Two Dykes and a Bowling Ball

Finally, belly shot!

2011-11-28T19:37:00.001-05:00

Here's Cree at about 26 weeks. She's been feeling good for the most part, and eats a lot of bananas.

Belly shot

2011-11-10T18:08:00.000-05:00

In the absence of an up to date photo, here's a shot of Cree from a few weeks back, sporting her limited edition Descendents t-shirt!

Hokey Pokey, take 2

2011-11-07T10:50:00.002-05:00

Here's the audio of Etta's song, now. Hokey Pokey (mp3)She surprised me the other night when she burst into the Hokey Pokey. I had no idea she knew it, and she didn't know I knew it either, so we had a lot of fun singing it together.And a photo to look at while you listen.

Hokey Pokey

2011-11-02T20:34:00.001-04:00

Or should I say Pokey Pokey?

Fish tank

2011-10-04T21:55:00.000-04:00

At Etta's school it's become part of the morning drop off routine to go and look at the fish tank before going to the classroom. It took me about 10 visits before I noticed the bottom-feeder fish they keep in there. It's always behind this rock, hiding out (it's a brown blob in the photo). Etta loves to look in one end and I look in the other end. It's cute, as you might imagine.

A pregnant person's apology

2011-09-18T22:39:00.000-04:00

I think this speaks for itself.

In slow motion

2011-09-15T19:24:00.000-04:00

This fall, Cree and I re-evaluated our day care transport schedule in light of our new responsibilities. I ended up with morning drop-off since she has to be at work much earlier and thankfully I can be a little flexible. Etta has to be at school around 9, and then Cree goes to pick her up by 4, so I drop her off and then come home later.

This sounds simple, right?

It's not. My supervisor at work affectionately calls this process of getting out of the house "The Morning Marathon" and it's amazing how time gets absorbed into some black hole, which is parts negotiation, and parts trickery. Some days, I'm exhausted by the time I get to work!

Yesterday was one of these days. Etta is the Queen of Getting Sidetracked, which requires me to be the Regent of Distraction from Distraction Techniques. If you live with a toddler, you will know that this is hard work. Here's a little timeline from yesterday morning.

7:35 - I am getting ready (and letting Etta sleep a little longer, because it's easier) when she begins calling out "Mama! Mama! I'm up!!!"

7:40 - Etta is reading books while I attempt to cajole her to come to the bathroom and use the potty.

7:41 - Brings books to bathroom. Has to go back for one she forgot.

7:42 - Refuses to use the potty.

7:43 - I am able to partially undress her while she looks at the books

7:45 - She realizes what I am doing, and then wants to take off her diaper herself. Throws diaper on floor.

7:46 - Refuses to use the potty again.

7:47 - Cat comes in and books are forgotten.

7:50 - Follows cat around, and I suggest we show the cat how we wash our hands (which is really bait for brushing teeth.)

7:52 - Wants to use two toothbrushes (mental note: I need to hide that travel toothbrush).

7:54 - Begin brushing teeth while I brush her hair.

7:57 - Drinks from sink (thanks to Cree for that one.)

8:00 - I put on her diaper and clothing and tell her I'm going to get dressed. She comes in and puts on my shoes.

8:10 - Wears my shoes downstairs to show the other cat.

8:13 - Begins eating breakfast. Shoes fall off.

8:15 - I pack diapers and snack for after school (we have a train ride after school to Cree's work!).

8:19 - Finishes breakfast. I am making some for myself and she starts to play.

8:23 - Plays with stickers.

8:27 - I eat. She notices that one of her dolls is crying (her favorite emotion to assign) and brings her to me for comfort. I finish eating with the doll on my lap.

8:32 - Plays with another baby doll & pretend food.

8:35 - I begin packing my lunch.

8:38 - Empties pretend food all over the floor.

8:44 - I put shoes on her and start moving toward door. I turn off kitchen light.

8:46 - Returns to kitchen to put babies in play shopping cart. Says, "I need five babies in here."

8:48 - Pushes cart to door, negotiates one baby to take to car. I take this as a win for me, so out we go.

8:49 - Looks for a leaf on the ground, must take it to the car.

8:50 - Drive to day care & find parking spot 3 blocks away. Must remember stroller, backpack, my lunch, my bag and coffee.

9:02 - Refuses stroller. I persuade her by offering a (premeditated) snack. Gets in stroller.

9:03 - Walk 3 blocks to day care.

9:09 - Get in elevator and move toward classroom. Gets out of stroller and runs to fish tank.

9:11 - Looks at fish and I hustle her back to classroom. Kiss goodbye.

9:14 - I return to entrance, sign her in, put away stroller, and walk/run to work.

9:34 - Arrive at work. Did I mention I had a 9:30 meeting? Late for meeting.

This is how the minutes are sucked away. Two hours to get ready and to work? It's ridiculous, but this is how things are now. When the new baby is ready for day care, I'm going to have to get up 3 hours earlier than when I need to be anywhere. Or get a nanny.

A year has passed!

2011-09-06T23:34:00.001-04:00

Well, now we're pregnant again! We're expecting baby #2 in late February, so I was reminded that this blog is a nice way to keep track of the pregnancy. I came back, and man, it's been a long time.

Q: Can you realistically cover an entire year in one blog post?
A: NoBut we can post some photos that show how things have changed!

First bites of solid food (ew! rice cereal!)

Hang on a second. I just realized that TWO years have passed!! That definitely means we won't cover it all. Get ready for the fast-forward version...

Developed obsession with first (of many, many) singing toys from Mammaw & Pappaw. This one sings some version of the Witch Doctor song and is a dog dressed like a pumpkin. Ostensibly in the spirit of Halloween.

