# ~+~+~Nov 05 Mamas moving on into Feb ~+~+~



## 3for3hb (Jan 13, 2005)

Here's last month's thread

I figure I'll just start this since I wanted to post this pic of Gabriel falling asleep at the table last night







He refused to take a nap yesterday because he was so excited to see Willem. I had left G with dh while I went to pick W up from preschool. Apparently they had a wonderful time together. But something about getting out of the house and doing something without his older brother really made him miss him.
Needless to say I had a rough afternoon. But I got them dinner early, as in before dh came back from work.
Last thing I heard was "mommy, this is weeeawee good" a couple of seconds later I turn around and his head is down and he's out. I managed to get a dipe on him and lay him in bed without to much of a fuss.

It's so cute when he just falls asleep from running himself ragged!


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Just subbing for now! Monique, you might want to link this new thread from the old one. I wasn't sure that there was one yet.


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## Phoenix_Rising (Jun 27, 2005)

How on earth is it February already? Didn't the year just start?







:


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

gabriel is so cute!









well, life is a bit crazy. 3 is a handful, but a pretty lovely one, most of the time. ngaio is adjusting..there are moments that i want to pull my hair out, but i try to remember what it must be like for her to all of a sudden not be the baby anymore. it makes me a bit sad.
mostly she loves rue and just wants to kiss and hug her all day. bedtime is the hardest...but we just havn't got a routine yet.

we leave next week for home. im sooo excited, and a bit nervous too. its going to be weird to come from this busy loud house to our quiet little haven in the country..but im looking forward to the simplicity of it. i miss my bed and my kitchen so much! ill miss mdc.









rue turned 1 week old last night! but it feels like months already.. she is still so happy and content with the world. i have tons of milk now, thanks to the mamamilk tea ive been drinking by the gallon...so she is even more happy if that is possible. we have had a few baths and she loooves water. the first time she got this look on her face like.."im home!" it made me cry.

so after this week it will probably be few and far between visits here for me..but ill be thinking of all of you and your babes, specially the mommas in waiting.


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## Awaken (Oct 10, 2004)

Subbing! So happy to hear Helen's news


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MamaFern* 
we have had a few baths and she loooves water. the first time she got this look on her face like.."im home!" it made me cry.

Awwwww that made me teary. That is just so sweet.


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## HoneyTree (Apr 5, 2005)

Hey Mamas. I left school a bit early today to come home and rest, but of course I'm so jacked up from the day that I can't! Dh calls it "fake energy." The toddler is blissfully asleep at 3 o'clock in the afternoon and the sick mama is wide awake; this is going to be bad about 9 p.m.

Well, my seed catalog came in yesterday, so I think I'm going to go wish and plan and hopefully wind down enough to sleep for a half hour or so...


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *HoneyTree* 
toddler is blissfully asleep at 3 o'clock in the afternoon and the sick mama is wide awake; this is going to be bad about 9 p.m.









Oh Mama. I know all about those late naps. You can't avoid them but they can be so disastrous for *your* evening! Here's to hoping he'll be ready to crash again at a reasonable time.

I feel like I'm going through a major re-orientation in life direction or something the past few days. I feel myself pulling away from teaching at Waldorf (for a couple of reasons) and really thinking seriously about returning to finish my PhD. There are so many reasons why it's the practical and smart thing to do...but I'm just not sure if my heart is 100% in it. But sh*t, other than my home life, I'm not sure my heart would be 100% in anything anymore!

Fern, I'm so glad to hear life with Rue is sweet and that you are excited to return home. We are going to miss you so much!!!! I hope you will be able to check in frequently.









Monique, that picture was adorable!


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

Hey! I'm still here! Welcome River!!

Now off to







:


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

I'm here, too- finally MDC isn't being so slow that I give up before posting (my wireless connection is partly to blame- but come on!).

Welcome baby River!


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Here too







The name going on the birth certificate is Samson Douglas River, btw. He's going to grow up as either Sam or River, but I have no idea which...







: Steve lost his nerve on the hippie name









And we survived our first trip out of the house with 4, even though Skye threw multiple tantrums and Isaac managed to make it into the car with nobody realising that he was wearing heelies and- you get the picture, right?- and nothing really bad happened, so that was good. Kind of. It's a start?


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

Way to go Helen! My first trip out of the house with 4 kids was scarrrryyyyy.


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Helen I don't think River is even a hippy name over here. If that makes any difference. I like it.









We went to the museum this morning and looked at the wooly mammoth and all his little friends, and played in the stern of Captain Vancouver's big boat. I have a pass for the museum now so I expect we'll be doing that a lot. The museum is a convenient 10-minute walk from our house, too. Aside from that, nothing much is new. One of my best friends just moved back to Victoria, so I am happy about that... but another of my best friends is moving away, which makes me very sad - and Rowan, too, because M's little boy is one of HER best friends and she loves him to bits and they play SO well together. Sniff.

Gotta go tidy. Does anyone else have a toddler who has a pathological hatred for a tidy living room? Every time I tidy up Rowan makes a beeline for the toy box when she comes in and empties it in under 15 seconds. Sigh.


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Gabriel is beautiful, Monique. I forgot to mention it earlier









Last night I had the ultimate nighttime success. DH and I had a date night, and Neela fell asleep in her clothes and without a diaper. I managed to get her tights off and put on some tights and pajama bottoms without waking her up. In the past this would have precipitated an hour of nursing back to sleep







And the date was great, too









Spughy and anyone else who might have expertise in the area: can anyone recommend a great documentary about gardening/food supply or something related? I'm hoping to plan a spring kick-off event for the community gardens I co-ordinate, and would love to show a film. This one looks great, but isn't available at either the public or university library.

In bad news, the recent rain has confirmed that the "fixing" of the leak in my car a couple of weeks ago was totally inadequate. We're taking it back in next week for re-diagnosis. I can't believe that we've spent so much money and still have a soggy car. That needs brake work, too.







: I want to join a sophisticated car co-op where the expenses are fixed and I don't have to deal with the minutiae of car ownership!

Spughy~ I'm sorry for you and Rowan that your friends are leaving. Neela's best friend/neighbour moved last summer, and Neela kept walking over to their house to visit. It was so sad


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Crazy, crazy weekend here. Power outage for 48 hours, stayed with my parents so we could have heat/water, went to see the circus, went to visit my aunt with lung cancer who is very close to the end. I was so proud of the kids... the nurse said they had to wear surgical masks to come in the hospital room and they happily donned them, then were very sweet and cheerful, even though my aunt was hardly recognizable (lost all her hair, lost a lot of weight, had the big oxygen mask on, had her dentures out, etc). It really cheered up my aunt to get her baby-fix by seeing them.


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## HoneyTree (Apr 5, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MelW* 
I want to join a sophisticated car co-op where the expenses are fixed and I don't have to deal with the minutiae of car ownership!

Sign me up! Both of our cars are on the fritz right now, and I'm simply done with it. We're for sure selling the car dh has been using (y'all might remember, the Cherokee that my mom gave us when we got pregnant, and that I was so conflicted about taking anyway because it's such a gas guzzler) because it has a problem that two expensive fixes in two years has not actually fixed. And the other car just today started acting funny.

If only my job were either on a bus route or an even remotely pedestrian-friendly road, I'd give up cars for good.

No, that's not true. I'd be too freaked out that I couldn't escape if something horrible happened. I really try not to be in that headspace, but that War of the Worlds crap really gets to a girl's limbic system.


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## Gunter (May 5, 2005)

i have missed you all these past few days. since friday, i was at a post partum doula training from 8am-6pm every day. it was fabulous to be in a room full of women so concerned about caring for new moms and to be on the verge of being a new mom, again myself. the best part was that i totally fell in love with my babe-in-utero so strongly.

you all know i wasn't expecting to be preggo before our year abroad, was sick for 3 months, fell down stairs, came back to the usa early to a trashed house, etc...and have had a hard time being glad about being preggo...plus feeling overwhelmed by becoming a mom to two. so much of that was put into perspective for me personally this weekend. i apologized to the babe for how selfish i have been, mainly thinking about my needs/wants/goals over the babe's needs. so, now i am excited to meet this one! honored that it chose to come to our family! feeling more ready for labor, birth, newborn nursing, and meshing our current family with my little feb lovey. who knew it would be such a time of healing? i am so thankful that it was though.

now, i want to catch up with you all! i know helen and fern had their babes but need to read what they decided about names. and, how is nursing ad sleeping going with amy and brynn...neela and rowan and everyone else for that matter?


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Gunter* 
i totally fell in love with my babe-in-utero so strongly....so much of that was put into perspective for me personally this weekend. i apologized to the babe for how selfish i have been, mainly thinking about my needs/wants/goals over the babe's needs. so, now i am excited to meet this one! honored that it chose to come to our family! feeling more ready for labor, birth, newborn nursing, and meshing our current family with my little feb lovey. who knew it would be such a time of healing? i am so thankful that it was though. ...and, how is nursing ad sleeping going with amy and brynn...?

Aww Gunter, that sounds really wonderful.







Sounds like you are definitely on the way to having a golden year.

Oh, Brynn just woke up. More later!


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

So anyway - I can honestly say that I feel OK with how our sleep is going. Brynn goes to bed so easily now; it's actually really enjoyable. We rock and talk about the day and then I put her into bed and she goes to sleep! She generally sleeps at least 6 hours and sometimes wakes up at 2:30 and will come get in bed with us. If she sleeps past 2:30, then she will make it all the way to 4:30 or 5:00 before she comes to our bed. But even that doesn't bother me anymore, because she just climbs into bed and cuddles up and goes to sleep. She's gotten into the habit of waking up at 5:30 to nurse, but this morning rather than nursing her in our bed (which leads to 45 minutes of her dozing while attached to the boob), I took her to her room and nursed her in the rocking chair and put her back into her bed. She came back to our bed about 10 minutes later, but didn't ask to nurse, so we just went back to sleep very easily! When she woke up at 8:00, she asked to nurse, but I distracted her by rocking and playing with some toys for about 10-15 minutes and then she was ready to get up! So I feel like we are gradually decreasing the number of nursings during the day and most importantly, it's not traumatizing her! I feel really good about that.

Things just feel like they are going better than ever lately, so I'm grateful for that. She's so fun and sweet these days, and makes me laugh so much.







We had a really fun weekend as a family, and it just made me realize that we need to decrease our weekend obligations so that we have more time to spend doing enjoyable activities together. It makes a big difference in our feelings of harmony overall.

My MIL will be here this weekend for a week, and I am actually looking forward to it so that I can get some things done; we've still got a zillion projects around the house, and I want to go back to my university and talk to my advisor and people on my academic committee about coming back to the program. But most of all, I am *really* excited about spending the night with Jason at a hotel, _sans bebe_! We were telling one of our friends about it, and she said, "Are you going to get crazy and party all night?" and I was like, "No, we'll probably go see a movie and fall asleep at 9:00!"







Hey, that's pretty damn exciting to me!


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

Hey ladies! I think I'll actually post something this morning.

Way cute pic of Gabriel!! He's a super gorgeous little guy. I haven't gotten the chance to peek at many of the November babes since I feel like I've just jumped in on getting to know you guys.

I actually love the name River and don't consider it super hippie... although I know it is supposed to be.

Isaac has been doing fabulous with his new little sister... and I haven't had to figure out tandem nursing since he weaned himself about four months ago. He hasn't even seemed to ask for it or even notice when I nurse her. I was pretty sad when he stopped nursing, but he still cuddles in the morning and at night- so I still get snuggles in at least. He nightweaned a long time ago, so he usually only wakes up at night if something is wrong. Isaac's issue is waking up super EARLY. Like sometimes at 4am. That's a little exhausting... although I have to say he's timed it lately where IF he does it he coincides it with a time that I'm already up nursing Jasmine.

So no complaints from me. Except about school. It's midterms... and I'm just about ripping my hair out. I think my kids are just happy because they don't even think I'm in school anymore since it's all online and I mainly work on it when they are sleeping. Boy that's hard though trying to get them down and have enough time to work on it before I'm falling asleep at the keyboard. *Sigh* It's over in four weeks and then I'll have a couple weeks off. I intend on rewarding myself after next quarter with a major vacay. Somewhere hot and sandy.

Hope all you ladies are doing well and I am so thrilled for all of the new little nurslings!


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## Phoenix_Rising (Jun 27, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MamaFern* 
we leave next week for home. im sooo excited, and a bit nervous too. its going to be weird to come from this busy loud house to our quiet little haven in the country..but im looking forward to the simplicity of it. i miss my bed and my kitchen so much! ill miss mdc.









rue turned 1 week old last night! but it feels like months already.. she is still so happy and content with the world. i have tons of milk now, thanks to the mamamilk tea ive been drinking by the gallon...so she is even more happy if that is possible. we have had a few baths and she loooves water. the first time she got this look on her face like.."im home!" it made me cry.

I'll miss having you on here regularly but I TOTALLY understand the need to be home. We lived with my MIL for almost 2 years after Keagan was born (we've been home three months) and oh boy was I ready to be in our own space again! And about being home in the water - Keagan did the same thing. I'm pretty sure I did cry - and then laugh and the hormone surges









Quote:


Originally Posted by *flapjack* 
Steve lost his nerve on the hippie name

















I know a couple of people named River - I love the name. Not something Allison would ever be okay with naming a child though because of the "hippie factor".

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MelW* 
In bad news, the recent rain has confirmed that the "fixing" of the leak in my car a couple of weeks ago was totally inadequate. We're taking it back in next week for re-diagnosis. I can't believe that we've spent so much money and still have a soggy car. That needs brake work, too.







: I want to join a sophisticated car co-op where the expenses are fixed and I don't have to deal with the minutiae of car ownership!

If I remember right you are in the PNW, right? Have you checked into Flexcar?


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

I cut Brynn's hair. It's really cute!


