first pair of blue jeans

2007 03 22 blue jeans

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angela and sienna

 

tummy time

 
 

arundel fam visit

2007 03 17 arundel visit

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today is not only special because it is st. patrick's day, but because i get to see my auntie and uncle and cousin today! yay! it was nice to be held and kissed and luv'd! i love my aunt kerry, uncle joel and cousin jake!

baby wearing

3-15 baby wearing

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3-15

3-15

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3-14

3-14

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3-13

3-13

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3-12

3-12

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3-9

3-9

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3-6

3-6

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2-28

2-28

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2-27

2-27

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2-26

2-26 going home

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2-25

2-25

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day 2

2-24

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day 1

2-23

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it's a girl!!!

2-22 The birth

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we are proud to announce the birth of our daughter meredith emma born today! she is a happy, alert, and healthy baby girl! we are so proud of her already! she is just so ambitious.... she broke her water just shy of her 39th week of gestation. she had only just started to descend into the pelvis for birth just a few days ago and really hadn't gotten far enough down. she must have been just too excited to come out and meet us. at the hospital daddy coached mommy through natural childbirth (no pain medication) just as we had planned.

progress was being made on all fronts except little meredith's head was just not cooperating. she wouldn't budge even after 18hrs of labor! mommy and daddy were then just too excited to have her out and in our arms so we decided that it was the best choice to go with a cesarean birth as the grand finale (there is only so much time that they will give you to deliver the baby in a hospital.)

the procedure was quick and we were able to both see her birth through a mirror in the operating room. the moment was very surreal.

we actually have a baby girl, a daughter, we are parents!!!! hurrray!!!!

through all of the joy we heard the doctor say that little meredith had been trying to get out with her head facing my belly instead of my back.... she chose the slowest and most time-consuming way to come out.

alas, her method was revealed! i had no idea that i had been in back labor throughout the day, but daddy suspected it because i required almost constant back massages during his coaching. mmmmmm back massages.

isn't life just wonderful? this is soooo amazing that we have brought a wonderful little person into this world. thank you God for the most wonderful hubby and baby for me!

guessing game

it is still fun to be preggo at 38 weeks except for one thing, 'she is pinching me.'

i actually felt that this pinching was a urinary tract infection.... but the doctors have now assured me (and the proper lab work of course) that i am just experiencing the magical moment of our little girl's head descending into the pelvis. wow. i was wondering when and how that would feel, but this pinching feeling has really thrown me off guard. i am actually USING my relaxation techniques to cope with the pinching. is this our girl's little way of preparing mommy for an easy labor? let's hope so!

and then that brings me to the whole reason for this post today. let's get some guesses in for baby's due date, weight, and length!

you can post your guess as a comment to this post or sign the guest book with your guess. so far we have only had cousin hope and daddy respond to the guessing request from the right hand column titled 'baby predictor.' (see what they think in the guestbook.)

i was just asking baby's grandma s for her guess and here is hers:
birthdate : 3-2-7
weight: 7.8-8lbs
length: 21 inches

37 week belly and more

happy valentines day from our clan to yours!

here we are at 37 weeks pregnant at my cousin angela's new photo studio! the baby luv'd getting the special photo treatment and we enjoyed taking the time to 'capture' our 'great expectation.' we think she did a great job showing off our new curves....

today happens to be a snow day in our neck-of-the-woods and we couldn't be cozier all bundled up in hybernation! scott took advantage of the time to do some baby proofing and well i uh, uh, have been napping! well i'm just giving the baby what she needs and what my snotty nose needs too. i won't complain too much about the snotty nose though, i have been so lucky to have not dealt with much more than that for the pregnancy :)

do you want to know how silly we are? we do some valentine celebrating on a grand scale on the day after valentines day. that is when i come home with the stash of freshly discounted ferrero rocher chocolates and we feast like kings and queens! the kitty likes to chase the little tinfoil wrappers around on the floor..... it is a wonderful way to celebrate! mmmm can't wait until tomorrow!

baby shower

2007 02 03 baby shower

click on the photos to see an online album of baby shower pics! grandma put on a lovely shower saturday and we had fun. it is nice to share the excitement of the upcoming birth. i think everyone was excited to be together on such a cold cold cold day to warm up to baby baby baby stuff! right now everything baby is somehow just sacred and special.

hmmm maybe even diapering is starting to cross over from 'the darkside' in my mind. well almost! i am trying to think positive about diapering and toileting anyways! scott and i will both be newbies to that whole world when baby finally comes!

well back to the shower! i've included a variety of pictures from the shower, including pictures of the gifts because everyone was so generous. our little baby is one special girl already! thank you everyone!