Got an adorable red satin and velvet fur-trimmed dress for holiday time.

Grew in teeth just in time to chew hands during holiday photos.

Dressed up as Teen Wolf for Halloween. Yes, we were in costume too -- as the dad and Stiles.

Went to Thanksgiving parade here in Philly because we couldn't get it together to go to New York.

Saw the holiday lights at Wanamakers.

Left cookies for Santa!!

Opened xmas presents in pj's.

Turned two, and opened presents again! A remote control truck! Thanks Pappaw!

Continued love of water fountains.

So that's that. I guess we're all up to date! More to come soon!

2009-07-31T19:18:00.001-04:00

Columbus Trip!

We're going to be in town this weekend and we're planning to go to the Clintonville North Star around 7 Saturday

Summertime is fun-o-matic

2009-07-27T19:00:00.011-04:00

Before we get to the photos, I want to let you all know that we're going to be in Ohio this weekend! We're hoping to set up some activities where we can get to see some of you -- maybe go to the park or something. If you have ideas, let me know, otherwise I'll post again with some options.

Until then, here are some pictures of what we've done so far this summer.

We went to the beach!

We dug a little hole in the sand for a nap, and she woke up so happy.

Dressed up like a gladiator.

Went camping, even though it was cold at night.

Stayed safely out of the sun thanks to baby leg warmers on the arms.

Dressed up in the fancy outfit Grandma sent for Our Nation's Birthday.

Say Anything

2009-06-30T17:38:00.000-04:00

Aside from "How is she sleeping?" people offer lots of opinions and commentary about our kid when we're out and about. Here are some recent gems:

"How old is she? I have a three-month old and he is SO MUCH bigger than her. Is she holding her head up okay?"

"When I got married, I knew I loved my wife, but it wasn't like.. new, you know? Having a kid, it's like a love I never knew I had."

and my personal favorite...

"She looks like a pug."

In other, more cheerful news, we're maybe going camping over the holiday weekend! It will be Etta's first tent camping trip and will surely result in some cute photos that hopefully won't take me 3 months to post.

Shore weekend

2009-06-15T17:39:00.001-04:00

Our friend J's parents have a house they rent down the shore (that's how you say it here, Down The Shore) in Ocean City, and it was vacant a couple weekends ago, so we were invited to stay.

It was really fun to take Etta to the beach for the first time. It's only about an hour and a half drive, but with traffic it took about 2 hours. It was chilly and rainy when we arrived, so she went right to bed and we stayed up until the wee hours talking. It's the first time I've willingly stayed up past 1 am for a long time!

It was a little chilly all weekend, too cold for me to get in the water. I just sat in a chair with Etta in long pants and sleeves, but Cree and J went in both days. That's them out there:

Instead of putting Etta in the actual ocean, especially since she can't sit up alone and it was all cold, we set up a baby pool for her on the patio and let the sun warm the water up a bit. She cried when she first got in, but then she came around.

Here's the cuteness with a bunch of floaty rings:

Here she's staring the starfish down:

She was really content in there, all splashy and cute.

Here's her full bathing gear, for any of you who haven't already seen this on Facebook:

Baby Hats!

2009-05-31T12:22:00.000-04:00

Apparently babies under 6 months aren't supposed to wear sunscreen. Instead, you have to cover them up all the time. With this in mind, Cree has made some really amazing sun hats for Etta. Here's a bandanna style one, with our friend S (she's not like S from Gossip Girl, though):

And here's my favorite so far:

She said it was difficult to make because of all the panels, but there are a few other patterns so I'll try to post images as we get them.

How many of you...

2009-05-28T17:20:00.001-04:00

Have a baby sleeping in your office?

Obviously, my workplace is great. Cree had to go to a last-minute meeting so Etta came here for a little bit. She slept, ate, and visited some people. Smiles all around!

2009-05-08T19:07:00.001-04:00

What do you get when you have 2 adults, a 3 mo. old baby, a blue heeler & a jetta?

Vacation!

We'll post photos when we're back

Follow up to breastfeeding post

2009-05-06T16:18:00.000-04:00

Somehow, just making that formula decision helped me realize that there are more things I can do to increase our stockpile of breastmilk. It's like there is this safety net that is helping me feel more confident or something.

I went to the La Leche League website and read through the forums on pumping, which were really useful. I think I was afraid they'd say something crazy like Formula Is The Devil, but of course that didn't happen and there were lots of posts from other women struggling with the same issues. I read some suggestions that will make the process of pumping at work go more quickly, and hopefully be more productive.

I've also gone back to pumping some more on the days I'm home and I think those incremental sessions will also really help.

Thanks for being out there, you guys.

Decision time

2009-05-05T17:13:00.001-04:00

I'm back at work, and even though my awesome boss lets me work from home a couple of days each week, it's still hard. I am glad to have the job, and some space from All Baby All The Time Land, but being away from Etta is hard, and then there is the pumping.

I am committed to breastfeeding, and Etta's only had breastmilk (aside from a vaccine and some baby tylenol) since she was born. It's a pretty easy thing to maintain when at home with her all the time, but being back at work puts a new spin on the whole process. I typically have to spend some time pumping several times each workday in order to supply slightly LESS than what she seems to want to eat. I can usually make up the difference by pumping once or twice when I'm home, but the hand pump I have at home is not very comfortable and doesn't seem to be as effective as the Pump in Style (with fashionable backpack!) I keep at work.

When Cree called me yesterday and mentioned that she spilled almost half a bottle I felt my heart drop. That's a lot of invested time and energy, down the drain.