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

Way cute!


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## Awaken (Oct 10, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Gunter* 
i have missed you all these past few days. since friday, i was at a post partum doula training from 8am-6pm every day. it was fabulous to be in a room full of women so concerned about caring for new moms and to be on the verge of being a new mom, again myself. the best part was that i totally fell in love with my babe-in-utero so strongly.

I want to spend more time checking in! But as always I'm at the end of a loooooong day and only have time to read, not post much. Gunter, I am excited to hear about your training- I am taking it March 28-30th! I am looking forward to it, yet it will be hard to be away from home for 3 days, plus I work a full day before and after it- so I'll be away for 5 days in a row! It's almost 2 months away and I'm already worried about leaving the kids for so long!

Was the class useful, and worth it? I feel like a lot of it I already know...the breastfeeding info and supporting new moms, I just need to get more experience. What I really need to know about, is the business aspect of starting a doula business, and I'm not even sure they go over that in the class!


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## HoneyTree (Apr 5, 2005)

Holy cow! We stayed quiet long enough to make it to the THIRD page! Well, here's a







.

OK, does this make me a bad person? Most months, I'd like to get pregnant. Dh feels otherwise, but is not insistent on it. And because I chart, I can tell roughly when the timing is good, though I think my chart is on the wacky side of f*cked up, so very often it's anybody's guess. So in the heat of the moment, unless he specifically asks, I don't really offer the information about the state of my cervical mucus, temperatures, cervix, etc.

I sometimes feel like this is on the verge of trickery. But we've had a few close calls in the last several months, and dh is always pretty OK with it. He's a very roll-with-it kind of guy. So then I think it's less trickery and more just me moving us toward a decision that he just probably wouldn't get around to making.

But I wondered if any of you would mind sharing how you do/would handle this. I just have this sense that a lot of partners are reluctant to "plan" for kids or more kids, but that this fact doesn't really reflect their feelings about actually _having_ more kids.

And there's always the possibility that I'm just a bad person.


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *HoneyTree* 
And there's always the possibility that I'm just a bad person.

Hee hee.

My two cents is that if he's not vehement about it, and he's not asking, it's not bad or even trickery. It's like the military: Don't ask, don't tell!


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Anyone else celebrate Mardi Gras today with the kids? We did!!!

Its been amazing weather here the last couple of days... I'm loving taking long walks with Ellie in the stroller! I hope the weather holds a few more days so we can go hiking.

I think if someone is opposed to having kids they are usually VERY vocal and clear about it. Just my $0.02.


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Queen of Cups* 
I think if someone is opposed to having kids they are usually VERY vocal and clear about it. Just my $0.02.









What is Mardi Gras about even? Seriously have no idea.

And ITA with Q of C!


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Susannah M* 
If I remember right you are in the PNW, right? Have you checked into Flexcar?

Yes, there was a great co-op in Vancouver that I wanted to join. We're in Oregon right now, but probably moving back to BC this summer and then I'll investigate options depending on exactly where we end up. I spent a couple of days fantasizing that that spy satellite would plummet to earth and land on our parked car, since I'm pretty sure it would be covered by insurance. And it would be cool enough that maybe we'd get to be on Letterman or something.

Now I'm less despondent, and am taking it back to the shop to get the leak re-assessed in the morning. But my bike has had two flat tires in two days and was badly in need of a tune up, so is also in the shop. How can both of my main modes of transportation go out of commission at the same time?! I guess I'll be walking a lot in the next couple of days









HoneyTree, I'm the dissenting voice on this one. I don't think you're a bad person, but I think you need to have a serious conversation (we call them "clothes on" conversations; not in the moment). It's the kind of situation that could really build resentment if you're not quite on the same page. If your DH doesn't want to have a baby right now then he needs to take responsibility for some birth control, but you need to communicate that somehow. And if he kind of actually wants to have another baby, then he should stop pretending that it's all your idea









Awaken~ I hope your doula training goes well and your business is successful!

Amy~ Cute haircut Brynn!


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Honeytree







I'm putting this out here on the main thread, but I need you to remember that this week you should have been cuddling a newborn. The whole "baby" issue is probably very very real for you right now, and for your DH, and you need to talk about it. ALL of it. Including how he felt about the miscarriage. I also think that your views are probably very hormone driven right now. Are you reading the H&H thread?
The other thing I know, however, is that Steve does not want to know anything at all about my cycles. The idea of deliberately timing sex when we knew I was fertile was just icky and wrong to him- don't get him wrong, he loves our fertility. He just wants to perceive us as fertile and fecund all the time, rather than just for 2-3 days a month







because of course, men are. BUT also, if you dtd at that time of the month and no baby, if you know that she's fertile, then what does that make him?????? It's a minefield...
Unromantic though this sounds, and though it'll slow down conception, I say throw away the thermometer and shag his brains out









Queen of Cups, we just made pancakes. The village my dad taught in had an annual football game though- take a pigs stomach, inflate it and then all the young men of the village hurtle through the town like hooligans with the aim of dumping it in a stream. Fun times, huh?







It's amazing what northern men can do for fun, and it mostly involves pigs or sheep... For them that don't know, yesterday was the day before Lent, so Fat Tuesday (or over here, Shrove Tuesday)- a last day of profligacy before austerity. So the British traditionally celebrate by making pancakes, one of the most austere foodstuffs imaginable. Boy, nobody can say we don't know how to party









Mel, I'm so sorry your wheels are out of action. Is this time to start playing the lottery?

Amy, I love the haircut









Mary, Gunter, yay with the doula training









Us? We're still struggling with the baby name issue, despite the sig. He's still gorgeous, though his left eye's a bit goopy and he's a touch jaundiced- the cord fell off on Tuesday and it's all going far- too- quickly. I'm below pre-pregnancy weight as well







: and it doesn't feel like I had a baby six days ago. and Skye? In the last week has

insisted on testing EVERYTHING first, from Hotslings to newborn prefolds.
breastfed a rescue hero








taken advantage of feeding time to sit in the breakfast cereal drawer pouring porridge oats into rice krispies.
Ground three packets of KoolAid into the carpet
and so on







Bless her, at least she's creative. It's fair to say she's not a big fan of being a big sister. Oh, and the whole family keep losing the baby: Alex got very confused when I picked him up from school on Monday and he couldn't see the baby, but everyone else could: in a wrap on my chest. Isaac lost him twice yesterday, and Skye is just fascinated by the double buggy. Oh, except that she'd much rather travel in the shopping basket underneath







: There's really not much you can say to that, is there?


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

Oh Helen,

I hope things get easier! But can I say- I completely understand.


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

HoneyTree~ I'm sorry, I totally spaced that this is your due time from your loss







Be gentle with yourself right now.

Helen~ I love your stories and how you take it all in stride. I hope Skye settles into big sisterhood.

The bike shop just called and my bike is ready. At a fraction of the cost of car repair. I







bikes. We're going to push the trailer/stroller over there and pick it up in a little while, which also means I have transportation to commute to and from work tonight.


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

All in stride







: Erm, not exactly. Let's just say I now have a new set of stitch markers heading my way in return for the rest of my stash and koolaid scented playdough (you should SO try that, btw







)


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## Gunter (May 5, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Awaken* 
Was the class useful, and worth it? I feel like a lot of it I already know...the breastfeeding info and supporting new moms, I just need to get more experience. What I really need to know about, is the business aspect of starting a doula business, and I'm not even sure they go over that in the class!

we did talk a lot about the business aspects. the trainer and others with experience shared their advice and what worked, what hasn't worked, how they go about collecting deposits, how to charge, back-up and child care, liability/insurance, etc... so it was very informative and got the creative thoughts stirred up for me, for sure even though i have been doing stuff as a birth doula and could just see how it may work to transition to post partum work. meeting lots of others pursuing the same thing was encouraging; that may be a helpful to you, also. if you want to get certified with an organization, then i would definitely do the weekend training. you will probably not learn a whole lot more about actual post partum care that you don't already know though! personally, i learned the most about post partum depression and women shared their own personal experiences. supporting someone after a loss was another thing that i learned a lot about, too. i did it with DONA, is that who you are thinking about?


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

honeytree








helen








everyone else









rue-bee is 2 weeks old as of a few minutes ago. its amazing and sad at the same time. where did 14 days go? she was just born like 5 minutes ago, right??!! she is so sweet and yummy, except for the green snot i keep having to suck out of her teeny cute nose. why does my newborn baby have to have a cold?! anyways..we are headed out tomorow early, wont be online again for a while now..probably a week or so if i can manage to get 5 minutes on a library computer, but we shall see..

so im thinking of you all and ill update when i can.

please send us safe traveling thoughts..its going to be a long snowy road..


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## Gunter (May 5, 2005)

danile- are isaac and hannah boyfriend and girlfriend...i saw that cute pic of them on your blog. ezra has a boyfriend who is 6 and he stayed the night with us last friday. he slept in a sleeping bag on her floor after they played and watched a movie together. they are so precious together! like isaac, ezra pretty much weaned completely the week of her second birthday in the beginning of nov. she has had a couple of licks since then...so i am curious about how interested she will be once this babe arrives.

susannah- i am so glad to see you around more recently. maybe i am wrong, but i feel like you were MIA for a while there. i wasn't consistent but then joined my FEB DDC last summer and was in a foreign to me country so needed my MDC support seriously! glad that you are here!

teresa- if you are a BAD person, most of us are in trouble. i think that you are fabulous and for a long time, i have wished we lived in the same town. i think you should say, "do you want to have more babies?" and just see where the convo goes. open hostility = really bad sign. ambivalence or avoidance= potential for later. mounting you=yes, he is ready. but i do think you all should have an intentional talk about it, even if it's brief. most people that i know who rely on charting...well, it just doesn't seem to prevent pregnancies, IYKWIM. hugs to you in these days when your loss may be coming up. i didn't even know about it until very recently when i saw your name on some ddc list and i was like, what? i was sad to not be preggo with you, mama but didn't want to bring it up. i look forward to hearing all about your next pregnancy, birth and labor and just to be a mom with you all over, again!

QoC- Your new haircut is gorgeous, i have been meaning to tell you! really, i looked at the pic more than once and it made me even consider short hair, again later this spring. i am not a big celebrity watcher but i saw a recent pic of katie holmes and you look like her a bit now. (that should be a compliment, just in case!) ellie's hair looks nice, too! those curls. i saw king's cakes at whole foods this week all covered with beads. way to go making it on your own.

MelW- sorry to hear about the transportation issues. it can be such a hassle. we had to replace the transmission in one vehicle recently and are low on funds these days with DH only working part-time after we both took months off to volunteer abroad. anyway, glad to hear that things got fixed so soon for ya! i miss riding bikes everywhere!

helen- i wrote this long post about the name river not being as hippie as moonbeam but lost it. anyway, i like it bunches and will just call him river if that's okay with you. or, are you calling him sam or samson? um, wow on the weight loss already and the the cord loss. which double stroller do you like? i don't even have a single one b/c we always wore ez but i think havign one now would be great with two kids. plus, we live near a fab walking trail now and i want to do it with the kids lots! the sit and stand stroller seems compact enough but no rugged for the trail.

amy- love brynn's hair and how great that you cut it?! i cannot believe she is reading! how DO you keep up? What are your current thoughts about life direction stuff? i miss being in school and check out MSW programs every once in a while...you know, just to make sure they still exist and all. what is your PhD topic? I am so glad to hear about Brynn's sleep! It sounds like it's an easy transition for her right now. Yay! I bet that will make an overnight away from her this weekend oh, so much easier!

fern- i love when you are here and you will be missed. i will check out your blog some, too if you ever get to update it once you are back home. sending you a very peaceful car ride home full of patient people.


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MamaFern* 
please send us safe traveling thoughts..its going to be a long snowy road..

Safe travels Fern.







We'll miss seeing you so often around here.


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Gunter* 
danile- are isaac and hannah boyfriend and girlfriend...i saw that cute pic of them on your blog. ezra has a boyfriend who is 6 and he stayed the night with us last friday. he slept in a sleeping bag on her floor after they played and watched a movie together. they are so precious together! like isaac, ezra pretty much weaned completely the week of her second birthday in the beginning of nov. she has had a couple of licks since then...so i am curious about how interested she will be once this babe arrives.


If by girlfriend you mean







girlfriend... Isaac hasn't committed himself to any one girl...







He has two girl friends that he adores equally.. Hannah is one of them.









FWIW, Isaac hasn't even expressed an interest in what I'm doing... and I'm not even modest about it... But he has sucked on his bottom lip since he was a baby and still continues to do so when tired or sad.


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Fern







Stay safe.

I know I'm moaning, but honestly, I'm doing it







Lots of small stuff, but we're letting it go: even Isaac and his glasses







: I'm so proud of myself right now.

Gunter, it's the Phil and Teds E3- we got it preloved from a friend of mine, and it's great for what I need it for- kerbs, steps and buses, plus being out and about at naptime. I don't have a car during the week, so I use foot and public transport to get everywhere, and my pelvis isn't stable yet, so long-distance baby wearing isn't an option. I'd try Ezra in it first, though, there's not a lot of head room for a tall 2yo.

Oh, and we're pretty sure that he's staying River. I'm about to postpone the appointment at the registry office until next week, but Sam just isn't fitting him. He was River all day yesterday, and he's even turning towards his name







The family are going to strop, but they'll get used to it.


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

YAY! I love the name River!


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## 3for3hb (Jan 13, 2005)

HoneyTree







and







... you see where Helen's "shag his brains out" advice got DiD??? well, nuff said.









Gunter, I felt a lot of the same things you talked about in ref to not expecting the baby and struggling with how something so wonderful and unexpected could be so hard to accept. I'm excited, I really am. I'm just going through a bit of an apathetic time right now. Like I know I should be more prepared, mentally, physically, emotionally, materialistically - in terms of stuff for baby and birth (I barely have anything ready *ready*). I don't know if it speaks of an emotional block or just sheer exhaustion from keeping up with the kids. This pg has been way different too. From all the little bumps and illnesses to the now almost bulging varicosity where one shouldn't be... yeah. It's nice to see/know that you've found center and calm.