36weeks

  here i am at 36 weeks with my mommy and her mommy (my grandma!) they are getting all excited about everything baby and me too. mommy rubs me down and feeds me all the time now. she says i like icecream a lot. she says i am starting to like aged cheeses now. she gave me lots of mushrooms from the chinese buffet last night..... mmmmm spicy! mommy says its too late to calorie restrict now, but i have no idea what she means. something about everything is brain food. i guess she thinks i need lots of variety? i like variety. today mommy is going to eat cake for me at the baby shower. mmmm cake. i like parties! hope you like parties too! mommy says she will post the pictures 'soon as she can :) have a great day! luv baby

baby symbol

the baby bottle is a distinct and powerful image. it may evoke comfort. that milky white container of nourishment symbolizes health and satisfaction to millions of babies worldwide. this is what has sustained us. generations of babies have been fed by no better means than this wonderful comforting container. this IS the symbol of baby to so many. this image has built the human race up from its neanderthal roots.

what? well isn't this THE container for feeding? isn't it perfect and traditional? isn't it properly industrialized? don't we see this image as THE symbol of everything pure and 'baby'? how more perfect could this container be?

am i the first person to notice the subliminal image of the bottle and compare it to breastfeeding? i can see why the breast isn't used as a symbol for baby... but why a bottle?

no. no. no. this is not my original idea at all, but it is one that has stuck with me (sorry, forgot the source!) i am going to be a breastfeeding momma and the resources out there for me all have these atrocious warnings.... mom's don't always have the best success stories when it comes to breastfeeding. mom's don't get the right support from their loved ones and even their medical professionals let alone public opinion. but it is clear that breastfeeding is the healthiest choice for baby (and mom.)

why? why should it be so challenging? isn't breastfeeding normal or at least natural? isn't that why the breasts go through all those changes during pregnancy and right after? isn't that why babies have instincts to root and suck? don't baby formula companies out there openly admit that breastfeeding is really better than their product? yes. even scientists and pediatricians are amazed at the power of breast milk and baby's ability to thrive. we are miles away from even identifying all the lovely cozy 'comfort proteins' and other 'goodies' that are in breast milk.

so why am i doomed to be a breastfeeding challenged mother to start with? why does society make me worry about my breasts and their abilities to upset people or dissatisfy my baby? i have taken the breastfeeding class. i have read a few breastfeeding books. i have reached out to my breastfeeding relatives and friends. i have located the local la leche league. i have purchased a breastfeeding bra and pajamas.

and now i wait. are my breasts prepared? these are my guns. will they be loaded and ready? will they know that i am expecting them to qualify me in this breastfeeding race? will they adequately equip me with at least a years supply of nourishment? can they hold up to that stranger who hollers for me to put my 'sexual' object away in public? can i defend them in return for such service?

there are choices to make when it comes to the bottle or breast. there are lives and emotions at stake. the decision may even be more complicated as breast milk is sometimes used in the bottle. but it isn't a war against moms who formula feed or moms who breast feed in my book. my choice is not a license to ridicule the moms who have made the opposite choice. i don't want this post to be about upsetting moms who have formula fed their babies. i actually believe that moms and dads are the ones that make the best choices for their babies, not me. this post is about how society makes bottle=baby bottle=baby bottle=baby. we need to separate the two images. wouldn't most parents think that an image of baby could actually symbolize baby? wow, baby=baby!

i want to empower the parents out there. now that i can visualize myself as a parent, the ability to parent is something that i must stand up for. these are our children whether we hold them to the breast or the bottle, they are precious. for first time parents like us, we must realize that sometimes our rights as parents have been limited by those who have come before us. we must educate ourselves and observe what makes our society work. where do we fit in? how have we been supported? how can we maintain and establish the best society for our children to be raised in?

the man in the moon

great grandma ardith had a special nursery rhyme that she shared with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. we think our little girl will luv the imagery and rhythm of this fun rhyme and maybe you will like it too! it was a recent hit at the family baby shower. if you have a special nursery rhyme or favorite to share, please post it in the comments. our little girl would luv to hear it.

the man in the moon
by unknown author

the man in the moon
as he sails through the sky
is a very remarkable skipper
but he made a mistake
when he went to take
a drink of milk out of the dipper
he dipped right into the milky way
and slowly and carefully he filled it
the big bear growled
and the little bear howled
and scared him so that he spilled it!

got belly?