I flip-flop, thinking that maybe a bottle or two of formula a few times a week wouldn't be the end of the world. After all, millions of babies thrive on formula for their entire infancy. It is millions, right? This is usually followed by feeling determined to somehow pump more often so that she won't have to drink formula. The feeling I get when I think of feeding her formula is similar to the feeling I had when I realized I was going to be induced at the hospital, and wasn't going to be giving birth at the Birth Center. It's this weird mix of sadness, disappointment and a feeling of futility.

Cree called back an hour later and played "Wish you were here" by Pink Floyd into the phone. I welled up and listened to the whole thing. She is the best.

Then last night, we had the discussion about implementing formula into Etta's diet when necessary rather than have her hungry and me rushing all around to get home to feed her.

It seems like an easy decision to make, but it's hard to let go of the ideal breastmilk-only situation. But I guess that's part of what parenting is about, realizing that you don't have control -- being flexible, adjusting to new circumstances, and doing what is best for your family (all of us).

Diapers, wipes and Poop-Be-Gone

2009-04-23T19:44:00.000-04:00

Bevin prompted in a recent comment that I should post about our cloth wipes and I found this whole post about cloth diapers that I wrote before Etta was born.

We decided to use cloth diapers for the baby. We're doing this not only to be cost-effective, but also because we have more control about the chemicals that come into contact with our baby's skin. Cree also made a bunch of diapers early on with some really fun designs and patterns, so we've been using a combination of those with covers, as well as FuzziBuns and MotherEase. Here's some of the ones she made:

Yes, that's an Eagles diaper.

There appears to be some interest on how this whole thing works, how to wash them, etc., so here's the overview.

You shouldn't wash more than 24 diapers at once, in order to maximize cleanliness. This is about 2 days worth of diapers. We've got a pail and a fabric liner for it. Infants who exclusively breastfeed will have poop that is completely water-soluble, so you can just toss them in the bin until you're ready to roll. To prevent any errant odors, I put a box of baking soda in there.

Put the load in the washer and do an initial wash in cold water, with a a cold rinse. It can be useful to put in 1/2 cup of baking soda, or some vinegar to this cycle to help with stains and extra cleaning. Then, wash again in hot/cold with detergent. The diapers can be line dried, or thrown in the dryer.

It's pretty simple, just like doing laundry, and I feel better about knowing exactly what's involved in the process. We've been using Charlie's Soap for the laundry, and I'd be willing to try this out. It's less expensive than Dreft or whatever, and seems like a more environmentally friendly alternative.

We also use some fabric wipes, for the same reason. Here's the "recipe" for the wipe liquid, and I can just wash them right along with the diapers. We have a bunch of fabric squares cut from T-shirts for this purpose, and we have the solution to the side and wet the fabric on demand.

There are tons of sites for information on washing diapers, if you're super interested in the details.

Finally, I found that when there were diaper leaks, I was having to wet the stains with detergent and let them sit a bit before the wash, which made the process sort of drawn out. So, I made Poop Be Gone (a solution of Charlie's Soap and water) and put it in a spray bottle, so that we can spray the stains and then let the clothes just sit until the next load of laundry.

The things people do when you are holding a baby

2009-04-20T07:17:00.001-04:00

It's really strange. The way people interact with me when I'm holding Etta, or have her in a store is really unlike anything I've ever experienced before. In Target, I've had several women stop me, ask how old she is, how much she weighed when she was born, whether she's eating and sleeping well and then proceed to tell me all kinds of things about their kids.

A few weeks ago I was at the doctor's office with Cree and we were waiting for a while, so I had Etta in the lobby and we were walking around, she was sleeping, etc. One of the people in there told me about her 2 kids, 17 and 18, and that she was looking for a companion/lap dog for her mom. A guy reminded me that I shouldn't pick her up every time she cries, because then she'll be spoiled. A woman told me about when she had her daughter, and asked if I had any stitches and told me about the importance of taking time to heal.

A (rather young, I must say) nurse told me that she had SIX kids and really loved babies and that her oldest is 18 and that none of them had her eyes. Later, she came back and asked to hold Etta and when she gave her back she told me that she'd had her tubes tied, but there is some kind of expiration on that procedure -- 12 years or something -- and that she was pregnant again, but she wasn't going to keep it.

It was heartbreaking. You could tell she really wanted to have the baby, but that she thought she shouldn't because she had so many already. Her oldest daughter is also pregnant, and isn't keeping hers either. It was really sad, she didn't well up, but I did. I asked her how she felt about it, and she just sighed.

Two months

2009-04-16T17:09:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it's been two months already! She is beginning to be a little more interactive, smiling and actually looking at you when you talk to her. Here are some new photos of the little angel.

Here's a closeup.

And here she is, ready for baseball season. Not that I really care too much about baseball, but this shirt is so cute, and it's nice to be a part of the excitement. The smile is really the high point of this one though, obviously.

This is her Easter outfit. It has crinoline underneath and was really slippery.

Also, Bevin posted a ton of photos from Easter at our house, including some of us eating, Etta sleeping, and this awesome video of her pooping. Etta, not Bevin.

One Month!

2009-03-11T20:32:00.005-04:00

Etta is a month old now, and we decided to have a little party in her honor. We got her all dressed up in her party dress, but it was SO bizarre because she looked just like a doll. Really Weird. So, Cree made a striped hat and legwarmers (with a red glitter skull & crossbones) to offset it.

Later, we tried on some moustachios.