Amy - great job on the haircut!!! Gabriel's hair is pretty shaggy around the edges because last time I cut his hair he decided he was done before I was. I've really got to trim him up again soon







Cutting hair is so hard for me. It's all slippery and hard to get even.

Mel-







on the car. I'm curious to see what solution we're gonna have to come up with once the lease is up on our vehicle (stupid, stupid, stupid decision that we got talked into... ugh). But that's not for another year I think.

Well, willem's bday is next tuesday, and I have almost all his presents together. As usual, I feel pretty clueless when it comes to birthdays and celebrations. I posted in my current ddc in a thread about baby showers how it's always sort of been an afterthought for me/baby (as far as the people planning it are concerned). Then I happened to mention how my mother has never celebrated ANYTHING , any milestone in my life - ever. Not graduation (either time), no bridal anything, no baby anything... nothing. Ever. No wonder I have such a hard time planning celebrations.
Anyway. I have to figure out what to send with Willem on Tuesday to preschool... I was thinking some sort of cupcakey muffins. He really wants chocolate







so that's what I'll probably make. Any suggestions on recipes are appreciated








My parents are coming on Saturday. Mom is bringing dinner and cake and everything so I "dont' have to do anything" but of course I do. I have to clean up around here (I soooooo have kids who hate tidiness, spughy), have to finish up a few projects I have lying around and have to go get Willem a present from my parents... my mom said she had spent three hours shopping for him and just decided to send $50 for his present.







Because she is so invested in doing things to help ME out! Actually, she asked him what he wanted and he said he wanted a remote control helicopter (the one we saw on display the ONE time we went to the mall at Christmastime to walk, not shop). Ugh. It's this one. and it's not for little kids. He's gonna break it in minutes. And then freak out about it. So I told my mom exactly what kind he wanted. And instead of going to THAT store and getting it, she put it on me (that mall is almost 40 min away). And I don't want to get it for him... ugh. But I can't find an acceptable alternative either.
Dh took the morning off and we went shopping. But because I rarely go to "normal" stores, I didn't know where to go and didn't really find anything. We ended up getting plants for the office and I scored some postpartum sized tops at Goodwill for a buck each.
He's getting a new bike from us (outgrew his from last year) that I got for a penny from target (had merchandise credit from there for xmas presents I returned). And new playshoes that have velcro closures (they are cheap Carter's brand ones). I'd like to get him rain boot/goloshes and a child sized umbrellla but haven't had any luck with finding those. I was thinking about sewing him a play costume (he's so into firemen right now) but I just don't have the umph. I pulled out the sewing machine a few days ago to rehem a pile of pants and take in some waistbands for the boys and spent three HOURS doing it and I'm done in as far as sewing is concerned. I thought about knitting him some play food but I'm on a baby knitting roll so nix'd that idea. I feel like such a bad mom because it's important to me (planning his day) but I just don't know what to do... sigh.

Fern, if you're still online, know that I'm gonna miss you!!!!


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Monique, I know - what is up with not being able to find rain boots? I did have some luck on E-bay actually, but never bought them. They had quite a few, though, so you might want to check.

As far as the birthday party thing goes, I really think the "themed" parties are a bit over-the-top these days. Brynn's birthday was so simple, and I enjoyed it so much more. But that's just my 2 cents. I hope that whatever you decide will be special for you and your big boy!

Gunter, my PhD area is language disorders resulting from neurological degeneration, so I study the change in the sounds of language that Alzheimer's patients experience as the disease progresses. It is actually interesting and I like it, but as I told Jason the other night...it's just not the same now that I'm a mama. I'm going up to my university next week to talk to my advisors and the dean of graduates to just get a really clear picture of what I would be committing to if I do go back. Right now I feel like 70/30 that I will choose to do it, but am just so scared of making the "wrong" decision.







By this time next week I should have a decision either way. I really have been asking myself, "OK, if I don't do this, what would I want to do?" and nothing really clear has emerged, so...







I might be won over purely by the pragmatics of the situation: I have the time to do it now, it won't cost me any more money, the hardest work is behind me, and I'll be pretty darn employable in 3 year's time. On paper, it seems like a no-brainer.

Sleeping and weaning - things are going smoothly in both areas. It's a breeze to get Brynn to sleep, and she's even napping now without nursing to sleep, which is a majorly huge deal, in my opinion. We've been nursing ~2 times a day (and none at night) for the past few days, or maybe a week, and have even managed to skip the wake-up nursing on most days *without incident*! It has caused her to want to get up for the day closer to 6:30 rather than 7:30 or 8:00, but it is actually fine because then I know for sure she's going to take a nap and that she'll be ready for bed by 8:00 - 8:30pm. So it's working out. I actually didn't think it would be this easy, and it definitely still feels like the right choice to me.

In other news, I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow, probably back to the pixie style that I always go back to! Long hair is just not for me. I'm excited! How are you feeling about your hair these days, Jen? Oh and speaking of hair, thanks for the Kudos on Brynn's new style. I totally love it, and am glad I decided to do it.









Oh, and check out this fun little gadget I came across today.









SAFE TRAVELS, FERN AND FAMILY!!!







:


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Monique, bringing out my inner heartless bitch, just give him the money and take him shopping at your leisure. In recent years, my otherwise cool mother has given up on shoopping for the grandkids (and FIL just won't/ can't) so my guys have come to appreciate the value of cold hard cash and free rein to buy something unsuitable







I think we started doing that somewhere between 3 and 5 ???


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *willemsmamma* 
HoneyTree







and







... you see where Helen's "shag his brains out" advice got DiD??? well, nuff said.









It's good advice.


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## HoneyTree (Apr 5, 2005)

Mamas, thanks for the kind words and hugs regarding my baby wanting and noncommittal partner, as well as my recently passed would-have-been due date. I noticed it as it approached, but never really thought of it as the time that I _should_ have a newborn. The way I see it, if I should have had a newborn in February, I would have. But the universe had other plans.









I took y'all's advice and did talk with dh about babymaking in a very straight-forward kind of way, and while we have had the talk several times before, I was consciously thinking of it as what Mel called a "clothes on" talk, which I took to mean unclouded by romanticism and emotion (while trying to recognize that those are both factors in all that we do with lovers).

It was fruitful. He reiterated that he would have been OK having no kids at all, and has no desire to have any more. I reiterated that I did and do want children, and I'd like Woody to have a sibling who's close in age, which now means having a baby within a year or two.

We talked about our mutual aversion to artificial birth control and how we share an appreciation for fertility and the life cycle that it perpetuates.

He said he wants our situation to stabilize some.

I said that life is almost always as stable as it's ever going to be.

So we agreed to meet around random screwing, which is to say exactly what we've been doing, only now mindfully and in explicit agreement. And that does feel eversomuch better.


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

That sounds like a beautiful talk and decision.


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

It really does. Sigh. I'm starting to feel my sex drive kicking in already, and I don't want it to. This week has gone far too fast.

Honeytree, have I ever told you how much I love you?







I know that for me, nine months after conception is always a wonky time for me hormonally, regardless of whether I'm holding newborns, heavily pregnant, unpregnant or slightly pregnant with another one, which is why I mention it.


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## Gunter (May 5, 2005)

teresa- can i just say, again that i want you to move to my town? you two are so precious in your talks! i am glad that you got it all out there with him and were able to get to a place that you are both comfy with.

oh, sex...what it must be like to have it freely. i am so nervous about pre-term labor that poor DH is counting down the days until 38 weeks!

monique- thanks for relating with me about the pregnancy stuff. i am just really starting to get excited now. i even had a sweet baby dream last night; i have only had two other baby dreams the whole time. sorry that it has been hard for you, too. you are such a fabulous, inspiring mama. i hate that it's nor been easy to get our heads together about this next babe. like, they so deserve it but it's so hard to get there. each day longer that i am preggo though i am really working on welcoming in my heart. welcome baby! willem will be so happy however things go down for his birthday, you know? we overdid gifts (even though, like you they were thrift store stuff or needy things like kid utensils) for christmas and realized ez would have been so happy had we done it differently. just the experience of friends and the vibe of a time special for them is so fun.

amy- sounds interesting and unique! sorry that you aren't super stoked about it right now. perhaps once you are in the enviro of academia, again, the passion will come to you. i did research after undergrad for my university and TA'd a class connected to it. it seems so far from me now but i absolutely loved it then. i miss school, for sure most days but find it hard to consider all the work it would be for me, personally to go back right now. if it fits your life though, why not go for it? I am soooo glad that things are so easy with weaning and sleeping! i too, was so surprised by how easy it was for ezra once she was ready. i always thought she'd nurse until she was 5.

i know pregnancy played a role in her weaning some though. so, we'll see how nursing a newborn tempts her tummy once the babe is born...LATER THIS MONTH! WOW! I am 37 weeks today and you all remember that ez was born at my 37th week. so, send me sticky vibes b/c i want to be preggo a lil bit longer and get prepared a lil more for welcoming this babe. and, i want the babe to cook and be full of life so i don't have to worry about low birth weight (ez was barely 5 pounds) or have nursing struggles, etc. I feel in the clear for having a homebirth (ez's labor and birth were fabulous at home) but just want the babe to get more growth time. totally, i trust babes to come when they want to come.

my mother's blessing is sunday! i am so stoked about it!


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

Oh Gunter- I'm so excited for u! Time is wearing down....but I'll send u sticky vibes anyway.







:


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

Wow, Gunter, is it that time already????? I'm almost sort of shocked! For some reason I had you due a little bit later in my mind--maybe because you kept it secret for so long, and probably also because of Monique--I have you two sort of clumped together in my mind as the next "crop" of babies!!









I've had a bit of trouble getting on here (MDC) the last few times, and then also have had not much time or inclination to post, so I am just saying hello to you all. I do try to read along and keep up though, even when I don't post.

The image of me I would like you all to hold in your minds in the coming weeks is that of an efficient and orderly person whose life and household is running smoothly with nothing left out. Something between a perky camp counselor with a whistle and a clipboard, and a drill seargent!!! I am working on changing things with Ella's sleep schedule (and ours) and I am feeling that I need to whip things into shape in all areas around here now so that I can accomplish what I want to. I have also reached a point where I realize that I just have to suck it up and put Ella in preschool or get more babysitting or do *something* so that my own needs are being met on a regular basis. Things cannot go on like they have been, and the reasons for that don't really matter--it just IS. I think that my health and my happiness and my marriage are not going to survive otherwise, and that will ultimately be worse for Ella too than just adding a few more hours with a beloved babysitter to the week, so there you have it. The money spent will come back in some other way. DH and I are going out together tonight, so it's our first date in a really, really long time!

So that's life here. Have to go get a few things done before she wakes up from her nap, so hugs and







to everyone!!


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

You go girl







Sometimes a little light "home management folder"ality can be good for the soul.
Gunter, isn't it 37 weeks today? Hee-hee. And kaspirant turns 37 weeks next week, and she has previous form for going early too... actually, that's a scary thought. Where IS kaspirant, and why hasn't she posted in a while???


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## kaspirant (Apr 28, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *flapjack* 
Where IS kaspirant, and why hasn't she posted in a while???

That is a great question....

Yeppers 36 weeks on the button today and....

I JUST finished my LAST day of work... I am now officially a SAHM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today was perfect. I will cherish my 6+ years I spent teaching, but I will not regret this decision to be mama for at least the next 5 years. I am stoked!!

My internet at home has been on the fritz and I have been unable to get online at home, and with this being my last week of work it's been crazy here so I'm barely following along here. We have the cable peeps coming out tomorrow to figure out what the heck is going on and why it's not working so hopefully it will be up and running soon.

I'm working my butt off feeding my freezer for after Leah arrives. I am getting anxious and ready, feeling miserably pregnant..and trying not to complain about it because I really prefer being miserably pregnant to leaving my baby in the NICU. That was so horrific for me...4 more weeks to go until the in-laws arrive and then I'm good to go anytime after that...sure would be nice to have them here for Jacob so he can have some serious love and attention when I'm in the hospital.

My students threw me a baby shower today and I ended up with....8 new outfits for Leah ranging in size from newborn to 12 months, some booties, a blanket, a toy from tupperware, a pack of onesies and a giftcard to Target. WoW...my kids hated me all year but now that I'm leaving and the new teacher is taking over...they love me again....part of that is because of how horrid the new one is...but that is another story and doesn't really belong here anyway.

So, yeah. I'm here and still pregnant... 2 weeks more pregnant, to be exact, than I have ever been before!!!!


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## 3for3hb (Jan 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kaspirant* 
So, yeah. I'm here and still pregnant... 2 weeks more pregnant, to be exact, than I have ever been before!!!!

Congrats on that.
And on becoming a SAHM









It's so hard to hear how miserably pg you 36 & 37 wkers are... I'm miserable already. I had a mw apt today and everything is fine. Baby has got some weird shoulder/elbow jab thing going on with my uterosacral ligament that has me jumping in pain every so often. S/he is burrowed down into my pelvis already and my pubic bone is so sore. I've officially got a vulval varicosity but it's under control. We (mw and I) watched Gabriel's birth video and talked about how unprepared I feel and how it's okay.

I cleaned the house like a madwoman today and it's back to looking shabby again.









I cooked lunch and dinner (well, dinner was a variation on lunch's leftovers) AND washed the dishes. I guess my energy levels are increasing again.

And so is my weight!!! I gained 10 pounds in 2 1/2 weeks!!!! Sheesh. I haven't changed a thing as far as food intake/quality is concerned. Oh well


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## 3for3hb (Jan 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kaspirant* 
So, yeah. I'm here and still pregnant... 2 weeks more pregnant, to be exact, than I have ever been before!!!!

