday and had a manicure/pedicure. Oh my! I went to the Coldwater Creek Spa and was it ever decadent! The manicure was good but the pedicure was an absolute sensation. They put a hot wrap around my neck, a cooling compress over my eyes, put a wonderful smooshie pillow behind my back, covered me with a warm blanket and laid me back in a zero gravity chair....heaven! I vaguely remember the time passing and 45 minutes later, my "nail therapist" had to nudge me to tell me it was over.

I picked out a fairly opaque color, called Negligee (don't you love that?!?), for my fingernails and a hot red for my toes called Hollywood. Cute, huh?



Cute, huh? :) I can't wait for Kylie, Wendy and I to all go have a girl's day out someday in the future and all get our nails done together!

- Karen
[25w,4d]
[29 Babies R Us visits]

I'm Jazzin' again!

Today was my first time back to Jazzercise after my UI (this is how I will refer to my heart attack from now on....UI or "unfortunate incident"). It's been almost a month and I have to admit that I was missing my regular Jazzercise workouts badly. I saw my primary care physician on Friday (Jan. 12) and she said she wasn't ready to say I could start back and that she wanted me to wait and see my cardiologist (next week on the 23rd) before giving it a go. However, in my infinite wisdom, I decided that she was just being overly cautious and that surely if my UI didn't kill me, a little low-impact Jazzercise shouldn't hurt!

So, I gave it a go...and am so happy I did! It felt great! I've been pretty much inactive these 3 weeks since the UI so I wasn't sure how I'd do, but I stayed with low-impact moves and was able to work up a good sweat without getting out of breath or feeling any ill effects...yea!

I think I've been the victim of a bad case of conflicting wants. I wanted to go to Jazzercise AND I wanted to lay off and let my heart heal/recover. So, what do you do when you have two things you want but they conflict? Well, you choose. And for the last 3+ weeks, I've chosen to lay off. But, the thing about conflicting wants is that they have a lot of conditions attached to them many times that help make the choice between two things easier. My desire to go back to Jazzercise had a couple of conditions: I don't die while doing it (the primary condition!) and I don't hurt myself or cause damage while doing it. It's amazing how much I have feared another UI or doing anything that might damage my heart further or hinder my recovery in any way. And the fear has been almost paralyzing. I don't think I really allowed myself to really grab onto the fear and let it show visibly, but my actions (or inactions) have demonstrated it was there. But, the fears and the conditions finally became secondary and I decided to just go for it...and made a choice to go.

So, this is a big day! I'm Jazzin' again and felt really, really good! Wendy and I had a blast whooping and yee-hawing our way through the workout and our instructor even played a few of my favorite songs to welcome me back. Of course, I think she also made sure the defib unit was ready just in case. ;)

I hope everyone's day, like mine, held a little victory for you somewhere along the line no matter how small.

- Karen

[25w,3d]

When did that happen?

Lately I've found myself supporting my weight often. When I put on undies, pants, socks or shoes, I'll rest one hand on my dresser for extra support. When did this start happening? I used to be able to bring my foot up to my belly button, while balancing easily on the other leg to put on a sock. It was a dancer-like skill that came to me as easily as brushing my hair. Now all of a sudden, I'm clutching on to furniture to do the simplest of moves. Hmmmm.....

I've also become addicted to rubbing my belly in circles. I rub it all the time! Who knew that rubbing my belly could be so dang soothing? Or so publicly acceptable? I have to tell you that I'm already dreading the loss of this wonderful sensation once the baby is born. Maybe I'll start a national campaign with a slogan like, "Women! Pat your bellies! It feels friggin' awesome!" or something like that. I mean if men can publicly "adjust themselves" we should be able to give our lovely bellies a little circular pat. Who knows? It might start a wave of renewed self-esteem in women. We would no longer eschew our bellies with sighs of remorse but rather give them loving little pats. (Go ahead and pat your belly for a minute right now. It will make you smile.)

Lastly, my forgetful placenta-brain has reached a new level. Early in the pregnancy, I could remember at any moment the items on my to-do list...I just had no real desire to do them. Now, I can't even remember what's on the list. This results in me walking around in a daze and occasionally telling Karen, "I think I've forgotten something. I just have no idea what it is".

I can hear you saying, "Write down your to-do list so that you don't forget". Nope. Don't want to do that either. I'll have the thought, "You should write that down" but it's quickly followed by an "Who cares?' attitude or my new favorite phrase, "I don't give a fig". It's really quite liberating for this former over-organizing queen! Don't know when this happened, but I'm enjoying it.

-Wendy
[25w,2d]

Snow

No haircut for me today because we have snow!