It's been really great so far, except she is now doing this weird grunty sound at night when she lies down and I can't sleep because I think she's choking. Other moms -- did your kids make weird sounds when they were tiny?

GOODNESS, GOODNESS

2009-02-12T12:02:00.006-05:00

I have heard saying about not understanding the love of a parent until you become one yourself. I now understand that sentiment fully. I have never felt so much love, it is just pouring out of me everywhere. I had to leave the house to go to my work for a few hours today and I thought my heart had broken in half. I was sick to my stomach and every inch of traffic felt like miles until I could be back home with her. Did I mention she is perfect?!

Enough about me here are some photos of her and her room!

At about 6 days old:

Sporting her OSU gear:

Her room:

And for you photo junkies, here's more photos from Bevin and from Jordan

Baby Etta!

2009-02-09T16:07:00.002-05:00

Today at 5:30 am we welcomed Etta Pearl into the world! 6 lbs, 2 oz, 19 in. More details and photos to come!

The Great Rupture and wait....

2009-02-07T22:14:00.004-05:00

Bee's water broke around 2:30 today. Of course she is doing this a la sitcom style with the water coming long before labor. We haven't given birth in a taxi or our back seat yet however. The ironic thing is that we figured out that she was pregnant because she started bawling (I mean full on sobbing) because she needed a hair cut, today she was on her way to get her hair cut and bam water leaking, and leaking and still leaking!

She is having contractions but not 4-1-1 style. 4-1-1 being four minutes apart, lasting one minute for one hour. If she hasn't progressed into full labor by 5am she has to drink castor oil like Lard Ass from the greatest movie ever, Stand By Me.

You get the idea.

We will post many a picture once we return with our bundle of joy!
Wish us luck.
xo
Cree

Food photos from the baby shower

2009-01-30T17:54:00.000-05:00

Our friends can really cook. Everyone chipped in to bring brunch food to the shower, and Jess posted some photos, so here they are.

We had a drink bar, including mimosas, bloody marys and this non-alcoholic punch which was delightful. Here's the recipe for that:
2 liter of ginger ale
44oz pineapple juice
1 pint of Raspberry sorbet

Here's the main food table:

Here's the waffle bar, including locally canned peaches, blueberry sauce, and homemade whipped cream:

Baby Shower Photos

2009-01-23T17:12:00.000-05:00

I'm not so good at taking/sharing photos, but thankfully Bevin is! Here's some from our shower last weekend.

Here's me putting on some lipstick before all the photos get taken

Presents

This is when I started crying because everyone wrote really nice and sweet things in their cards.

Cree and Bevin modeling the baby sling

The cadillac of car seats

BurgerBaroness, Bevin and us with this really cute play mat and stuffed cow that Cree really wanted.

Also, an updated belly shot. Note the lovely and stylish prego-pants.

A few individual facts

2009-01-22T18:07:00.001-05:00

One month from today, February 22, is my due date and I can barely put my socks on.

I have been wearing one of 3 pairs of shoes every day, none of which require bending down or tying.

The childbirth classes are informative, I am finally becoming desensitized to watching birth videos from the 80s.

Bringing a selection of decaffeinated hot teas to a birth center meeting will endear you to the group indefinitely.

Last night, I tried to make extra dinner to put in the freezer for post-baby-arrival, but then we ate it.

The baby room is almost complete but we still need to pack the hospital bag and install the car seat.

We had a lovely baby shower last weekend and had so much fun. I cried in front of everyone when I read the cards.

Birthing classes

2009-01-14T17:54:00.001-05:00

Last week, we began our childbirth classes at The Birth Center. It's been interesting so far, and I'm alternating between looking forward to the labor/delivery process and trembling in fear. I take refuge in the fact that people (including many of you!) do it every. day. and if they/you can do it, then I can too. Right?

We're planning on a natural childbirth, without pain meds or medical interference at all, ideally, so there's that too.

As a part of the childbirth classes, there was also a breastfeeding class which was very informative and useful. I'm feeling more prepared as we get closer to Delivery Day, but I also can't help feeling nervous! Luckily, we've got some relaxation techniques we've been working on, and whenever I feel tense about it, I try to take some deep breaths. It's helping so far.

34 weeks!

2009-01-12T17:50:00.000-05:00

Cree noticed that I've got a few things from The Great Maternity Clothing Gift that I hadn't worn yet, so I decide to sport one of the cute button-ups that I hadn't gotten around to wearing. I put it on, and it's almost too small!!
I guess that happens, but I didn't ever think I'd be growing OUT of maternity clothes! Especially shirts. I've grown out of a couple pair of pants already, actually.

We're big Philadelphia Eagles fans, and for any of you pro football watchers out there, you know that they are (inexplicably) in the playoffs, and doing pretty well. We were watching the game yesterday and Cree was yelling at the tv in her typical fashion and said to one of the players, "Aw, get up you baby! You're not even pregnant!!"

I asked for clarification, "Did you say that because it takes me such a long time to get out of the bed, or a chair?"

Obviously, the answer is yes.

It's hilarious. It really does take me forever to do pretty much anything now. I have become one of those slow-movers which definitely interferes with my perceived efficiency. Oh well. A by-product.

A New Year!

2009-01-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone!

Since I'm all clever, I scheduled this post for 12:01, although I'm certainly not typing it while the ball drops. If all goes well, I'll actually be out somewhere having a good time.

I can tell that the baby is getting bigger and bigger because I can feel pretty much any move she makes. I read that she will gain about a half pound a week for the next few weeks, so I keep trying to eat good meals and snacks to keep her growing!