Congrats on that.
And on becoming a SAHM









It's so hard to hear how miserably pg you 36 & 37 wkers are... I'm miserable already. I had a mw apt today and everything is fine. Baby has got some weird shoulder/elbow jab thing going on with my uterosacral ligament that has me jumping in pain every so often. S/he is burrowed down into my pelvis already and my pubic bone is so sore. I've officially got a vulval varicosity but it's under control. We (mw and I) watched Gabriel's birth video and talked about how unprepared I feel and how it's okay. And how my mom's view of birthing etc (and the fact she is scheduled for yet another surgery to repair the breech birth and prolapsing damage from 29 years ago down there) is irritating me and how I'm trying to not let it affect my birthing psyche.

I cleaned the house like a madwoman today and it's back to looking shabby again.







My parents will just have to deal with it tomorrow.

I cooked lunch and dinner (well, dinner was a variation on lunch's leftovers) AND washed the dishes. I guess my energy levels are increasing again.

And so is my weight!!! I gained 10 pounds in 2 1/2 weeks!!!! Sheesh. I haven't changed a thing as far as food intake/quality is concerned. Oh well


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## 3for3hb (Jan 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kaspirant* 
So, yeah. I'm here and still pregnant... 2 weeks more pregnant, to be exact, than I have ever been before!!!!

Congrats on that.
And on becoming a SAHM









It's so hard to hear how miserably pg you 36 & 37 wkers are... I'm miserable already. I had a mw apt today and everything is fine. Baby has got some weird shoulder/elbow jab thing going on with my uterosacral ligament that has me jumping in pain every so often. S/he is burrowed down into my pelvis already and my pubic bone is so sore. I've officially got a vulval varicosity but it's under control. We (mw and I) watched Gabriel's birth video and talked about how unprepared I feel and how it's okay. And how my mom's view of birthing etc (and the fact she is scheduled for yet another surgery 2 weeks before my due date to repair the breech birth and prolapsing damage from 29 years of not having it fixed down there) is irritating me and how I'm trying to not let it affect my birthing psyche.

I cleaned the house like a madwoman today and it's back to looking shabby again.







My parents will just have to deal with it tomorrow.

I cooked lunch and dinner (well, dinner was a variation on lunch's leftovers) AND washed the dishes. I guess my energy levels are increasing again.

And so is my weight!!! I gained 10 pounds in 2 1/2 weeks!!!! Sheesh. I haven't changed a thing as far as food intake/quality is concerned. Oh well


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Hello hello everyone! I guess we've got a new batch o' babies coming soon! Exciting!

Not much new in our neck of the woods. Rowan had a bit of a rough week - she overindulged in some elk heart and it was too rich in iron for her, and it bunged her up quite badly. Poor little monkey. She finally pushed a big poop out the other night and felt better right away, but she had a bad couple of days.

I'm in the midst of preparation for a big dinner I'm cooking tomorrow night - I was the raffle prize for a foodbank fundraiser at my old office. I didn't have any jams or anything to donate so I just offered me, and a good meal.







So I get to cook a delicious 3-course meal of all yummy stuff for a (hopefully) appreciative audience tomorrow night... and write all the expenses off as a charitable donation. I'm doing giant ravioli stuffed with hubbard squash, goat cheese and free-range bacon served with a light rosemary bechamel, then a classic but upscale oxtail stew with a potato-celeriac puree and mead-braised greens, then I invented a dessert (which Bobby Flay TOTALLY ripped off







: I hate telepathic tv chefs.) - a cheesecake tarte tatin. It's going to be sooooo good. And, except the flour, salt and sugar, it's a 100% local meal. And there's not much flour, sugar or salt in it, so, it's like a 95% local meal







. Good enough.

My mom's coming to visit in a month, yay! And we get to go over to Vanc next weekend to meet up with both my sisters, who are both passing through Vancouver at the same time (different destinations) and it'll be nice to see them. But it means an early morning to catch the ferry, ugh!


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Spughy, your local meal has me drooling even more for the farmer's market re-opening. I nearly had a meltdown at all the little pre-packaged vegetables at Trader Joe's this morning.

Gunter and Kaspirant~ Congrats to both of you on making and passing pregnancy milestones! And enjoy your SAHM-hood, Kaspirant.

Teresa, I'm glad you had the talk with your DH and have some happy random screwing in your future (and I'm glad that you weren't offended by my advice, either) And I hope that it results in a random pregnancy and baby for you, too









Kavita, enjoy your much needed date. And I hope that your re-organization is fruitful.

My car seems officially fixed, and I'm just waiting for the next major rainstorm to confirm it. I'm resisting the temptation to run the garden hose over it to check.

Neela seems to have made another leap towards kid-ness lately. She's really funny, and makes up jokes just to see my reaction. Between that and the constant pretending we have a lot of fun together.

Does everyone feel like there's a momentum shift with so many of the Nov 05 mamas right now? Between the recent and impending births, career considerations, etc. it seems like a lot of us are having major transitions. I've been browsing job boards and getting ready to move back to Canada, and feel transition and change so strongly right now. I'm excited but also a bit intimidated to be making long-term/future plans for how and where we want to live. Anyone else?


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Yup- kind of "age of aquarian" ish. You know the really cool thing though? It's actionary- not reactionary







We're evolving because we want to, not because we have to/ are skint/ whatever. There's a lot of conscious thought towards moving our families in the direction we choose, and I







: that.


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## gingerstar (Jun 10, 2005)

Ok, Sarah, put me down for some of those raffle tickets - I am drooling on my keyboard here!!







: Glad poor Rowan is feeling better - it is so hard to have them go through rough things, isn't it?

Kavita, I have no trouble imagining you all organized and happy and getting the time you need. I am sure you will make it happen, and you shouldn't feel any guilt about getting that time you need. I am exploring my options for that too, and feeling like the bad mama for wanting some "me time" but we are better mamas for it.

Kaspirant, congrats on getting further along in your pg, and on being a SAHM! Sending sticky vibes to all these precious babes (Gunter's too!!) to cook til they are truly ready!

Monique, it's wonderful to hear that you are regaining some energy - and the weight gain is good, too - your babe is growing strong and healthy in there. I just hope with you that you can be a bit more comfortable! Move, baby!









Helen, I love what you said, am going to meditate on it and post it on my 'frig! I am choosing to evolve. Our family is moving in the direction we choose. You are our wise woman, you know. Your son is beautiful, btw! I hope Skye is coping a bit better for you. How are the boys doing with the change in your family?

We are changing here, too, good things like Ella being so verbal and playful and just a joy to be with, and iffy things like my DH facing travelling for work again, which I just really do not want.....


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## HoneyTree (Apr 5, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *gingerstar* 
Your son is beautiful, btw!

Wait! What? Helen's posted pictures of the wee one? Where!?!?!


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

It's Suriya's birthday today!






















:







:


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Happy Birthday Suriya!!!!

gingerstar, thankyou. I don't feel wise most of the time, but I love you anyway









Honeytree, River's first day pictures are HERE- plus, obviously, a smattering of later ones all over the yarn crafts forum







: He gets measured tomorrow, and I can't wait to find out how long he is. I really want to fold him up and pop him back in for a couple of minutes just to see how he fitted







- if I sit him between my legs, his head is between two and three ribs up, so I have no idea where a little shortarse like me put him.


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

I've been cleaning like crazy too. My MIL arrives today, so I spent the better part of yesterday deep-cleaning every room in the house while simultaneously feeling like crap. I don't know if it's the hormones from the pill or if I am/was fighting something off, but man, all I wanted to do was go back to bed.







But anyway, now the spare bedroom is finally set up and the house looks and smells great, so I'm glad I did it. I am looking forward to being able to get lots of little things done while MIL is here, like finally go to the DMV and get my Indiana license and registration, do some touch-up painting around the house, go to the gyno for my pap and to get my IUD out, and just generally have an extra body around to keep Brynn occupied!! She's staying with us for a week, so I might be ready to pull my hair out by the end of the week - we'll see.









I had the weirdest, sad dream last night. I dreamt that I was pregnant, and it was the day before my due date. I was at the birthing center, which was also the perinatal clinic, and realized while I was there that my belly was really small - like 5-6 months size. I got really upset and worried, and went to the reception desk in tears telling them that something might be wrong and that I needed them to listen for the baby's heartbeat. They said that the soonest they could get me in for a check was in SIX WEEKS! I said, "Six weeks? My due date is *tomorrow*!!" and then remembered in that moment that I hadn't had a perinatal check-up since my first visit, around 13 weeks or something like that. They continued to be unhelpful so I left, in tears, and thought, "I need to call Kavita and see if she has a stethescope!" My dream ended around that time, so I don't know if I got in touch with Kavita or not. It was really sad though. I have no idea where that come from.....

My other news is that I'm going up to IU tomorrow to talk with my PhD advisors, and to have lunch with one of my good friends. I'm taking Brynn (and MIL) and I'm really excited to get to show Brynn off again.







They haven't seen her since she was 8 1/2 months old, and it was actually during that visit that she took her first steps! But she wasn't really talking yet, so this will be fun for them to get to hear how funny she is.







So by tomorrow night, I should probably be really close to a decision about where to go with it.

Kaspirant, that is really cool about your baby shower! Congrats on raching SAHM-dom!!!

Sarah, that sounds awesome! One day I hope we can visit each other, and you can make one of your famously delicious dishes for me!

Happy birthday, Suriya!

Mel,







on the car!

Monique, sorry you're feeling cruddy.









Gunter, have a wonderful Blessing today!

HoneyTree, good job on the talk. Doesn't it feel good to be on the same page?

Kavita, Godspeed, Mama.







(And keep your stethescope handy, K?)


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Amy, good luck with your meeting. I hope your colleagues enjoy Brynn's wonderfulness. And crazy, crazy dream.

Helen, I'm guessing from your siggie that he's staying River?!









Gunter, I hope you're having a great blessing today.

Happy belated birthday, Suriya! Two toddlers...yikes!

Neela is wavering between being "big" and "little", but tilting towards bigness recently. Over the last few days she rarely wants to sit on her booster (despite the fact that she can't reach the table well, so sits on a big chair with her food in her lap), on the big toilet without the potty insert "and no holding me", etc. A few days ago we were going to read a book "not on your lap, mummy, I'm sitting beside you". I told her that I was happy to see her grow up so big, but that I was a little sad about her feeling to big to sit on my lap. She decided that it would be okay to sit on my lap sometimes, then. Even with nursing she sometimes asks to nurse, gets positioned then tells me she's too big. Of course as soon as I tell her that she doesn't have to nurse, she latches on ferociously.

And today while we were out she asked me "mummy, did you make me?"
I said, "Yes, I guess I did". She replied "yes, you put on my head, then put on my nose, then put on my face, then I was... Neela!" and jumped in the air for emphasis. I love her to bits


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Yep. River is River. Nothing else fits him. There's a couple of new pictures on the blog, btw.


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## Gunter (May 5, 2005)

hey mamas,

today makes me officially pregnant for the longest time that i have ever been pregnant. there's probably a better way to say that...i need to figure it out, too so i can say it all day. anyway, ez was already born at this point in my last pregnancy. so, even though i have had bhx all night for the past two nights, i am still preggo! woo hoo!

my mother's blessing was the most fabulous event i have ever attended. my best friend worked her ass off to make it so special and rich for everyone. i feel so supported and loved and just held together by my friends. i started crying even in the beginning as we went around the circle introducing ourselves by saying who are grandmothers, mother, and children (including losses and future hopes and currents and those in the womb!) are. my mil went first and i cried as she said the names of my family b/c i just love all of them so much. stuff with mil has been wacky but she is really good-hearted...just really confused and mixed up about how to go about giving.

after intros, we started by playing some music to break the ice, people washed my feet, lit from a unity candle and said a blessing directly to me, then strung their bead after telling me about why they chose it, and gave me the written blessing so i can add it to my scrapbook (ez has one that we read on her birthdays). then we created this web of string and everyone tied a piece to their wrists to pray/remember me. i thanked everyone through my tears of joy. we had a fabulous vegan potluck spread, tie dyed onsies and some for ez while some people henna-ed my belly. such a celebration!

here are some pictures from my friend's flickr site.

only wish you all lived close by and could have joined us. making the transition to motherhood with you all has been a great joy! thank you.


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

Oh Gunter-

YOu're blessing sounds so beautiful!! I loved looking at the pictures, and you look fabulous pregnant!!

Isaac is growing up so fast right before my eyes. I just can't believe it. Sometimes things come out of his mouth that I just wonder, "Where the heck did my little baby go?" He's still my baby in so many needcomfortfromyoumama kind of ways... but he's gotten so independent.


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Gunter









Danile, IKWYM. Pesky habit these children have of growing up, I wish they'd stop it.


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Gunter, the blessing looks beautiful! I'm so happy that you had such a special day.









Mel, that was so cute about Neela discussing how you made her! Brynn said something similar the other day, but it was about how Jason made *me*.









Quote:


Originally Posted by *MelW* 
Amy, good luck with your meeting.

Well I had a very good visit to school today and have decided to go ahead and plunge back into academia! I am partially







, partially














:. It's weird. I am lucky though that I have a *very* supportive advisor and people in the department who are totally behind me. That is so important, especially with how much more challenging this is going to be at this point in my life versus when I was single and in my twenties and only responsible for myself.

So now, we just have to work on the logistics. I want to get back to work "officially" this summer, so we have to figure out childcare until the time that Waldorf nursery school starts, which is the end of August. The options we're talking about are hiring a babysitter (but it would be very expensive), swapping babysitting with some friends (cough! cough! _Kavita_ cough! cough!), or having MIL come live with us for the summer. A part of me thinks that would be the easiest, but seriously, I don't know if I could have *anyone* live with us for THREE MONTHS. So we'll have to figure it out in the coming weeks.