I hadn't watched the news or the weather channel yesterday so this was a nice surprise this morning.

Part of me wants to get out and take beautiful snow pictures with my camera. But as I'm sitting here, I'm watching people trying to walk and run and falling on their bums. So I think I'll stay snug as a bug in my house and be content to take a few pictures from the patio.

-Wendy
[25w,1d]

Random musings

On New Years Day, a friend asked me if I was going to make any resolutions for 2007. Before I could answer, she laughed and said, "You could resolve to get less sleep. That's a resolution you know you'll achieve". She nailed that prediction. I just didn't realize my sleeplessness would kick in quite this soon.

In college, I created the mantra "Sleep hard, sleep fast". This meant that I needed to fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow and to make my sleep as restorative as it could be in the short time that I could give it.

Nowadays, I'll fall asleep around 10 or 11pm and sleep HARD. But then I wake up at 2:00 and then at 3:00 and 4:00... well, you get the picture. I'll go out on a limb and say that this baby is going to want a 2:00am feeding. Because when I wake up at 2:00, I'm WIDE awake and fully alert. I swear that baby Kylie is prepping my system to attend to her needs.

Part of the wakefulness is feeling the baby kick, or the need to go to the bathroom, but it seems more than that. And the rest of the early morning's sleep is just off. This past week, I was tickled pink with 2 out of 7 nights of "good sleep". I knew that sleep could become a challenge in the third trimester. I just didn't expect it to start at 24 weeks! And if it's like this now, who knows what it will be like later!

-------

I went swimming for the first time in a long time this Sunday. I swam for around 30 minutes and it was fabulous. Floating weightless was worth the "joy" of putting on a bathing suit. And it really helped the swelling and circulation in my hands and feet. I plan to swim at least once a week from here on out.

-------

When I first found out I was pregnant, I had this scatter-brained idea of letting my super-short hair grow out. You see, any time I gain any weight (even a pound or two), I can see the gain in my face. And I've had more than a few moments of stamping my feet and crying, "That's not fair!" about this situation. So when I knew I was going to gain a bunch of weight, I thought it would be smart to let the hair grow out, thinking particularly that a longer length would help my face look more angular and less round/fat.

BAD IDEA!! The self-esteem dip of letting your hair grow out along with letting it go back to it's original color (no more blonde highlights) and the dip of an ever-growing belly is just TOO MUCH! Now I remember why I've worn my hair short for so many years. My hair looks crappy longer. It just lays there like a limp rag and no amount of fussing with it helps. So tomorrow, it gets cut. And if I look like a bowling ball face (complete with sagging jowls) with a bit of peach-fuzz on top, so be it. I hope and I pray that this is the right decision!

--------

I just finished reading "I Don't Know How She Does It' by Allison Pearson. It's a fiction book about a working mom trying to do it all. I got a bit frustrated in reading how frenetic the main character's life was but it had some very clever writing so I stuck with it. It certainly has some laugh-out-loud moments and many times I found myself nodding along with the author's assessment of how women and working mothers are treated in the workplace. A light-hearted, easy read that I'm happy to recommend.

-Wendy
[25 weeks, 0 days]

Books and Birthstones

I'm so organized it's scary. Really. For the heck of it, I started a list of the books we have for Kylie. If you are really bored, you can check it out here.

I also added an Amazon.com wish list on this blog's sidebar. There's not much on it right now but I'm sure I'll be filling it up with new book titles in no time. (Psssssss..... Mom...Dad....feel free to check the wish list often!)

I just learned that Kylie will either have a diamond birthstone (for April) or an emerald birthstone (for May). Lucky little girl! I had yucky topaz for my November birthday. I never really wanted anything with my topaz birthstone in it.

-Wendy
[24w,5d]

First Bradley Class

I want to give a shout out to RSG and HG for lunch yesterday. Seeing you both was lovely and comforting and energizing all rolled into a ball of fun. Thanks!

Last night was our first Bradley class. There are four other couples taking the class with us. And all of them were so cool about the lesbians in the room with them. The Bradley teacher, Kara, did a fantastic job of using the term coach or partner instead of husband. I really felt relaxed and at ease throughout the evening.

Rather than give you a detailed account of the class, I'll leave with some highlights of what I liked best.

It was great to be in the presence of other pregnant women. Just seeing their bellies made me happy.

However these are tiny women. Just looking at them inspired me to slow down my Hostess cupcake consumption.