One strange thing is that I've been waking up around 4 am and not being able to fall back asleep. This is completely foreign to me, as I've always been able to sleep, anywhere -- restaurants, on the bus, in a car, at a concert -- so it is a new experience altogether. It doesn't happen every night, but when it does, I usually get up and do something and then I can fall asleep rather than tossing and turning and keeping Cree up. Last night, I had a snack, unloaded the dishwasher and read the last 2 chapters of a book. I'm thinking I might start a mental list of middle-of-the-night tasks that I can work on in case this is an ongoing thing.

And here's a new belly shot. Don't worry, that's not our wallpaper back there.

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-30T17:23:00.000-05:00

The holiday season has been a whirlwind already, with a week-long trip back to the midwest. We learned from our last driving venture to spread the trip out a little more and the longest we drove on any given day was 5 hours. Toward the end of that, I was feeling pretty uncomfortable, even though we stopped often for breaks. Thankfully, I think that's the last long pregnant trip and I can start posting again!

We've been working hard on getting the house together, and Cree has been doing amazing things to the walls in the baby's room. No, you can't see any photos until it's done! But soon, I promise.

This month we started our biweekly midwife appointments. We've also signed up for our childbirth and breastfeeding classes, which begin in January. This is week 32 (!) already, and I can't believe that it's gone so fast.

Last, but certainly not least, our friends Tropi and Kelly had their beautiful little boy, Ethan, on xmas eve!

Thanksgiving

2008-12-07T12:00:00.000-05:00

For Thanksgiving we had a couple of friends over, and made WAY too much food.

Cree is a vegetarian and I don't eat much meat (more since being prego) but in spite of that we brined a 17 lb. turkey for 3 people to eat. That's crazy, and luckily someone took the thing home with them so I didn't have to feel guilty for throwing it away.

Bevin came and she brought the newest installment of Cute Knitted Baby Wear.

Can you take it?

and my current belly shot.

Congratulations Katie and Fran!

2008-12-04T17:18:00.004-05:00

Monday at 1:30 am, Katie and Fran had a beautiful baby boy! 8 lbs, 10 ounces, 21 inches long.

Yay!

my what is where?

2008-11-21T17:40:00.000-05:00

As my belly gets bigger, I'm wondering how everything fits in there. At first, I was sure that my uterus was in front of all the other stuff, but as I get more weird sensations (and kicks) in different parts of my body, I'm not so sure.

Google to the rescue!

It took a little bit, but I finally found an image of a pregnant person's internal organs at 28 weeks (I'm almost 27 weeks):

WTF?

My small intestines are pushing into my ribs! My bladder is constantly being flattened (it's the unlabeled triangle shaped one at the bottom)! My stomach is displacing my poor lungs -- no wonder I'm out of breath after one flight of stairs.

I don't know how many of you took an anatomy class, but I am completely surprised by this knowledge. Grosser, the large intestine is apparently pushed to the SIDE.

That's so weird.

Isn't that nice of me?

2008-11-18T21:48:00.002-05:00

I don't know if it's some kind of hormonal thing, but I've been really nice. And I'm feeling really happy. It's kind of weird, actually. Not that I'm some big jerk normally, but I've noticed the past few weeks that I've put priority on doing nice things for people, and Cree is the primary recipient.

For example, I might make her some coffee on a day when I'm already running a little behind because I think she'd appreciate it. This is not earth-shattering, but it is a difference from before. I read in one of The Books that there is something to the happy-pregnancy-hormones, so I'm leaning toward that. It makes up for the crying a few months ago, I guess.

Also, since some of you were interested, I'll give you a Halloween update. I had my costume all ready, and The Burger Baroness came over to get ready for the party. Cree helped her make her costume, and it was killer, by the way. Here's a borrowed shot:

We're getting ready, and then 9:30 (maybe) rolled around and we still hadn't left. It was pretty much curtains from there and I ended up not even going to the party because I was all tired or something. So I didn't get to wear my costume, but I put a variant of it on so I could share it with all of you.

Do you get it?

baby hats!!!

2008-11-11T14:57:00.000-05:00

Bevin is a gifted and dedicated knitter -- she's already made several hats for the baby, and I wanted to be sure to display them. Here's a photo:

Cute, right????

Work Trip!

2008-11-08T19:05:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow, Cree and I are departing for two events for my work. The first is to go to Rochester, NY and the second (possibly more exciting) is to Toronto where I'll be taking a class and Cree will be sightseeing.

I'm excited. It will be nice to get a break from things here, especially for Cree who has seriously been working her ass off.

In the meantime, here's another belly shot. Thank god for Photo Booth! Also, please note the fancy expandable sides on the jeans -- these were in installment two of the Great Clothing Gift Delivery from my lovely sister. Thanks T. I'm pretty much set for the rest of my pregnant or big days.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-30T09:06:00.002-04:00

Cree and I picked up a bunch of good candy when we went the grocery store a few weeks back in preparation for some trick-or-treaters. It's been sitting on the buffet in the dining room since then, and I think we've done a pretty good job staying out of it. I hope that some kids come by -- at our last house we bought all this candy and then no one came. I was surprised at how let down I felt.

With Halloween comes costumes, and I've been thinking about what I'll wear. I sort of have this built-in costume, depending on how you look at it. I could be a pregnant anything: a pregnant nun, a pregnant priest, a pregnant ballerina, a pregnant lady in a fancy dress, etc. Cree had this good idea (which I won't tell you in case I'm able to pull it together) but when I looked in our costumes last night I discovered that I must have gotten rid of the key costuming element, so I need to find a replacement, or go with a backup plan.

There aren't a lot of costumes that will diminish the pregnant part, so hopefully I'll be able to put together something acceptable. I welcome ideas.