OK gotta go put the self-proclaimed baby crocodile to bed.


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

Amy-

Big changes for you!!! SO excited for you though! I threw my debate about going back to college around for awhile... ultimately, I knew it was the right choice and things would fall into place. I hope you have a blast and that it goes by quickly for you!


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## barcelona (May 1, 2006)

i just wanted to pop in and say that i am so sorry i have been so mia lately!
i have been reading along, and have just not had the time or energy to post.

but i am so excited for you mamas soon to have your babies! gunter, gorgeous pictures. kaspirant, the shower sounds lovely. yay for being done!!!!

helen, your river is a stunner, he is. absolutely beautiful, and i especially adore the photo of you smiling at him.

fern, i know you are probably not reading this, but your rue bee is beautiful! and we will miss you around here. come and visit when you can!

amy, how exciting about going back to school! maybe when your MIL is visiting, you'll get a feel for whether or not you could take 3 months or not.

i know i am forgetting so many pieces of news, but i will catch back up!

life is good here. the strike is over!!! well, it will be official on wednesday, but it is basically over!!! i am thrilled, and anxiously awaiting to see how things unfold from here.

finley is a delight. he insists he is a "big boy" and not a little boy.

more soon!







to all!


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## Gunter (May 5, 2005)

happy belated birthday, suriya! will you remind me how you chose her name? i am in name choosing limbo these days. the babe's womb name is buxton, which is our favorite town on the beach. but most people know it as "cape hatteras" not the actual town where it is so it would be unique still/not as popular.

helen- i was pulling for the name "river" all along. yay!

amy- uhm, wow and congrats to you for deciding to go for it! yay. that is tough to decide what to do about caring for brynn. can you handle jason's mom living with you all? i would not be able to handle my mil or my mom living with us, at all. obviously, you are comfy with it or you wouldn't be considering it, but that just sounds really big to me.

barcelon- no time or energy, huh? you okay? you preggers?

mel- ez loves to say, "i'm soo big." or "i'm so little." depending on what we are talking about or what we are doing. she goes back and forth throughout the weeks. with a babe on the way, "he's so little. i am so big." is what we consistently hear though. then she tells me "he will weigh 20 pounds." and we laugh hysterically at that!


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## 3for3hb (Jan 13, 2005)

Catching up on posts... haven't been able to get online in a couple days. A combo of mdc server being too busy and my internet service being screwy.

anyway.

Congrats Gunter on the "baby staying in" news. You only have a few more weeks left. I can't wait until you go though because I'm what, 3ish wks behind???

Today is Willem's bday. He's so proud of being four. These four years have gone so darn fast and yet seems to have dragged on too. I, anti-sugar mom, crumbled and made him chocolate box cake cupcakes frosted blue with gumdrop/yogurt raisin eyes... they look like froggy eyes peeping up from a pond. Twenty four of them to be exact... to take to school for his school birthday party. He hopped around like a frog all morning while getting ready to go.

Only when we got there, the doors were locked and the lights were off. Darn Pittsburgher's think that 4 inches of snow is enough to call off school.
Poor Willem. He has been looking forward to this for SO long. Now they are sitting the front seat of my car and I don't know what to do with them. Can't save them for Thursday's class because it's Valentines day and there will be plenty of sweet stuff then.







:


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *willemsmamma* 
Only when we got there, the doors were locked and the lights were off. Darn Pittsburgher's think that 4 inches of snow is enough to call off school.
Poor Willem. He has been looking forward to this for SO long. Now they are sitting the front seat of my car and I don't know what to do with them. Can't save them for Thursday's class because it's Valentines day and there will be plenty of sweet stuff then.







:

You should set up a random acts of kindness free cupcake stand. Then he could celebrate his birthday with lots of happy strangers









barcelona, I'm so happy for you that the strike is (almost) over. I hope you find some terrific work soon.


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *willemsmamma* 

Poor Willem. He has been looking forward to this for SO long. Now they are sitting the front seat of my car and I don't know what to do with them. Can't save them for Thursday's class because it's Valentines day and there will be plenty of sweet stuff then.







:

Awww, poor little guy! It's probably too late now, but can you invite a few of his friends over to share them?

Gunter, your blessing looked wonderful!

Barcelona, Rowan still insists that she's a baby. Or, like Brynn, a baby jaguar/puma/penguin/tree frog/panda/bear/kitty/macaw/whatever. (And yes, she does watch too much Diego.
















Happy belated birthday Suriya!

Well, my dinner went well, but I feel like I've been going a million miles an hour since last week. Rowan didn't nap yesterday or the day before, I stupidly decided that $5 for 3 chickens was an awesome deal even if I did have to pluck and clean them myself







and there went Sunday afternoon. Rowan did have a good time visiting the horses at the farm, but I was disappointed because the farm we went for the chickens was where my theoretically "free range" eggs were from, and I found out that the nice yolk colour was actually from some (albeit natural) feed additive, not the bugs and grass I had thought. Sigh. And the chickens the farmer gave me were by no means past their laying prime as they each had eggs still inside. Sigh again. I wanted OLD birds and they just didn't get it. People around here just do not understand how coq au vin happens.

Then yesterday I ended up making two different kinds of soup and canning most of it and doing all the laundry and cleaning and whatnot because I had an unexpectedly free afternoon because the little girl I look after didn't come (mama was sick)... today I get a break though - Rowan actually is napping now so I should be able to get my pilates in after my lunch digests a little, and it's her swimming night so I'll get a few hours to just sit and chill and do a little knitting. yay!

Ok, I think lunch is settling, so I'd better haul the mat and the DVD out while I have the chance. Happy Tuesday everyone!

Oh, I forgot to add - I meant to tell you all, Rowan is developing a devious streak. Yesterday she was puttering about and then looked at me and said "You go away, mummy" - which usually means she needs to poop and would like some privacy. I asked her if she wanted to go on the potty and she said "No, you go away mummy." I got suspicious, because she wasn't standing in her poo spot, and came back and the little monkey was busy collecting batteries from the battery drawer!!! She knows that she's not supposed to play with them, but for some reason she likes carrying them around (and one time she held two to her chest and said "Look at me! I have boobies!!!" which was actually pretty hilarious, especially since my boobies are in no way as perky as batteries.) Anyway, we had a little talk about WHY daddy's expensive rechargeable batteries are not toys and I think she gets it now. I don't want to have to move the battery drawer because that would necessitate a LOT of re-org and I'm just not in that headspace now. (bad mama, I know.)


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Gunter* 
happy belated birthday, suriya! will you remind me how you chose her name? i am in name choosing limbo these days. the babe's womb name is buxton, which is our favorite town on the beach. but most people know it as "cape hatteras" not the actual town where it is so it would be unique still/not as popular.

I've always had an affinity for Sanskrit names. I was searching online on baby naming websites and I looked down in my lap at the magazine I was reading. There was a picture of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' baby Suri on the cover so I went straight to the S names in the Sanskrit language and there it was. It hit me like a bolt of lightning "This is her name." It was like it was written in the stars, no pun intended. I truly feel that we don't choose our baby's name, they choose it for us. I've always had the bolt of lightning feeling when I find the right name. Hopefully it will happen for you that way too.


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

typing one handed, forgive the typos...

That is a beautiful name choosing moment, on the bolt of lightning- ITA! And because I think i missed it... happy bday suriya!

Spughy- don't feel bad for the battery drawer. ur post shows how much more capable you are than i because the day i pluck my own chicken is the day pigs fly.... And isaac has a MAJOR devious streak... we're working on that..


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## HoneyTree (Apr 5, 2005)

G, I LOVED looking at those pictures--especially "creating the web"--what a beautiful moment! Thank you for sharing them.

Amy, I'll be thinking of you lots in the coming months. I can totally relate to the







/







:. I finished up my master's work the spring after the babies were born, and it was _tough._ But then it was done, and I had finished something that I was proud of, and that I needed in order to move on to the next phase of my life. And your work sounds fascinating, btw.

Sarah, Woody asks for privacy when he poops, too. I hadn't thought of the opportunities that privacy might present to an ingenious toddler...









On the name-choosing topic, I had to sit a while with Woody's name. I guess as soon as I thought of it I liked it, but I had to let it play in my mind some before I knew it was "the one." Even still, the Woody part was my choosing and his other two names were for his daddy. I'm still not in love with the way the whole thing comes together, but I guess these are the concessions we make in partnerhood...


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Gunter* 
can you handle jason's mom living with you all?

Um, no. She's been here for all of three days, and I'm already like "shut up." Especially during American Idol tonight - nonstop commentary. SHUT. UP. That being said, her visit is fine, but the living-in option is off the table!

On the topic of names, I knew right away that Brynn was Brynn's name. Jason and I both totally agreed on it, and Amelia for her middle name too. I think it took us all of 10 minutes to decide. I agree with DiD; I think they pick their names and tell us! Even when I think, hmmm...if I had another baby, what would he/she be named? I can't come up with even one name that I love as much, for a boy or a girl. I guess that's a sign.









[whine] barcelona, when do we get to see you on teeee-veeeeee??? [/whine]

Oh, and I forgot to say that I got my hair all chopped off. It took me a few days to get used to it, but I think I'm liking it now. There's a picture in my most recent blog if you want to see.


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

Very cute Amy!


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## barcelona (May 1, 2006)

amy, i ADORE your hair!!! it is really beautiful. you can really pull it off.
as you know, i'm a fellow hair-fluctuator, and had that same cut when i was pregnant and a new mama. am still in the process of growing it out now, and i know one day i'll chop it all off again, but not now. anyway, i just love it, and i hope you are enjoying it and feeling free and feeling that part of you that comes out when you have that hairstyle...and how perfect and appropriate that it is how you wore it when in grad school. what an exciting and scary, but in a good way, time for you. i'm sure that something will come together in terms of childcare, something perfect and right.

gunter, i certainly don't think i'm pregnant, though i guess it's a very very small possibility. i hope not (because of career stuff). i'm not sure why i'm so tired. i think part of it, actually, is that i've had more energy in the day (due to a shift in diet), and have therefore, been more productive during the day. so when night comes, when i would normally type away, i'm really wiped. i read along every night, so i'm right here with y'all.

thanks for all the kind comments about my career. i hope something good works out. unfortunately, it looks like my episode that i have already taped from dirty sexy money won't be airing til september. i could be wrong, but that seems to be the info i'm getting from "underground" sources.

now, i am hoping that this other show, which also showed interest in me, will meet with me and write me on. we'll see. it's hard to know how things will pick up, given the strike we all went through.

spughy, your domestic goddess-ness never ceases to amaze me. and rowan sounds so adorable.

willemsmama, what a bummer about the cupcakes!!! i love the random act of kindness cupcake stand idea









happy belated bday, suriya!

as for names, i also *knew* with finley's name, although we did pick it out well before we met him. we had a couple of other back up options, so we could see what really fit him when we met him. when he was first born, he was so pure and beautiful, i couldn't even imagine giving him ANY name...like he was beyond a name. but, by the second day, his existence sunk in with us, and he was definitely finley.

did you all think about names before you had your babes, and have that *feeling* before they were born, or only after?
i think i had that feeling, that he was finley, before he was born...but wanted to be sure after we met him.


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

I knew Killy and Ellie's names before they were born.







Before they were even conceived, actually - but I knew the names would fit them. Ya'll will probably think I'm a nut, but I knew their personalities before they were conceived, too. At times I had very strong sensations of their spirits around me, waiting.

Amy - I love your hair! That is totally the pixie cut I was thinking about getting. Just exactly! But I ended up doing a longer short-do to try out short hair, and that worked for the best because I don't think my hair would work in a pixie. Its uber-thick and I think I'd be a mushroom head all the time with super-short hair, plus it grows so fast I'd have to get it trimmed every 3-4 weeks I think (my hair grows at least an inch a month). So - to sum up - I LOOOOOOVE your hair, and I'm a bit jealous!


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

hi mamas and kiddos!

just poping in from the library, typing one handed because i have a delicious 2 1/2 week old baby in my arms







life is bliss. im so happy..rue-bee is the happiest baby i have ever met..seriously. i just got her weighed and she has gained 10 oz in 7 in days, so my milk is plentiful, even though it feels like its not and it seems like she doesn't nurse enough..she nearly sleeps through the night most nights! and still sleeps lots in the day.

ngaio is a bit clingy and moody but mostly family life is pretty peachy.

gunter, thinking of you!

amy, love your hair.


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## kaspirant (Apr 28, 2006)

Leah *told* me her name.

It was before my U/S where I found she was a girl. I *knew* she was a girl, and I *knew* she was Leah.

DH and I knew what the name would be if she were a boy. Boy names for us have always been easy, girl names not so much....

I was sitting in class entering grades into the computer while my kids were taking a test. I heard plain as day a voice say "My name is Leah" The room was silent. The kids were working. I was working.

I knew that she was telling me her name...I texted DH and said "what do you think of Leah Karlin" and he responded affirmatively... Karlin is her great grandmother's maiden name, whose birthday is Leah's due date. She is Leah. There is no question in my mind.


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Fern. I miss you, but I'm glad you're back to your blessed, peaceful life.

I can't believe 2 weeks ago I was sitting here swearing at the keyboard because my waters had broken and I had to jump off the UC fence one way or another. The time has gone so fast!


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## Gunter (May 5, 2005)

monique- happy belated birthday to willem!!! we may end up giving birth at the same time if i can keep this babe in and you want to let yours out a lil early.







as if it's up to us! i will be 38 weeks tomorrow and am so glad to get to grow this one a bit longer! how are you doing?

amy- love the hair! you are beautiful as ever. people that interrupt tv/movies are not to be lived with.







how are your other options shaping up?

ezra had a name in the womb, "emmerson" and this babe's womb name is buxton. but i really agree with everyone who said they waited until meeting the babe earthside to get a feel for it. now, if your babe clearly communicates to you before that, that's totally worth listening to and trusting. if i had listened to a dream where ezra told me her name, she would be "dr. cinnamon". in the dream, i gave birth to her (in a public bathroom stall with my mom standing outside it). my mom asked, "what are you going to name her?" the babe turned around and said, "oh, my name is dr. cinnamon." very casually and normal like. i was so curious as to what kind of doc she was and how she had already gotten her PhD in 9 months!