We practiced our pregnancy exercises together. And let me tell you, when the other women got into squat position, they looked fantastic. Just sitting there, looking totally at ease with their backs straight and their asses practically touching the floor. When I got into the squat position (it was my first time by the way), my face turned red, I made strange grunts, and I was nowhere near the ideal position. That's okay though--it was just the motivation I needed to start doing these exercises all the time. I'm such a competitive little sprite that next week, I'm determined my ass will be just as low as theirs and the look on my face just as placid!

I'm inspired to do the 15 squats and butterflies, 30 pelvic rocks and 100 kegels a day that's been recommended.

This week we've been asked to track all of our eating. Already it's been enlightening and I know that I'm not getting nearly enough protein.

Two former students returned to class with their 3 week old baby and told us their birth story. In listening to them, I thought for the first time that I might be able to have a natural childbirth. I loved their story!

At the end of class we had a 10 minute massage from our partner along with a guided meditation/relaxation from the instructor. It was so soothing. I've decided to look for other bits of material that Karen can read to me during the first stages of delivery and to create an Itunes playlist of relaxing music.

All in all, it was a very good first class.

-Wendy
[24w, 4d]

Laughter is the best medicine

Wendy looked over at me a bit ago, pointed to her chest and announced "I've got a uni-boob"! Now, that's funny! I mean, her chest has been growing in leaps and bounds as her pregnancy has progressed but "uni-boob"! What? Through my sputtering laughter, I had to ask her what she meant. Her reply was to lift her chest in her hands and say "Well, they used to be so perky and lifted and now, well... there's just this one continuous bump". You see, we're on the second attempt to find a comfortable bra that fits my dear one and the latest find is a bra by Medela (the Pump-in-Style breast pump people) that, while quite comfy for her, does kind of mash her girls just a bit into what I suppose you could call a uni-boob.

In the end, it may not seem that funny to you, but for what ever reason, it struck me as utterly hilarious....and I needed a good laugh! My girl can crack me up when I least expect it and I love it when she gets me good and tickled. I think these past couple of weeks since "the incident" have been a bit tense for me and each note of laughter that can be injected into the day is like a sweet, cool breeze on a hot day. For a few brief moments, I'm not worried about what happened or what might happen tomorrow or the next day...I'm just blissfully laughing in the moment.

Yes, laughter is truly the best medicine there is!

- Karen
[24w,2d]

Getting over a bad day

I had a bad day yesterday. I could write about the details of the bad day but suffice to say that I had a disappointing doctor's appointment. Everything is fine with me and the baby though... no worries there. It's just that the visit was a bit of a let-down.

So rather than write about the bad day and get myself (and maybe you) all riled up, I shall write about gratitude instead.

I'm grateful I have a partner who really knows how to be with me when I'm in a snit. She knows how to let me fuss and yell and get a lot of the anger out. She's a great listener and wonderfully does not try to prematurely calm me down. When the storm begins to abate, she knows just when to begin to soothe, hug, rock, kiss and offer loving words of wisdom. It's so cool to be with someone who really GETS you and understands you and knows how to be with you. Thank God for Karen.

I'm grateful for good restaurants. I used to manage a restaurant and firmly believe in the line "If you're stressed, it's fine dining we suggest." (This is a line from the song "Be Our Guest" from the movie soundtrack Beauty and the Beast.) Last night I had a fine, delicious meal served by an unobtrussive yet responsive waiter. By the time we left the restaurant, my shoulders had dropped from being bunched up around my ears and my brow had smoothed out.

I'm grateful for shops that have wonderful sales and for the ability in our budget to indulge in some occasional retail therapy. Last night I bought an adorable Disney onesie and a Winnie-the-Pooh sleeper outfit at 70% off at the Disney store at the mall.

I'm ever so grateful I know how to knit. Knitting is my best meditation and can make me feel ever-so-much better. Yarn is always there for me and it is a loving friend.

I'm grateful for an extremely comfortable bed with the perfect combination of pregnancy pillows. At the end of a hard day, slipping into a scrumptious bed is quite the thing.

So last night as I was saying my prayers, I got to honestly pray, "Thank you God for this hard day. And thank you for Karen, Kylie, my family and friends, the waiter, the food, the sales lady, the yarn and the comfortable blessings of a great house with a great bed that got me through it." Amen.

-Wendy
[24w,1d]

Sunday morning muss

Just letting it all hang out with my cat friends early Sunday morning. Phoebe's the grey cat beside me (she disdains the camera) and Chloe is the white cat in the left corner (she is a photo monger).

This picture shows my ever-flattening belly button and my linea nigra (lovely belly line).

Tomorrow is our doctor's appointment. Wish us luck!