Ramping up the calories

2008-10-28T16:21:00.003-04:00

I have always been a person who can eat a lot, and often. Being pregnant has really taken that to a whole new level though, and it's difficult for me to bring enough snacks to work so that I'm not starving all day long. Here's what I had so far today:

large glass of range juice
large bowl of cereal with soymilk
vitamins (not food, but counts toward nutrients)
yogurt
hot tea with agave nectar (thanks to frieswiththatshake)
luna bar (lemon zest)
large can of lentil soup
hard boiled egg
banana
ginger ale
empty peanut-butter jar of natural cheetos (my effort to use fewer baggies)
sunflower seeds
several glasses of water

It's only 4:30. It's like I need to be at an all-u-can-eat buffet, but all day long. Look out chocolate pudding, I'm after you! And, I can't wait until Thanksgiving. That's going to be great.

I guess I need to pack snacks the night before, so I'm fully prepped for my workday. Especially on days when I don't have meetings (like tomorrow) I think more about eating, so I need to plan ahead.

Coming soon!

2008-10-24T09:44:00.002-04:00

We had our ultrasound today and the baby is a girl!! We saw all the fingers and toes and the heart ventricles, and they said she looks great at 1.4 ounces.

Gifts!

2008-10-21T17:46:00.000-04:00

My sister, bless her, sent me some clothing. I should rephrase, it wasn't just some clothing, it was a lot of clothing. She sent two Staples paper-size boxes stuffed with Space Bags full of tops. Oh, and one dress.

I am so excited! It is like a giant awesome early holiday gift and now I have all the maternity clothes I will need for a while. She also said she had some pants to send, so I should return the Space Bags and they are on their way!

Here's a low quality photo of part of the stack.

Another milestone

2008-10-10T13:31:00.000-04:00

This week, for the first time, someone who didn't know I was pregnant made a comment about it.

She is someone I work with who pointed it out in passing, saying, 'I remembered you being skinny' (or something like that), demonstrating that it is now obvious enough that I am not just putting on a few pounds.

That said, no one has offered me a seat on the public transportation or anything -- I'm not holding my breath for that one. I don't think people are actually that polite.

And here's a couple of photos I took while I was waiting for the trolley this morning.

This is my view:

And this is the side view:

The stripes only add drama.

Baby appointment

2008-10-06T18:26:00.001-04:00

We had our first appointment at the Birth Center on Friday (Cree's bday!). They were very nice and gracious about us being late and it went smoothly. We were there for about an hour or so and talked about family history kinds of things, as well as other prep stuff. I had a quick exam and that was it! They have a lending library, and offer yoga classes, and other kinds of stuff in the group space there.

They have 6 midwives and while we won't know who's on call the day the baby comes, we'll definitely have a chance to meet them all by that time so we can be comfortable with whoever it ends up being.

I had to make a separate ultrasound appointment at a hospital for the "anatomy scan" which will tell us the baby's sex. It took me a minute to understand what an anatomy scan was, I was thinking MY anatomy! So funny. Anyway, that's set up for October 24th, so we can assign the name then. I have been calling the baby "It" or "The Kid" pretty routinely, so it will be nice to have a name to use instead.

20 weeks!

2008-10-02T17:18:00.000-04:00

This week is 20 weeks -- halfway there. Interestingly, the human gestation is actually 40 weeks (which is considered full term) and if you do the math at 4 weeks/month, that's 10 months! Alternately, some people count actual calendar months, which leaves you at about 9 months over that amount of time at 4.33 weeks per month.

It's confusing, and I think that's why pregnancy is often counted in weeks instead of months. Here's an article that helps explain.

H and the kids left yesterday and it was So. Quiet. in the house. This morning, I really was appreciating waking up to silence instead of squealing and screaming. I know it's all going to change very soon, but I'm going to enjoy the peace and quiet while I still can.

It's getting ridiculous

2008-09-29T17:20:00.000-04:00

I seriously think I am getting bigger every day. I STILL haven't exactly located the cord that allows you to upload photos to your computer, but hopefully there will be photos soon.

Speaking of photos, our friend H came for a spur-of-the-moment visit and brought her two toddlers (2 & 3 1/2) along. Talk about getting some practice! Those two are a super-handful. They are really cute though, and can be very sweet when they aren't throwing things onto the floor, and sometimes even then. On Saturday, I took a nap in the afternoon and awoke to a newly painted kitchen!! It was very exciting, and it has been really motivating toward getting some additional painting done. This week, I hope to finish up the dining room and paint the bathroom.

I will also renew my search for the camera cord so I can post photos of the house too.

not unlike the jeans problem

2008-09-25T17:32:00.001-04:00

In my new job I am lucky enough to work with many people I'd call friends, including the Burger Baroness. We get to spend many lunches together and so we talk a lot about the impending baby. I've gleaned a few memorable quotes from her in the past month, but the best situation was last week, when we went to the Food Court for burritos and a root beer (for me).

She was saying how I barely looked pregnant and I was saying that the particular pair of pants had this wide elastic waist that helped to smooth the belly a little. One complaint I have about these particular pants is that the waistband is a little snug sometimes -- I might be wearing it a little too high or something, so maybe it will improve once I'm a little bigger and it can act as support -- and I conveyed this complaint to her.

She returned this classic: "Oh, that's okay -- it just looks like you have a muffin top."

Amazing.

ahh relief

2008-09-23T18:18:00.000-04:00

I went to the mall over the weekend and found two pair of pretty adequate maternity jeans that I think I'll be able to wear for the rest of the pregnancy. They are so much more comfortable that I've already packed my other jeans away.