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Gunter* 
amy- love the hair! you are beautiful as ever. people that interrupt tv/movies are not to be lived with.







how are your other options shaping up?

Thanks! I'm getting used to it now and feel good about it for the most part. I'm not sure what we are going to end up deciding to do about childcare. My preference would be to find some nice high school student who wants a steady summer job, but Jason doesn't want to spend that much money. I wish Brynn were a year older because there is a beautiful Montessori magnet school less than 10 minutes from our house, which would be so nice because it would be FREE and so close! Maybe next year. Anyway, I think once MIL leaves, we'll sit down and look at our budget and try to figure it out!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Gunter* 
if i had listened to a dream where ezra told me her name, she would be "dr. cinnamon". in the dream, i gave birth to her (in a public bathroom stall with my mom standing outside it). my mom asked, "what are you going to name her?" the babe turned around and said, "oh, my name is dr. cinnamon." very casually and normal like. i was so curious as to what kind of doc she was and how she had already gotten her PhD in 9 months!









Oh my god!







I actually remember you telling us that! That is hilarious.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kaspirant*
I was sitting in class entering grades into the computer while my kids were taking a test. I heard plain as day a voice say "My name is Leah" The room was silent.

That totally made the hair on the back of my neck stand up! That's amazing.

We knew Brynn's name before she was conceived also. When I said her name, it was like I could hear something in addition to her name, like....a dulcimer being strummed. (That sounds really lame, but I don't know how else to describe it.) It just totally resonated with me, and still does.









Fern, so good to see you pop in! That's wonderful that Rue-Bee is such a sweet darlin. I hope Ngaio's adjustment begins to get a little easier for her. And I'm glad you made it home safely.









Jen, yeah I have really fine hair, which is why this is pretty much the best style for me. It's a bit longer on top and in the bangs than I would have preferred, but overall short hair makes it look like I actually have some texture.

Happy Valentine's Day, by the way! Tomorrow is the big hotel-date night. Woo-woo!!


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Happy Valentine's day, everyone! Though I secretly celebrate it as "Neela conception day". And basically can't ever do anything else that tops that for Valentines. Neela painted a ton of Valentine cards yesterday, including one for Santa Claus. We were going to have a date tonight, but our childcare fell through, so I'm making a nice dinner and bought a bottle of wine to celebrate at home.

Enjoy your date, Amy, and anyone else who has special plans









I look at our name list from time to time, since we had lots of options. Some of them seem so wrong now, and I was never really thrilled with any of our boy choices. We were pretty sure of Neela's name if she was a girl, and talked about it again while I was in labour, but I wanted to see her to be really sure that we had it "right". And the night that she was born I told everyone that "I think" her name is Neela, since I reserved the right to wake up and change my mind in the morning. By morning I was certain.

My other favourite girl name during my pregnancy was Lillian, which was my mum's middle name. I love it, but she hated it. I spent so much time agonizing over whether I could use it, since I think it's beautiful but worried that my mum wouldn't have been happy. It was actually a major stress for a while, so I just decided to drop it. But I still love it- I think if I had another girl I would likely name her Lillian.

The other funny thing about our name list was that so many of the Nov 05 babies are on there: there was a Lillian (beachbaby's I think?), Rowan, Ella, Gabriel, and I think someone else, too.


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## Phoenix_Rising (Jun 27, 2005)

Chiming in on the name thing. . .
We had a list of names before Keagan was born. . . we *knew* what the middle name would be for a girl (after my favorite aunt who died before we even were TTC) but we really had problems with names for a boy. We just couldn't find anything that resonated for us. We planned on not announcing anything for the first couple of days until we knew for sure. When he was 2 or 3 days old I experienced something like what kaspirant said - I just heard "Keagan" over and over. It was unreal. It took a day or two before Allison agreed to the name and the rest is history









As a side note:
Does anyone think that perhaps children in a way "live up to" their names? "Keagan" means passionate and fiery and boy, is he ever!


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

I totally forgot that Valentine's Day was the day I concieved Isaac too!!! Weird! And such a romantic, nostalgic thought.









No such thing this year... thank goodness. I can't imagine a fourth child nine months from now! Thank goodness for breastfeeding spaced kids.









Hope you all are having a beautiful day!


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Susannah - I think you are right about kids growing into their names... I always associate "Rowan" with wisdom and calm, and that's generally her to a "t".

So, we're going to name the next one "Somnolence".























FTR Rowan was on our list but not at the top, although it's been my pick since DH and I got married under a rowan tree







After my labour from hell DH was all "um, I think you get to name her" so I took advantage of that and Rowan she was. Everyone agrees that it's perfect for her though.


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## HoneyTree (Apr 5, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *barcelona* 
when he was first born, he was so pure and beautiful, i couldn't even imagine giving him ANY name...like he was beyond a name.

This is EXACTLY how I felt for the first several weeks. I think we called him baby, or maybe baby boy.

And I've been thinking about this so much lately!

There's this young adult book by Louise Erdrich called the _Birchbark House_, and in it the main character has a little brother who is several months old but whose name has not yet been dreamed up by the wise women of the tribe. Nobody knows why the name dream hasn't come, so they just wait, and meanwhile he's just called baby, too. It's foreshadowing, though, because then the baby dies of small pox, and everyone understands why his name never came--he wasn't meant to stay.

I think of that book from time to time when I am thinking about names and the significance we attach to them. It's so important to be called something, and many of us work so hard to make or be open to a name that fits or that confers certain qualities the we hope for in our children. It's like a self-styling and a prophesy and a legacy all in one. And yet, in some cultures the parents don't even get to choose the name, or an individual has several different names throughout his or her life, or there are only a handful of names that are acceptable to choose from.

Dh and I played a carride game last weekend where we tried to give each other new names. I think we came pretty close, too! And when I was telling my kids about my thoughts on names, we all searched around for various name generators online and then did a writing activity where we described ourselves under our variously assigned pseudonyms. (In case you're looking for time to burn, student favorites were the pirate name generator, the vampire name generator, and the hobbit name generator!)


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

Okay, Honeytree, we owe you for at least half an hour of family fun laughing our butts off with the name generators.

And on a whim I looked up a few random friends too . . . did you know that Amy's gangsta name is "cow-tippin stank ho"?














:

On the name thing, I had been looking in some baby name book before I was even pregnant, and the name Ela was listed as an Indian name, as meaning "intelligent girl" in Hindi. (Apparently it has some meaning in Bengali as well, I found out later when we met an Indian couple who had a baby a year or so younger than ours who also named their girl Ella.) I perked right up and wrote that down. There were some other names we looked at too but that persisted as a favorite. It has a sort of cross cultural appeal going for it. I'm a little bummed that it is increasing so much in popularity, but I knew that that was a risk factor when I picked it. And her middle names are in no danger of becoming very common and we have an unusual last name even in India, so I guess that's distinctive enough! I had a thought/dream early on in pregnancy of the name Ria (or Riya) and thought that might be the name, but then later on in pregnancy had a dream in which I saw the baby and thought, "you don't look like a Ria" and knew that that wasn't the right name for her, and then that was out. I had a dream in which she was named Maisie, which I had never considered but could have possibly gone for if DH had liked it and wanted it, but he hated it. I'm glad she was a girl though, because we had an easier time finding a girl name than a boy name! We had some final contenders but nothing we really loved. There is one name that I really like but it's kind of a weird/made up one, and it might be kind of a situation where my kid ends up hating me later for being teased in ways I didn't forsee!!

One thing that I sort of wonder about is about the names for any future siblings "matching" her name. Like, would it be weird if we gave the next kid a distinctively Indian first name? Or weird if we only gave then an American first and middle name, or only one middle name when Ella has two middle names? I'm thinking a lot about this these days. For me, starting to think intensely about names is a part of the process of preparing to bring a new person (or even a pet) into my life, and I've noticed myself sort of paying a lot of attention to names and looking around and starting a list again!

On this note--did anybody read (or watch the movie) "The Namesake"??? It's a really excellent novel which deals very much with the subject of names and identity. And the movie adaptation, made by Mira Nair, is very beautiful. (A lot of it was filmed in Kolkata too, so if you see it you will have a glimpse of where we will be in a few months!!)


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## Gunter (May 5, 2005)

such interesting talk about names! ezra didn't have a name for two weeks after she was born. it was just so hard to "name" someone. i mean, what a big deal it is!

so, i have made it to 38 weeks! i am so stoked abut that. having never been here before, let me ask if you all felt less movement toward this point in pregnancy. i will ask my feb ddc, too. i am trying not to worry but it seems odd that i have felt way less movement this week since about monday.


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Kavita* 
Amy's gangsta name is "cow-tippin stank ho"?














:

Well Stank Ho I can see, but Cow-tippin? Must be because I live out in the country!
















Quote:


Originally Posted by *Kavita* 
One thing that I sort of wonder about is about the names for any future siblings "matching" her name.

I do think that matters, actually. My friend just told me that her sister, who is pregnant with her second son, has chosen the name Jesse for the new babe. Her oldest son's name is Hosea. Jesse & Hosea? Um, no.

As for living up to their names, the meaning of Brynn is "from the hill." I'm not sure how she'd live up to that, though.







I did once find her name in a book that said Brynn = optimistic, so I was happy about that. I hope she does live up to that meaning.

Spughy - "Somnolent." Bwa ha ha ha!

Oh, and happy conception anniversaries, everyone! Ours is still a couple of weeks away, but it's been on my mind.


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Gunter* 
having never been here before, let me ask if you all felt less movement toward this point in pregnancy. i will ask my feb ddc, too. i am trying not to worry but it seems odd that i have felt way less movement this week since about monday.

We cross-posted Gunter, but I wanted to say that yes, I have read that is very common just because there is less and less room for the babe to be moving around toward the end. Kavita would probably be able to say for sure, though.


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

Jasmine was moving around MUCH less at the end of the pregnancy.

Isaac wasn't officially named until he was two days old. I thought he was a girl







and was so shocked when he came out a boy. The boy name I'd agreed to choose *just in case* was Caleb... and we loved it, but forgot that the friends we'd made recently had named their oldest son that... and it just felt awkward after that. So we searched and pondered for a name that fit him. We had a really spiritual inspiration and chose Isaac from the Bible.... and it stuck. He's little Isaac now. My DH and I have a hard time choosing names, and don't get any dreams to help us. I have only had pregnancy revelation dreams twice, and neither was with Isaac.

One was with Dominic and it was in regards to what he would look like. He was scrawny, and sickly looking with dark rings under his eyes and jaundiced.... but he was sooooo cute! And I got to stare at him for a long time. When I awoke, that image was BURNED into my mind. When he was born it was the exact baby I'd seen in my dream. It was weird. Like, "Hello baby! I've seen you before!" Everyone thought I was weird for describing my upcoming child as scrawny and sickly looking... but he was. 6lbs.1oz. and jaundiced... and so beautiful!







That's also how I knew it was going to be a boy.

My second pregnancy dream was actually a series of dreams... I dreamt I was having a girl.. BIRTHING a girl was actually more like it. Always on my own... no one ever had time to make it. It went beautifully and I was able to see an image of her also. One of the dreams she was very premature... but it still happened on accident on our own at home. I told my midwife my curiosity about why all the dreams no one could make it because things went to fast at the end... she said not to worry because my labors weren't super short. Fastforward nine months... Jasmine was born at home, by ourselves because there was a snowstorm and I called the midwife too late. I just didn't think I was as far along in labor as I was and it went to fast once I realized. And we had a girl. So... I guess when I DO dream... it's right.


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## kaspirant (Apr 28, 2006)

Quote:

I'm still pregnant...And I am in awe.

I treasure all the aches and pains as hard as that may be to do...Not to mention the insomnia and how hard it's been to just be mama to my 2 year old....

BUT.

I am 8 weeks more pregnant than I was when I was hospitalized with him because of my waters breaking at 29 weeks.

I am 3 weeks more pregnant than I was when I was discharged and sent home without my newborn (in the NICU) after a 5 week stay in the hospital...

and I am officially not having a preemie this time.

I hit 37 weeks today.









I've said all this pregnancy I'd rather be 42 weeks and miserably pregnant than to have to deal with the pre-term labor, hospitalization and NICU time...I'm holding to that....but am feeling much more comfortable at my little Leah making her appearance any time now








<copied from my birth board>

Hiyas mamas. Jacob and I have been so busy this week loving all the time we have together and struggling through to find routines for us.
We have made dinner every night this week (except last night where DH took us out for dinner). We made waffles and have everything to make the Valentine cookies but ran out of energy before they were done. We finger-painted and made Valentine cards for all the daycare kids and all of DH's students (not to mention grandparents and friends) We've been working on getting the cabin a little more staying home friendly (organizing and such). We have had glorious napping together. We have played in the snow. Walked to the library a few times. Took Jacob to the Middle School Valentine Dance and boy was he the star of the show. He hammed it up and danced his little heart out straight to being sound asleep before we got home.

Today we are kinda stranded. It's really windy, and we are home with the carseatless car...stroller and harness are both in the caresated car at work with Dadi....I think it's going to be a LONG day...


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *flapjack* 

I can't believe 2 weeks ago I was sitting here swearing at the keyboard because my waters had broken and I had to jump off the UC fence one way or another. The time has gone so fast!

no kidding! it feels like time is flying for me for sure. rue turned 3 weeks yesterday. *sigh*
i already want another one







she is just too good..sweet..amazing..