-Wendy
[23w, 6d]

Baby Kicks

Baby Kylie was really active yesterday. Her movements are beginning to feel less like flops and more like nudges and kicks. At one point yesterday, I felt her nudges way up high in my abdomen. I looked down and could actually see my shirt move each time she kicked. I said to my belly, "What are you doing way up here? You usually do this much lower."

It may have had something to do with the fact that I was stuck waiting at the Social Security Office (to get my new name social security card ordered) for almost two hours with three screaming babies in close proximity. And no, these babies weren't fussy... they were screaming. And honestly, I don't blame them. The atmosphere in that office was incredibly tense and exasperating.

But it felt like Kylie was nudging me as if to say, "I hear crying babies! Do something Mom!"

Does every pregnant woman do this? Take our own experiences and transfer them onto our baby?

I've found myself lately saying things like:
"The baby is hungry" (when I'm hungry and then I feel the baby kick)
"The baby likes the music" (when I have music on and then I feel the baby kick)
"The baby says hello" (when Karen is talking to my belly and the baby kicks)
And so forth

The rational part of me knows that the baby is just moving around in there as she is supposed to do for her own growth reasons and not my emotional ones. But it seems that I can't help myself from making these little observations.

I guess it's natural since she's living inside me and at this point is "a part of me" but I wonder if I'll be able to quickly break this habit once she's born and is her own individual.

Or whether it will pass as the kicks become more usual and less "fun". (I have to admit, right now they are really fun. I laugh almost every time I feel her and delightedly announce "the baby is kicking". I know this will change soon but for right now I'm really enjoying this phase.)

Oh and one last thing about kicks. I was a cheerleader in high school (go ahead and laugh) and my family and friends like to compare her kicks to cartwheels, back handsprings and flips. I enjoy it. It makes me smile and I know it's just light-hearted fun. Yet I wonder, if in some way, we are already deciding whether she will be a little gymnast like me or a basketball player like her other mom rather than her own person who might like the tuba instead. Hmmmmm.

-Wendy
[23w, 4d]
[28 Babies R Us visits]

Picture time- 6 weeks vs. 23 weeks

Today's picture brought to you courtesy of Hostess Cupcakes! The quicker, fatter, upper!



PS - I got my first stretch marks this week.

-Wendy
[23w, 2d]

Baby dreams

My baby book tells me babies start having rapid eye movements this week. Rapid eye movements suggest that the baby is sleeping. The book states that the baby simply dreams of things in her life such as stretching or playing with the cord.

But it wasn't stated as absolute fact. After all, how could they know for sure exactly what she's dreaming? And I've had lots of fun imagining what else she could be dreaming of.

In addition to having a body connection, the baby and I could have a mind connection. If so, Kylie could be sharing my dreams. Have you had the experience of living with someone, comparing dreams in the morning and found that your dreams shared certain elements? For example, just last week, Karen told me she had a dream wherein she was designing roller coasters. That same night, I had a dream that I was at an amusement park. And neither of us remembers seeing or hearing anything about parks or coasters in the days before. I've had this happen several times where someone else's dreams "bleed over" into mine or vice versa. So perhaps I'm entertaining Kylie with some of my dream images.

Or

If you believe in reincarnation, perhaps the baby is dreaming of her previous life? Maybe she's remembering what she loved about her last life like playing in the grass, or riding a bicycle, or eating ice cream, or kissing her first love. And maybe with these memories that haven't yet washed away, she's also anticipating her life-to-come.

Or

If you believe in heaven, perhaps the baby dreams of that landscape which has beauties beyond our imagination. Maybe she remembers angels singing. Or of being in the presence of family members who wish her well on her journey and are excited to welcome her back once she returns to heaven.


Or maybe she's just dreaming of playing with her cord. Who knows? All I know is that in this world of "scientific and medical pregnancies", it's nice to enjoy a bit of mystical contemplation of the life inside me.

-Wendy
[23w, 1d]

Finished crib blanket

I managed to finish knitting this cabled crib blanket before the end of 2006. I started this blanket on 9/20 when I was eight weeks pregnant and starting to feel really nauseous. The knitting helped me get through that first trimester- stitch at a time and day at a time. It was fun to watch it grow along with my expanding belly. I am very pleased to have it completed. All that white yarn (while lovely and soft) was starting to get boring.


Kylie's Cabled Crib Blanket
Yarn: Blue Sky Organic Cotton
Needles: US 9 circular
Pattern: "Quick Knitted Afgans" book by Stauffer. The original pattern called for a 64" x 50" blanket. I opted to make it 30" x 50".
Finished 12/29/06


Happy New Year Everyone!
-Wendy
[23w, 0d]
[27 Babies R Us visits]