We were at the mall with our good friends Serra and The Professor and we were talking about how a fetus has a light covering of hair in the womb that helps to keep them warm. I've also been telling them all about my newly found emotionality, which I think prompted this conversation:

The Prof: Oh, that's so sweet.

Me: I think it's kind of icky, actually -- a hairy baby.

The Prof: But what if it was a hairy baby saying really sweet thing?

Me: Mm, no.

The Prof: What if it was a mom thinking about how much she loved her hairy baby?

I start welling up.

She was trying to make me cry!! I totally tattled on her to Cree.

I'm scared of my jeans.

2008-09-20T16:33:00.000-04:00

I have these two pair of maternity jeans that Cree lovingly picked up for me at the thrift store. I was so excited to have them, because I knew that I wouldn't really want to spend a bunch of money on pants I can only wear for 6 months or so (I'm that way). I may have mentioned (several times) how I can't really wear my clothes anymore and that's especially true for jeans because they aren't very stretchy.

This may have finally hit me when I went to our friends' house to watch football and found myself in the video rocker, pants completely unzipped, like Al Bundy. Not pretty.

So, I have the maternity jeans. The other night I put them on and they are WAY comfortable, like they should be, and I was feeling pretty good. I asked Cree what she thought and she said something along the lines of

They make your butt look pretty long. Can you pull them down?

Long? What does that mean exactly? We're still unpacking so I had to work my way toward a mirror and then I saw it.

So now what? Cree (again, lovingly) offered to move the pockets down. I think it will really help, but I may have to break down for a pair of 2008 maternity jeans that I feel good wearing out to dinner or something. Or maybe just switch to skirts?

Kick in the gut

2008-09-18T20:28:00.000-04:00

So, I'm 18 weeks along now and there is starting to be some action. By action, I mean that I can feel the baby moving! About a week ago, I caught this nasty cold and was in bed more than usual. I felt a weird thing and luckily Cree was there so I grabbed her hand and she felt it too! Now, it happens all the time. Usually when I am sitting or lying down and most often after I've eaten.

I wonder if at some point it will feel less exciting, but right now I can't help but smile every time it happens. It makes me seem like a very happy lady.

People have asked what it feels like. The Books say that it feels like "popcorn popping" (Ha! I almost typed pooping) or "butterflies" but I think it feels similar to when you put your hand on your pulse points in your neck. Try it, put your fingers on your neck like you are taking your pulse. Then imagine it's a little stronger than that, irregular and in your lower abdomen. Does anyone else have a good description?

Food!

2008-09-17T19:32:00.001-04:00

I somehow, mistakenly, thought that the food drama would be over after the first trimester. Over the weekend, I slept in a little (9 am) and then Cree wasn't feeling well so I made her some tea, let the dog out, etc., so I didn't get around to eating right away.

I quickly got past that because about 9:30 I felt so nauseated that I literally had to run upstairs to sit in front of the toilet in the I'm-about-to-puke position. I couldn't figure it out! I (thankfully!!) hadn't gotten sick at all during the whole first trimester, and even the nauseated feeling I had back then was low-grade compared to this. Luckily, the wave passed and I was able to wolf down a banana before it came back.

My lesson here is that I still need to pay close attention to eating regularly. I would never have guessed that 9:30 was not regular enough, but now I know. Eat first, other stuff later.

Belly shot

2008-09-15T18:37:00.001-04:00

Another belly shot, courtesy of Bevin (thank you!!). One day, I'll unpack the digital camera and it will be all photos, all the time.

The Seminar

2008-09-14T21:19:00.003-04:00

We went last week to our "Introductory Seminar" at The Birth Center. We were a few minutes late, but thankfully several other couples came in after us. It was pretty packed, with about 20 couples there -- we were definitely the only queers, but the midwives carefully always said "partner" which I appreciate. I also am pretty sure that everyone else lives somewhere in the suburbs, and one couple said they were traveling an hour and twenty minutes to be there, which I thought was a testament to how much they wanted to be in a place where they had some control over their experiences.

The seminar was very interesting, they offered a solid explanation of their philosophy, unplanned transfer rate (to the hospital: 15%), c-section rate (10%) and all those kinds of things. It fell right into line with what we were looking for, so now I just need to call and verify that my insurance covers everything I think it does. Woo!

Congratulations Donna and Suzanne!

2008-09-11T08:25:00.003-04:00

Yesterday at 7, our friends Donna and Suzanne just had a baby boy! 8 pounds 1.7 ounces, everyone is doing fine.

The birth center

2008-09-07T11:40:00.000-04:00

We made an appointment at this birth center in the suburbs. It's only about a 20 minute drive, which is at least how long it would take to get downtown to the hospital, and it's definitely going to have easy parking. It's also right across the street from their backup hospital, for those of you who worry.

We are going to an introductory seminar next week, and then we have an appointment the first week of October (on Cree's birthday!).

I'm really excited about going here, the people on the phone were very warm and friendly, and they sent us out an information packet which only helped us know that we made the right decision. On top of all that, it's covered by my insurance, which I'm thrilled about. I am willing to pay outright for quality midwifery care, but it's even better if my insurance can do so on my behalf.

Doctors are a pain

2008-09-05T17:40:00.000-04:00

Well, not all of them. We went to this really great one before we moved -- everyone in the office was really friendly and helpful and the doctor herself was really nice and actually acted like she was excited for us. I don't know if it's an east coast thing, but our experience here was definitely not as easy.

