Tiny Showers

Yesterday we had a brief shower after weeks of dry weather. A hummingbird had a shower and a bath on some leaves, and a baby chickadee got wet for the first time.

Science Project, Week 32

8 months gone, 2 to go! Sometimes, when I think about how I'm going to keep getting bigger, two months seems like a long time. But then when I think about what comes after birth, two months seems much too short!

Last week at our labor and baby class, a lactation consultant inundated us with information. The most shocking bit? In the first few weeks after birth, I can expect to be involved in some aspect of nursing for 40-70 hours per week! Good lord.

I've had a weird side affect of pregnancy appear about 3 weeks ago: I noticed I have no hair on my legs! Normally, women stop losing hair when they're pregnant, and then about three months after birth all the extra falls out. I first noticed that my head hair had resumed its normal shedding, and then I went to shave my legs, and there was nothing there! My legs look polished, but the rest of me still has hair. When I had an appointment 2 weeks ago I asked my midwives about it, and they had never heard of such a thing. I had my thyroid levels checked, and they're normal, so I guess it's nothing to worry about. Very convenient for summer! The Bean continues to thrive, so my wonky hormone levels don't seem to bother him.

I've been lucky to have a nice long torso to fill up, so I haven't looked or felt over big, but this past week The Bean filled up his vertical space and started coming out towards the front more. I also feel him under my ribs, which forces me to have good posture, since slumping makes my ribs feel like they're bending out. I took the belly pictures and strung them together, and you can see how sometimes he seems to grow a lot more in three weeks than other times.
People keep asking about The Bean's name. Well, we've got a big list on the fridge, but we haven't felt any need to winnow it down. On the 28th I'm going to Fiddle Tunes for a week, and when I come back I guess we can get serious about names, getting the car seats installed, and stuff like that.

Scratch 'N' Sniff Edition

Oh if only there were eSmells! My garden is not an abundant one, but it has some nice old friends in it that are thriving now. The most spectacular is my jasmine vine which is packed with more blossoms this year than I've ever seen. The smell wafts around the yard and in through the back doors upstairs and downstairs. My resident hummingbirds love to sip from the jasmine, although it seems like a lot of work to eat from so many little blossoms. I also have a star jasmine which is getting ready to bloom.

I also have a nice honeysuckle around the side yard, and sweet peas on the back porch. Ahhh, summer!It occured to me the other day that my night blooming cereus should be blooming this year just about the time The Bean is born!

The Bean's Room

The Bean's room is coming along! I finally feel it will be possible to physically fit him into our house.

Today I moved my coats and dress-up clothes into another closet and removed the sliding doors on the closet. Removing the doors turned out to be very easy, which I am thankful for. The cleaned out closet space is for his crib, and possibly the bureau, too, if it fits. If I can move the bureau into the closet, we'll have room for a changing table where the bureau is now. Changing tables aren't totally necessary, but they can sure save your back.

To the right of the Bean's closet is comfy chair for nursing. The rest of the room is still mine and filled with bookshelves and my desk and computer. The Bean will just have to share.

Science Project, Week 29

Here's the new belly in all its/my/our glory! I had been worrying that I wasn't getting much bigger and the Bean wasn't growing, but it's nice to be able to compare photos and see that I am making progress! In this picture I relaxed my abs to exaggerate it a bit. Still, with loose clothes on people still say I don't look very pregnant. I'm really lucky to be carrying it well!

My back has been bothering me more and more, and I 'm getting short of breath, but really I'm having a very nice complication free pregnancy. Lucky again!

In the last week the Bean's kicks have changed from little pokes to some serious calisthenics. I think he's doing flips while he's still got the room. Pretty soon he'll outgrow the space and be a lot more cramped.

I have a midwife appointment on Monday, and I expect everything will be fine. Meanwhile, Michael and I continue to go to the labor and childcare prep classes. We're halfway through the series, and it's been a good investment of time and money. I especially like the parts where we practice how Michael will massage my back. Mmmmm.

That's all I can think of! Things are pretty uneventful these days. Sometimes I even forget I'm pregnant until I try to bend over!