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## Gunter (May 5, 2005)

my best friend did a belly cast for me today. i didn't do one with ezra so i am glad to have one now. and, at 38 weeks today! which you all are sick of hearing about,







but i never made it to with ez! woo hoo!

i took a three hour nap this afternoon. woke up to BHX (buxton hicks, you know) and now am getting into the tub to relax a bit. love to all you mamas.


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Gunter and Kaspirant, I am so happy for both of you for the longer pregnancies that you wished for. And I'm excited for both of your new babies to arrive in the next month or so... And buxton hicks is the cutest name ever









DucetteMama~ Your dreams sound amazingly realistic!

HoneyTree~ We're having fun with the name generators, too. Thanks for sharing!

Kavita~ I think about name "matching" too, though matching too much is corny, too. Like the Duggars and all of their kids with the same letter to start their names. Some things can be taken too far. I would actually avoid some names because they sound too much alike- as much as I love the name Ella I would trip over it calling out Ella and Neela on the playground. I don't think we would search for another Indian or Irish name for a sibling for Neela (aka Neala for the Irish version), but would want something that has similar sound qualities. Can you tell I'm married to a poet- so much name decision was based on sound.


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

I have always thought "matching" names were always corny... but now I am totally stuck on botanical names and seriously "Linden" is near the top of my list for boys and if I had another girl I'd want to name her "Holly". I kinda suck. Especially since the dog is named Daisy.

We just got back from Vancouver, visiting my sisters as they passed through on their ways to exotic locales - one to Thailand and the other to Mexico, where she's getting on a sailboat and sailing to the Marquesas. Sigh. But then I get to come home to our comfy little life and it's not bad at all. And listening to Rowan sing to herself in the back seat of the car just makes everything ok in the world. She's got a little bit of a cold but it doesn't seem to be bothering her... she was quite subdued this morning, clinging limpet-like to me and DH during breakfast, but she perked up after a nap and enjoyed the ferry ride home.

On the way home I stopped off downtown where there was the annual "seedy saturday" - all the little local organic seed suppliers get together and there's a seed swap and everything... I spent all the money in my wallet on seeds and then pulled myself away. But, it's almost that time of year - time to get the garden sorted out, early stuff planted, tomatoes and peppers started inside... good times! This year I am going to plant LOTS of pickling cukes







Last year my crop lasted exactly 10 days (9 days to get them sour enough, then we ate them in like, a day...) This year we're planting a biiiiig garden with friends who have lots of potential garden space so we can have lots more veg. Yum.


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## HoneyTree (Apr 5, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *spughy* 
On the way home I stopped off downtown where there was the annual "seedy saturday" - all the little local organic seed suppliers get together and there's a seed swap and everything...









: This is SO CUTE! OK, someday when I have a few tens of hours to spare, I am going to organize one of these for my city! A few of my students are really into organic gardening right now, and they want to start a school-wide seed swap. I'm trying to step back and let them manifest it, but I'm really, really hoping it gets off the ground, 'cause I have an itty bitty sunny space and very eclectic tastes in growables.


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## 3for3hb (Jan 13, 2005)

nothing to really comment on, I'm still following








and just wanted to say hi! It's been a busy week!!! Whew!

look at what my naughty valentine made me to "snack on" while watching Lost on Thursday







:

chocolate lava cake, fresh whipped cream & strawberries. Sigh. Huge, contented belly full of baby and chocolate sigh.


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *HoneyTree* 







: This is SO CUTE! OK, someday when I have a few tens of hours to spare, I am going to organize one of these for my city! A few of my students are really into organic gardening right now, and they want to start a school-wide seed swap. I'm trying to step back and let them manifest it, but I'm really, really hoping it gets off the ground, 'cause I have an itty bitty sunny space and very eclectic tastes in growables.

I am all in favour of as many seed swaps as everywhere as possible, but cute is not the word for it...







... Victoria is full - and I do mean FULL - of maniacal, hard-core, militant gardeners. The place was a complete MADHOUSE. It was nuts. I had to use my elbows to get the celeriac seeds. There's a sort-of movement for the "new victory garden" - there was a display advertising a summer-long course for it - and I caught a couple of them sort of snorting "new??? what the heck, I never stopped with the one from the big war..." Anyway, it was a bit of a scene. I got all the seeds I could afford and skittered out of there.

I hope your seed swap gets off the ground though! They are SO important - it's shocking how many hybrids/terminator seeds are out there even for hobby gardeners.


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

Seed swaps sound awesome...

Gotta go..

Fussy babe and Dom has step throat...








:


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Hope Dom gets better soon, Danile.

Spughy, we have seed swaps over here too- mostly in the crunchy capitals like Brighton and the west country, but Colchester had one as well. Great idea







Keep it up. Oh, and did you know Isaac's middle name is Linden? Technically he's Isaac Linden Marwood, but by the time he grows up nobody is ever going to have heard of Withnail and I so it's just going to be a hippie name.

Monique, bless your husband









I would NEVER give my kids names starting with the same letter. I've found myself calling River Rowan a couple of times this week, and that's not good.

Gunter, Kaspirant, keep going- and gently, safely, calmly and steadily, with a complete absence of painful contractions until the day this baby arrives, OK?

Fern









Life here isn't too good atm. Skye is not impressed with her new sibling and is thoroughly unimpressed that her big guys have gone away without her. By not impressed, I mean we haven't got a single cute photo of her cuddling her new brother, because it hasn't happened yet, and she's pretty keen on the idea of him going away again







Oh, and Alex is being very two as well- which would be fine if he wasn't actually nine. He literally threw himself on the floor in front of the buggy the other day because I didn't buy him chocolate in the post office. Repeatedly. And VERY loudly. So yeah, right now my overwhelming thought is "what WAS I thinking?"


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MelW* 

Kavita~ I think about name "matching" too, though matching too much is corny, too. Like the Duggars and all of their kids with the same letter to start their names. Some things can be taken too far. I would actually avoid some names because they sound too much alike- as much as I love the name Ella I would trip over it calling out Ella and Neela on the playground.

Yep, too much matching is not good either--I don't inherently object to giving the kids same letter first names if it works out that way but the Duggar style of just coming up with a J name for every successive kid is just excessive IMO. And even if you go with two same-letter first names, I think the names need to be otherwise different enough that you can remember who you're yelling at without getting mixed up!







My name and my sister's name are somewhat similar and so my mom was always having that problem. I guess what I am thinking of name coordination, more along the cultural/language divide than in terms of sound. Should the next kid get two middle names and should one be an American/European name and the other an Indian middle name? (Because that is what Ella has.) Is it screwed up to give the next kid a distinctively Indian first name? What if he/she looks more Indian than white? Does it sound weird if my kids are named, for example, Ella and Sukanya or Kajol? Or say, Proteep or Prosantha for a boy? Not that any of those names are really under consideration, I am just picking them out of a hat for an example.

On another note, Ella was so cute the other day--she was sitting there looking deeply into the dog's eyes and holding her and saying in this sweet little cooing voice, "Sweetheart, I love you! I love you my sweetheart!"







It is nice too because she is really enjoying the playroom at the gym--she has met her first non-Mommy-orchestrated little friend there, whose name is Sophia and who tends to be there often at the same times. She is often talking about "gym, and Amelia, and friends, and babies, and teapot, and Fia (Sophia) and toys!!!" So her being excited about it and eager to go helps me actually get there even more consistently than I might on my own.


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## barcelona (May 1, 2006)

I am with y'all on moderation with names and matching..and Kavita, I think that you could name the next child a very Indian name and it would work, IMO, especially if you loved the name and felt it was right for the child. And how lovely that Ella loves her friends and play area at the gym!!! Finley really loves playing with his Aunt Natalie, so it makes going out on dates with DH virtually stress-free, cause we know he is happy, and probably actually enjoying a bit of a break from us.

Oh, and as for Finley's name, when I found it, it said it meant "ray of light", which I thought seemed perfect, for my little light inside. But subsequent lookings-up of his name meant a rather boring "fair-haired boy", which he is, so I suppose it isn't so terrible. But I like to think of his name as meaning the original meaning I found in "ray of light".







I definitely think it suits him now, too...

HoneyTree, what is included in your eclectic taste of growable things? You've got me curious.

And Spughy, what are pickled cukes? The seed swap sounds so fun (and intense)! And your sisters sound fun and intense, too. What fun adventures all three of you have, both abroad and at home.

Yay for Gunter and Kaspirant that you're still pregnant! Like Helen, I send those calm peaceful vibes of the coming weeks, and a lovely-as-possible labor when the time comes.

Willemsmama, that chocolate dessert looks Delicious! What a sweet DH









Helen, I only have one child, so I know my words don't mean much in this area, but I hope that Skye soon realizes what a treasure her new little brother is...and that sooner than later they start having a happy relationship, for everyone's sake. The pics of River on your blog are precious.









Fern, your life sounds like a dream.

My parents and brother and SIL were here for the weekend, and it was a rather peaceful weekend. It was their first time seeing our life and home out here in California, and I think they much preferred it to our grittier NYC life, as it's closer to their worlds. (Meanwhile, my eyes fill up when I think of NYC, although I do not want to return there right now to live). It is somehow always better and more peaceful and more bearable and pleasant when they come to our home and space than vice versa (btw, they stayed in hotels, as we don't have room for company, unless you're willing to sleep on a full-sized futon, which my dad would not fit on). So, I made it through, feeling 18 again, sort of, but also feeling more myself in my space...and seeing my parents more and more as almost children instead of my parents...and Finley adored them and vice versa, which was great. This was the first visit when they did not make a comment or seem to have a problem with anything he did or that we did, in terms of parenting. So that was quite satisfying and lovely. I think they thought he'd forever be shy and have separation-anxiety, while I knew all along it was Finley being himself (shy), and us letting him be himself, instead of forcing him into subservience (sp?), and that he'd outgrow the separation anxiety in due time.

Sorry to ramble on!!!

Off to tend to the studio. Much love to all!!!!


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## HoneyTree (Apr 5, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *barcelona* 
HoneyTree, what is included in your eclectic taste of growable things? You've got me curious.

Well...because you _asked_...









Here is what I would _like_ to grow this spring and summer:

Daisies, Sunflowers, Morning Glories, Petunias, Nasturtiums, Johnny-Jump-Ups, Marigolds, Bachelor Buttons, Zinnias, Cosmos, Dahlias...

Also tomatoes, eggplants, green beans, snap peas, okra, Orca beans, gourds, butternut squash, zucchini, sweet and hot(ish) peppers, cucumbers, muskmelon, strawberries...

Not to mention the herbs, chief among them this year the basils, of which I'd like to grow at least half a dozen different varieties.

I've lost count of the hours I have spent between the pages of the Seed Savers Catalog. Suffice to say many a lesson plan went unwritten!


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## Gunter (May 5, 2005)

still here and still preggo! yay!

ran a ton of errands today and now i need a nap.

monique- you have an awesome valentine! fabulous!

i wish that someone could come live with me and teach me t garden this summer. i have the space (about an acre) and time for it (ez and our dog LOVE to be outside in the yard) but not the wisdom. i kill most house plants. i did plant tomatoes and some lettuce last spring...then went to asia...who knows if they survived? we have lots of herbs that were already here. we cannot kill the rosemary bush, it's so hardy so we pluck from it a lot. so, who wants to come live in my spare bedroom this spring and school me?


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

We're talking gardening here too. We need to get our seeds going, and make a raised bed in our yard. It's all Jason talks about.







It's cute.

We had a really nice day today; we managed to see a movie (Definitely, Maybe - which was pretty good for a Sunday matinee) as Brynn napped, and then we went to the zoo because it was 65 degrees today!









Jason's mom left yesterday, and not a moment too soon. She didn't do anything outrageously offensive, but after a week I'm sure I'd be happy to see just about any house-guest leave. We had our big night out on Friday night, and Brynn did *great*. We really enjoyed our fancy-schmancy dinner, got silly on wine, and took lots of random pictures of the hotel/museum, which I'll post later on the blog. The hotel was gorgeous and lush, but very LOUD, so we ended up being woken approximately the same number of times we would have if we'd been home on a bad night (~4), twice by noisy neighbors past 2:00am, and twice by street noise after 4:00am. And the bed was hard. So, I was kind nonplussed about all of that. It was really nice to just be alone though, and have an actual conversation, and complete a sentence. What I took away from it is what I already knew, which is that we need to have more dates together, but it wasn't the life-changing experience I was expecting it to be.









Barcelona, glad to hear that the visit from your family was not unpleasant and that you felt grown-up and that no one second-guessed your awesome mothering skills.









Gunter, Kaspirant, and Monique - Lots of peaceful belly vibes to all of you!







:

Helen, sorry to hear that Skye isn't embracing River and all of his wonderfulness. It's probably hard to give up being the baby.

Fern, glad to hear you are home safe again!

Spughy, you are seriously awesome. I so wish we were neighbors!

I think I had one more thing to say but I can't remember what it was. Dang.


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

We had Suriya's birthday party yesterday. Oh my word. It was insane. 12 adults and 6 kids in my 900 square foot apartment. But it was fun and my sister helped me cook when I was feeling up to it and the food turned out awesome and everyone had a blast. Plus Suriya got basically a whole new gorgeous and super girly wardrobe!


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## HoneyTree (Apr 5, 2005)

G, don't tempt me! I remember when you posted pictures of your sweet solar house and beautiful big yard; I predict you'll have a gorgeous garden going in less than two years. If dh's research takes him up to the university this summer, I'll swing by with some seedlings


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *flapjack* 
Life here isn't too good atm. Skye is not impressed with her new sibling and is thoroughly unimpressed that her big guys have gone away without her. By not impressed, I mean we haven't got a single cute photo of her cuddling her new brother, because it hasn't happened yet, and she's pretty keen on the idea of him going away again







Oh, and Alex is being very two as well- which would be fine if he wasn't actually nine. He literally threw himself on the floor in front of the buggy the other day because I didn't buy him chocolate in the post office. Repeatedly. And VERY loudly. So yeah, right now my overwhelming thought is "what WAS I thinking?"