I first thought I'd just go back to the office I went to when we live here before. I made the appointment, and we waited 45 minutes in the waiting room without so much as a sheet of paperwork to fill out. We had a short conference where we decided that we'd rather not deal with it, so we left.

Then, I called this place that was recommended by a couple of friends who go there (one of whom is trying to get pregnant now) and the lady who answered the phone made it seem like this exclusive club: "We don't take people past 16 weeks" and when I tried to move my appointment from Friday to Tuesday during the call: "Are you sure? Because you can't change it again or else we can't take you." It made me feel really welcome and cared for.

Then I watched The Business of Being Born, which I'd definitely recommend for anyone who is planning to or wants to have a baby. Or even if you just care about someone who might have a baby someday. The film, combined with my recent experiences at doctor's offices helped us decide to again pursue looking for a birth center.

Oh, how we have changed

2008-09-03T19:02:00.004-04:00

We've moved, started new jobs and bought a house all since the last post, which was about a month ago. That month has been crazy stressful, which results in much crying from me, and unending patience from Cree.

I have gained about 5 pounds since then, and my jeans are so uncomfortable to wear that I always have to have them unbuttoned. I got a couple pair of maternity pants for work which I've been pretty much wearing nonstop. Our friend Bevin came to visit last weekend and she took this photo of my emerging belly.

I promise that I'll post photos more often (belly, baby room, etc.) once we unpack the camera.

Getting bigger

2008-08-03T18:25:00.000-04:00

I have grown out of my first pair of pants. It's week 12, and I know that everyone gains weight at different rates, but it was a strange feeling to take my pants off and have all kinds of those lines on my skin from when your clothes are too tight. I've already quit wearing some of my bras, but somehow that didn't seem as significant. We went shopping for maternity clothes at the outlet store, and I got some really cute things, that I hope will be practical and functional. Cree has been lurking around the thrift stores and has found some really good stuff in there, so slowly I'm building a wardrobe.

I realized today that I'm going to need a winter coat. The one I have now is one of those short ones with the elastic around the waist and it will definitely not work in a few months.

A real live photo

2008-08-02T16:19:00.003-04:00

We went for our first ultrasound and doctor's appointment last week. Here's the best photo, in my opinion.

During the ultrasound, the fetusbaby totally jumped around and waved it's arms. It was so strange and crazy and exciting all at once. Until then, I hadn't really "gotten" the idea that there is something actually in there! I knew intellectually, obviously, but something about seeing it made the whole thing feel very different.

We also got this gift bag full of prenatal vitamins and formula paraphenelia, including this sort of nice changing pad. It's crazy to see what a big business the whole thing is. I do like the fancy prenatal vitamins though.

The agony of food

2008-07-24T20:37:00.002-04:00

I guess it's pretty common in early pregnancy, but I can't seem to find anything that I want to eat. Usually, once I start eating something it turns out okay, but getting to that point is trying. Mostly soup sounds good (even in the summer, somehow) and I have been eating a fair amount of Ezekiel bread. I hear that it will get better in a couple of weeks, so I can't wait for that!

Tomorrow is my first real doctor's appointment, so we'll see how that goes. I think I'll have an ultrasound, so we'll know more soon.

It happens

2008-07-21T14:22:00.002-04:00

It actually happened much more quickly than we thought. We tried twice last summer with no positive results. The first time we were absolutely sure it had taken (I guess that's a common feeling) and the second time there were so many other stressful things happening in our lives that it was pretty much statistically impossible. We decided to wait until spring and then we wanted to maximize the likelihood of a pregnancy as much as we could.

I quit drinking caffeinated beverages. I started taking Red Clover and Folic Acid supplements. I'd been doing this, and tracking my cycle since December, at least, so we decided to go for it in May.

It was Memorial Day weekend, and we knew we wanted to inseminate twice during the Window of Opportunity so we ordered two samples. The first one we did at home and the second we did at the doctor's office.

The first few days passed super-slowly as we waited. We weren't going to take a pregnancy test because we didn't want to jinx anything, but as the days became longer and longer we changed our minds, but the real proof actually came a few days before.

We were going to dinner at a Thai place, and I'd been having a little bit of spotting. I was all freaked out about it, and was convinced that I was going to start my period. We got to the parking lot of the restaurant and I started crying and going on about how I didn't know what I wanted for dinner, and that I needed a haircut! Cree looked at me and said, "um, I am pretty sure you are pregnant."

A few days later, I peed on that stick, and her suspicions were confirmed.

Let's get it started

2008-07-02T16:24:00.003-04:00

Last summer, we decided to get the ball rolling. Our first try was in June. We had gone through the list of donors at our local sperm bank and chose our favorite. There's a lot of information that you can get about the donors and Cree was all about it. She wanted to get the family histories, the baby photos and the personal essays. Essays? I thought that was complete overkill -- and honestly I don't really want to know that much about this guy. He won't be perfect, by any stretch of the imagination, so as long as there's no major issues, then I'm good.

Cree came around (the second of many, many compromises and conversations!) and we decided to just go with it. We placed our order.

In the beginning

2008-06-26T16:16:00.005-04:00

We decided a couple of years ago that we wanted to have a child(ren). At first we thought that I would actually be the one getting pregnant. I'd talked about the idea incessantly for several years and was completely and totally obsessed with baby names while on road trips. Really to the dismay of Bee.

Bee had fought a good hard fight against the establishment and slowly but surely my enthusiasm had been caught.

One day she came home from visiting with a baby and said "I think I want to get pregnant." This awesome news meant that we wouldn't have to wait another three years before I finished school (in sculpture, eww dust and inhalants) before we could start our family addition.