Lilacs, Kicks, and Nesting

My lilac finally bloomed this year! I'm so happy, as I really love lilacs. When I moved into this house there was a beautiful old lilac hanging over the back fence from the neighbor's yard. It was neglected, but I tried to keep "my" part trimmed and pruned. The house is a rental, and tenants often make a stab at gardening and then let the yard languish. One new set of tenants got all gung-ho and decided they were going to put a compost heap in where the lilac was. They asked me if I minded if they cut it down. I truthfully said I'd really miss it. They slowly hacked it apart with what looked like an electric carving knife. Then they left it half dead and never put in the compost heap. Big surprise. Morning glory vines re-colonized the place. It made me sick at heart! Three years ago I put in my own baby lilac and finally got some blooms this year! I feel like my yard is complete again. Ahhhh.

A couple of people have said they were eagerly awaiting my next update! Wow, I didn't really know if anyone was out there! I do belly updates every three weeks, so look for an update on Wednesday!

I've been slowly organizing and cleaning spaces to make room for The Bean and his stuff. I was finally able to make a visible contribution to his room. I cleaned out a bureau, lined the drawers, put some little clothes and blankets in it, and topped it all off with some stuffed animals. He has three bunnies, a wombat, a small rhino, and a wooden crocodile waiting for him.

The Bean has been kicking a lot. The other night I was sleeping on my side, and Bijou was snuggled next to me partially propped up on my belly. Then The Bean woke up and gave her a good kick. She moved away, like what the heck was that! I figure this is only the first instance of the boy bothering her. Bijou's probably got a lot of future annoyance coming her way. She'll probably love all the blankies and sleeping places, though.

Happy Birthday, Squeaky-Ji!

On Cinco de Mayo my beautiful Bijou turned 15! She's the oldest cat I've had so far, and she's still going strong! May she be around for many more years.

Science Project, Week 26

Six and half months done, three and a half to go! Lots of progress this time. Many people have commented that I finally look pregnant. I got really hungry a couple of weeks ago, so I think the little Bean went through a growth spurt.

I haven't been in to see the midwives for 6 weeks, and Monday I had an appointment. My weight and size are good, and we listened to a very strong heartbeat. Next week I’ll have a few lab tests for Gestational Diabetes, anemia, and RH factor antibodies (because of my blood type). He’s been very wiggly lately. I’m supposed to pay attention now and make sure I feel him every day. I have an appointment in a month, and then every three weeks, and then in the last month once per week.

Tonight Michael and I start a 7 week series of parenting classes. It'll cover labor and delivery, breastfeeding, and newborn care. We're taking the class a little earlier than recommended, but I'll be at Fiddle Tunes in July, and I'd miss a class, so we need to finish the series before then. As an info hog, I'm really looking forward to the classes.

On a recommendation from my friend Jenny, I've been reading Ina May's guide to childbirth. It has really given me the courage to believe I can try to go through this without any pain intervention. We'll see!

Science Project, Week 23

Not much to report this time. I feel the little guy kick a bit, but still it's not much more than a flutter. He definitely responds to loud music, so I hope he'll be a musician! Everyone comments about how little my belly is, and I can't help but worry a little ... Then a friend pointed out that I have a long torso, so I have plenty of vertical room. Soon he'll use that up and pop out the front more. I'm actually mostly grateful that I'm not big and uncomfortable. That will come soon enough!

Togetherness

My brother Brady was out visiting for a week before heading up to Skagway, AK for a summer of guiding cruise ship tourists on hikes and river rafting. I tired him out with trips to music stores, thrift stores, REI, restaurants, the gym, a honky tonk dive, the farmers' market, and string band class. I think I've made a pretty good case for Seattle as a great place to live. It would be nice to have another family member here!

Since Brady was here, I decided we might as well go ahead and have an Easter dinner! We're not a religious family, but Easter was always a time to have a good meal together. I meant to make the super delicious Kahlua ham I've made twice for Christmas, but I got to the liquor store too late to get Kahlua. We had to settle for the regular honey glaze that comes with the ham. And now we will eat ham for the next month. Good protein!





















Spring has slowly been warming up Seattle. As long as the sun can break through the clouds, we get a little warmth. When the sun hides, we go back to shivering. Bijou has been following the sunbeams around the house, which JoJo loves since one sunbeam goes right through her zone. JoJo loves the company!