 
 

the baby sure has been busy these last 10 weeks! you are looking at the belly shot from 23 weeks and 33 weeks pregnant! we are just mesmerized with the transformation!

my mom says she wants to see the 43 week picture....
well... uh... uh..

i guess my doctor will let me go to 42 weeks, if that's what makes baby happy. but i think i would definitely pop by 43 weeks right? we had a regular doctors check-up yesterday and everything is looking good.

"her head is pointing down and her rump is up!"
"just keep doing what you are doing"
"don't mess with success"
"go out and treat yourself to a nice lunch out"

the doctor was just so perky! it is so fun to have the baby in the belly and to be at this stage of the game. we are savouring it! the baby belly got all sorts of extra rubs yesterday, knowing where all of her 'parts' were. it was most funny when she did a punch after getting her bottom pushed!

we were teasing her that she is like the kitty, you pat his bum when he is sleeping and he lifts his head and 'meooooows' so quickly! how fun it is to know where her arms and legs are! we weren't getting many good clues on our own. the belly is a mystery! i wonder how long she will stay in this position? i guess there is something to look forward to for the next doctors visit after all (besides jumping on the scale.)

baby shower

2007 01 13 baby shower

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we had a wonderful shower yesterday by aunts, cousins, and sister-in-law on scott's side of the family! it was so nice visiting, sharring, reminsicing, and being baby-spoiled! i always get a little nervous if i need to be the center of attention but something is special about carrying the center of attention tooo!

our little baby kept pretty low key through all of the festivities, even the laughter from the diaper guessing game! she isn't swirling so firercely in the belly anymore, she has started to run out of room for that.... now she gives me bubbly-types of movements that are mostly gentle and quick.

i've posted a variety of pictures from the shower, including some gift pictures too just because of everyone's generosity. the baby is definately spoiled! what a special time to celebrate a new life! thank you! thank you! thank you!

magazines

isn't it great to find a good magazine? isn't it just wild to stand there in front of the hugest display of magazines and just marvel at all that selection? and then i start to think about the different times in my life where i have admired totally different sections..... the possibilities seem endless. scott and i used to spend whole afternoons just having fun catching up on those magazine racks at barnesnobles. we could gather a huge stack and find a cozy table to pour through the pages. sitting across from each other it was funny to see our varied interests. as we sipped our coffees we undoubtedly would share all the latest and greatest from the best takes that we read. the time was magical.

i am reminiscing a bit because lately i have been hogging all of the baby magazines. i sit there in the obgyn's office and wish i had more time in the waiting room to get through a couple more. i have free subscriptions coming to the house. i carry them in stacks from one 'chair' to the next. i set my bottle of tums on a slippery mountain of them next to the bed. it is a funny thing how these magazines have come to life. sometimes they carry such little content, yet i am still romanced by the glossy photos and drooling babies.

then today i was reading an article in parents (jan 2007) that made me realize something for the first time. it is titled 'its a wonderful web' and lists a few parenting/baby websites that are worth looking into. it seemed interesting. i marked the page and decided to look them up sometime when i was surfing. wowsa! these websites are totally cool. i realized that the internet is my new magazine stand. yes, i may have stacks, piles, and loads of well-worn pages of glossy magazines all over the house, but they do not even begin to compare to the internet sites that i have bookmarked. it has been fun to cruise these new sites that the article suggested, so i have included them here in this post and then you can find them in the column to the right where i have links for parenting websites listed. enjoy! devour! hay, and post a comment if you have some good sites that i should add or just check out!

http://kiddley.com/

http://www.babygadget.net/

http://www.parenthacks.com/

http://thingamababy.com/

we have beans

 

now finally i have a forum to just come right out and admit.... we are coffee crazies! ahhh. there it is folks. we are a couple of 'those.' but not in a snobby way. no, we are just humble java lovers. the smell. the warm cup. the mood. mmmmm coffee.

some time ago we ventured into those early-day coffee houses, yes even the ones before starbucks. it was a neat scene, sometimes a little jittery, but the coffee was alive! there were fantastic drinks with loads of chocolate syrup, heavy cream, and frothy milk. the base of all those crazy drinks was something magical and fiesty, it was espresso.

espresso wasn't something we could make easily at home, at first. our regular coffee makers were not built to force water to marry with the bean under pressure. we started out small and purchased one of those mr. coffee espresso makers. actually i remember scott got me one as a gift, and it was the grandest gift of all the land. it was magical. it had power. it was our coffee shop for a good 10 years. many of those years it reigned so supreme that no other coffee 'maker' even existed in the same dwelling. yes, she was that good.

and then about a year ago a fascination started to develop. our old espresso maker was loosing steam fast, and there the internet was full of espresso maker reviews from other java junkies. you could tweak some machines to maximize their output. you could froth milk better, or optimize your crema when brewing espresso just by....... the information was out there. the timing was right. we upgraded our espresso maker and have never looked back.

so here we are, sipping our sweet espressos at home! we are versatile though, we can whip up the finest cup of tea or try to figure out any other 'hot' drink that might be the fancy! to keep costs down we have even experimented with roasting our own coffee beans. it isn't so hard really when there are cool websites out there to help with that too. can you believe that you can roast your own coffee in about 15 minutes at home much like making popcorn? somewhere i read that our greatgrandparents probably roasted coffee themselves or had someone in their neighborhood that roasted for them. maybe it is coming back in style? well even if it is not, it sure is all the rage at our house.

well i hope this post doesn't leave you feeling intimidated. i suppose that i have ranted on about something that you may or may not even like. let this post just give you the satisfaction that something as simple as drinking coffee every day can be the highlight of ones day. for you it may not be coffee, but certainly it would be grand for you to have that special something that you can take credit for. the special something that is purely yours to enjoy lavishly. it may even warm you throughout the craziest of crazy days!

happy new year!

 

it is so exciting to be in the new year already! wooo hoo! so this is the year of 'double o 7' as someone recently put it. isn't that just the coolest way to refer to a year of such promise, mystery, and suspense???

so what are our wishes for this brand new year? howabout EVERYTHING! it seems so obvious that we all need everything this year to turn out just right. we need we need we need, right? i should be humble and write that just a few things would be extra special, but this year seems too big. this new year seems too brand new. the possibilities of hope and wonder and amazement are just so grand. this is going to be THE year where EVERYTHING is wonderful.

how can i be so hopeful? well with such a happy swirling baby in my belly and on my brain, i can't help but see the world and this new year as THE magical place and time. i am walking around with a crystal ball of sorts. i rub the beautiful bulging baby belly and all of these glorious images of 'first times' and 'magical moments' that were never possible before, flash before my eyes. there are fireworks, there is music, laughter, peace and love. this is definately going to be THE YEAR of greatness! go ahead, put faith in your maker and raise your dreams up... give yourself a chance to feel awesome with wonder and delight! happy new year everyone!

happiest baby on the block

this was a great read! we have really enjoyed reading dr. karp's book. there are some basic calming techniques that this book explores and a new concept to us.... the first 3 months of our baby's life can be considered the '4th trimester.' dr. karp gives this title to the newborn stage because babies need our extra care during this time. if our baby is fussy during this time (and we can't figure out why) than we can use the techniques to 'cure' her need for comfort by trying to replicate the conditions that nurtured her in the womb. these conditions include: swaddling, side/stomach lying (not for sleeping,) sound (shh-ing), sucking, and swaying (motion that is gentle and not like shaking at all.) these 5 techniques are said to work wonders on the newborns because they sometimes just need that something extra........ it is wild to think that we are only a few months away from trying these ideas out ourselves!

we have received our baby language dvds by dunstan that i brought up in an earlier post after seeing an oprah show episode. the purpose of these particular dvds is to teach parents the 5 basic words/cries that a newborn (0-3month) can make and what they mean. with all of the examples given on the dvds, it has been interesting to be out in public when babies are nearby. i can say that we are no longer 'passive' listeners to a baby's cry. is there such thing as ignoring a baby's cry anyways? well, no, but now it is actually interesting and a way for us to 'test' out the dunstan baby language that we have learned..... something tells me that we will get lots of 'testing' done early on in march!

so why all the fuss about baby dvds and baby books? i recently realized that my baby book collection was all centered around the birth experience. what would happen After the baby is born? there surely would be diapers, crying, sleeping, and breastfeeding questions..... then a light bulb went off in my head and i began to look at the world of parenting, and not just the world of labor 'surges' and breathing techniques. it is still a big step to take in my mind as i sit here another few inches away from my desk and the big brother kitty fights to find lap space pressed up against the desk and the baby.... maybe there is more room in there for another christmas cookie :)