This too shall pass; this too shall pass...









I'm debating about garden plans for the spring. I wasn't going to plant anything since we'll be moving soon. But I'm also the coordinator of our community gardens, and the more I talk to other gardeners making their plans the more I think I need to plant a little something before we go. Last year I harvested tons of carrots, beets, lettuce and green onions in the spring, so I might just do that again. It was pretty low-maintenance, too- I spent a ton of time nurturing my tomatoes and beans, but the spring stuff I just threw in the ground and let the rain water them.

Suriya's party sounds great- I'm glad you had a good time, DID.

And Amy, the hotel looks amazing! How fun!

I'm off to shower with the self-titled "princess of the world".


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Helen, I remember being sad because when Ellie was born Killy couldn't have cared less. I mean, he was only 17.5 months so he didn't really understand what was going on, but it still was sad to see everyone else posting pics of the older siblings cuddling the baby when Killy's (non-verbal) response seemed to be along the lines of "WTH is that thing?" But in time things changed, of course, and I get lots of cute pictures of them now.









Killian had a bug this weekend and ran a pretty high fever so he's home from school today even though he seems to be feeling great now. We've taken a nice long walk and are just going to relax and do art stuff this afternoon, I think. And, I have a lovely navy bean soup in the crockpot. Should be a nice evening!


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## Awaken (Oct 10, 2004)

Hi mamas, just thought I'd check in- I'm home sick, so the good news is that I have time to sit around and catch up on our thread! The bad news is that I haven't been this sick for over 10 years! I feel great sympathy for any of you who've had morning sickness - now I understand!! uke uke uke

Gunter, Kaspirant, thinking of you with your upcoming births! Can't wait to hear the news. Gunter- the night before he was born, Ezra stopped moving. I did all the usual things, ate, drank, paid attention, and was about to call the midwife, but I fell asleep and when I woke up I was in labor and he was born shortly after. So, I think it is common that they move less as they get into position to be born. But obviously, follow your instincts and get it checked out if necessary! And I'm sure some of the 'professionals' on here can clarify that!

Fern, Helen- I'm so glad your brand new, beautiful babies are doing well







Helen, I had to







: at your post about Alex being "very two"- not that it's *funny*, but my 5 yo is often more "two" than the 2 year old!!

Re: names. I agree on disliking matchy names. I wouldn't ever pick a name just so it would match a siblings or conform to a certain letter- I really think as a lot of you have said, the baby will tell us! (Of course, we could never think of any boys names, so I took that as a clear sign we were having girls, even though they repeatedly told me they were boys!







) My boys ended up having names starting with the same letter, but it wasn't because we 'tried', those were just what we came up with and seemed right for them. Hopefully b/c they start with different vowel sounds "eee" vs. "eh" they don't sound too matchy!

Spughy- the seed thing sounds so cool! I am reading my butt off about gardening, but so far everything I've tried has been a failure! A lot of it is that we have minimal area of full sun, we have dogs in the back yard, and poor, dense soil. If anyone has some tips, I'd be grateful. After reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I have high hopes of producing something this year!! Yet I know I'll be crushed once again when I put lots of sweat and money into it and nothing happens! I heard about the "square foot gardener"- has anyone else? I was thinking of making a small raised bed in the middle of our front lawn- the only area w/ sun- and trying it out. I'm not into buying tons of stuff, so whatever I can do with materials on hand or I can get for free would be good!
















Anyway- lots of love to all. As always, I'm reading but rarely able to type once I read all the updates!


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Thanks for the reassurance. Skye is still climbing the walls today- she's really missing "my guys" and coming on top of a new baby, she just has no idea what to do with herself, bless her. I think she's spent more time screaming and sobbing today than she has in two years


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## Awaken (Oct 10, 2004)

Helen, I just got to see River's pictures, oh my goodness is he one sweet baby







I am so happy for you! So adorable in his little longies!

I really hope your day gets better


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Thankyou







It didn't, but today is another day- and we go and get the boys back, and see my former MIL...

I wrote River's birth story, btw, and put it on the blog...


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Awaken~ I hope you're feeling better soon! It sounds terrible!

Thanks for sharing your story, Helen









I had something to say, but totally can't remember. I'm doing my taxes this afternoon and my brain is fried







:


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MelW* 
I had something to say, but totally can't remember. I'm doing my taxes this afternoon and my brain is fried







:

I have an appt with a new accountant (since we moved this year) on Tuesday, which means I have a deadline to get all our stuff together. Quite a job when you take into account we own our own business. Ugh. I think we should be getting a decent return, though, so that makes it worth it.

My aunt with lung cancer seems to be at the very last stage... my poor uncle. My mom called to let me know today that I should get all our laundry done and be ready to travel for the memorial service by the end of the week. I figured we'd leave the kids with my in-laws, but Killy had a fever over the weekend and since MIL is immune-compromised (she has lupus) I don't think they'd be comfortable watching the kids for 12+ hours whatever day we end up going to TN. But since I've never been away from the kids that long, I don't know how it would work out anyway. (its about a 3 hour drive out to where they live from here)


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

Q of C, I am so sorry about your aunt.







Thinking of you and your family and hoping that thing work out the way you need them to, however that may be.


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## HoneyTree (Apr 5, 2005)

Helen, River's birth story was amazing. What a ride!!!!


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## 3for3hb (Jan 13, 2005)

QoC - sorry about your aunt.









Flapjack- hmm.







Poor Skye.







Other than the family adjustment, things are going good?

HoneyTree - you rock. We decided to just do a stawberry jar and an herbal hanging basket. We'll probably get the plants from the local co-op or farmer's market. Everything else is coming from the CSA I'm organizing. We'll be volunteering at a local (well, about a half hour away) organic farm once a week to twice a month. I'm so excited because it will give the kids a chance to run around and get SUNSHINE this summer. Gosh darn it we are getting tans this summer. I feel like we are all (as a family) so vitamin D (natural sunlight derived) deficient so I'm really looking forward to it.

I've been nesting/co-oping/spending way too much time online lately, unfortunately in spite of the loud protest of my pelvis. Baby is lower than ever, but not "dropped" yet. So basically my pelvis feels like it is falling apart. I have stocked up on essentials that we'd basically run out of and we should be all set here soon. I found a co-op group on yahoo that has helped out with tremendous savings on stuff we needed to restock household wise.
Anyway.
I've also been cooking up a storm. I feel like each day I dish out two meals (lunch and dinner) is a huge success. And my only accomplishment of the day too.
And for some reason I decided the kids are getting easter baskets/gifts this year. I have crocs, new Pj's, books, strawberry pots, bilbos and sigg bottles lined up. Feel like I'm going overboard but it's mostly stuff they'll need and use in the summer. I got dh and I new sigg bottles because our nalgene bottles which I have been wanting to replace for some time were all scratched up and leaking. So now the boys will pretty much only drink water from our bottles.







. I'm gonna let them pick out the designs for their bottles and hopefully by easter they will have forgotten.

Anyway, in case ya'll were wondering, here's my latest belly shot (all wrapped up because it's painfully pendulous)


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

I wish someone would send some already cooked food to me. I can't stand the smell of cooking food right now. I can usually eat something if I haven't had to smell it cooking, but DH made me an omelette the other night and the smell of it cooking ruined it for me and I couldn't eat. Blech.


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## 3for3hb (Jan 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DreamsInDigital* 
I wish someone would send some already cooked food to me. I can't stand the smell of cooking food right now. I can usually eat something if I haven't had to smell it cooking, but DH made me an omelette the other night and the smell of it cooking ruined it for me and I couldn't eat. Blech.

Awwww... I so know that feeling! It'll pass soon


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## Gunter (May 5, 2005)

i missed you mamas today! i tried to stay super active all day and walk everywhere. now, gotta go to bed.





















to you each!


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## HoneyTree (Apr 5, 2005)

Thanks for the confidence boost, Monique! I am imagining this lush garden in my mind and telling myself that I have all the skills and perseverance I need to make it happen--it will be my most ambitious effort to date. I am in awe of YOU organizing a CSA. That's no small feat! Volunteering at the organic farm sounds divine.

DiD, even without the m/s, cooked eggs in the morning sometimes make me gag. I feel for ya, sister. It's not the season yet, but I had smoothies for breakfast almost every morning with Woody because they didn't smell like anything.

So, hey! This is my







post! Yay! (I don't know why it matters, really, it just seems like an interesting mark of passage in our little community, so I'll treat it as such...







) It's been beyond amazing to get to "know" y'all over the past two years and many months. You've no idea how often something one of you says creates a ripple of thoughts or actions in my life--interesting, enlightening, and challenging--so thanks for that.







:


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Hi everyone! I having a disagreement with some broccoli and my insides are NOT happy with me. I can't eat broccoli, I know that - but every once in a while I just can't resist it and I buy it and eat it and then... ugh. You don't want details. WHY why why of all the things on the earth that I could be unable to digest, why does it have to be something so tasty and good for me (theoretically) as broccoli? Especially good, organic, fresh, local, purple broccoli???? DH was like, yeah I can see why you'd eat this and suffer later willingly - it was that good. Sigh.

So anyway, I finally have a 2-year-old. Rowan has suddenly turned "difficult". A little bit. She's started doing the flopsy thing when she doesn't want to go somewhere and is reaaaallly resistant to being talked into things she doesn't want to do (like taking the dog for a walk the past couple of days.) I am trying really hard to be patient, and not force things if I don't completely have to - but there is just no negotiating the dog's walk - it has to be done, and it has to be done in the time between when Rowan wakes up from her nap and dinner. Unfortunately that's the time she wants to spend just puttering around the house. I just hope this doesn't persist or get worse. Of course as soon as we're actually out of the house she's happy as can be, racing me down the sidewalk.







: But up until that point, there is a lot of wailing going on.

QofC - I'm sorry about your aunt.







I hope your family can stay close and strong during this.

Teresa - congrats on the 1000th post! woo!


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

QofC.

Theresa, it's been nearly three years that we've had each other in our lives. You may not post much, but whenever you do it makes sense and makes me happy. So thanks for being you









DiD,







This too will pass, this too will pass. Then instead of morning sickness, you too can have an insanely jealous toddler and a screaming, hungry newborn to deal with.

Monique, nope, same crap, different day. I felt a lot better once I got the boys back but it feels like the black dog of depression knows where I live. I'm hoping it doesn't get any closer than that.


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *flapjack* 

DiD,







This too will pass, this too will pass. Then instead of morning sickness, you too can have an insanely jealous toddler and a screaming, hungry newborn to deal with.

Haha, actually make that two jealous toddlers, and two older kids punching the daylights out of each other, plus a crying newborn. Where do I sign up? Sounds like fun.


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Where is the moms of many thread this month, anyhow?? I haven't posted much...


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## 3for3hb (Jan 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *HoneyTree* 
I am in awe of YOU organizing a CSA. That's no small feat! Volunteering at the organic farm sounds divine.


Lest you really put me on a pedestal, let me clarify







I'm organizing a local community group part of the CSA that is done through the organic farm we will be volunteering at. So basically I just had to troll for people to join and apply and pay and we will be transporting the csa boxes back here from the farm every week or so. So not a small feat but not as huge as I guess I'd made it sound









oh, and on the gardening front, I finally bought my lb of redworms for my worm factory yesterday. This is how bad it's been. I bought the worm factory with Christmas money on December 29th. I just ordered the worms yesterday. That's almost two months behind on composting!!!!







at least I have a good excuse (i.e. the bump).


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *spughy* 
So anyway, I finally have a 2-year-old. Rowan has suddenly turned "difficult". A little bit. She's started doing the flopsy thing when she doesn't want to go somewhere and is reaaaallly resistant to being talked into things she doesn't want to do (like taking the dog for a walk the past couple of days.) I am trying really hard to be patient, and not force things if I don't completely have to - but there is just no negotiating the dog's walk - it has to be done, and it has to be done in the time between when Rowan wakes up from her nap and dinner. Unfortunately that's the time she wants to spend just puttering around the house. I just hope this doesn't persist or get worse. Of course as soon as we're actually out of the house she's happy as can be, racing me down the sidewalk.







: But up until that point, there is a lot of wailing going on.

Welcome to the "how the h*ll do I get out of the house" club! Neela has a maximum of three hours at home in the morning before she turns into a stir-crazy maniac, but she also totally drags her heels on leaving. Mostly the putting clothes on part, which I'm sure I've vented about here before.

QofC~ I'm thinking of your family and wishing your aunt a peaceful passing.

HoneyTree~ Thanks for being here and part of this community! I really appreciate all of your wisdom and enthusiasm


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

I've been in the land of surly two year olds since Killy was about 10 months - that's seriously when he hit the terrible twos! Ellie hit them right at her birthday, but even so she's still a lot "easier" than Killian ever was so I try not to complain too much. Read Raising the Highly Spirited Child, or whatever the title of that book is - its so inspiring and gives a much more positive perspective on these challenging times, especially with the transition-stresses (going from sleeping to awake, home to the car, etc).

My dad is out with my aunt and uncle now, it was a really rough night. My aunt has major fear of pain and a major love of pain medications and a very addictive personality, so its been a very hard journey the last few months. I think she's also terribly afraid to die, so she's fighting it even though she's in pain and terrified of that pain and its all just a very viscous cycle. I wish I had something more positive to report.


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Wow QoC, that sounds really sad. I am sorry for what your family is going through right now and wish for peace for all involved.









Just came to say, don't forget to try to see the eclipse tonight!


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DreamsInDigital* 
Haha, actually make that two jealous toddlers, and two older kids punching the daylights out of each other, plus a crying newborn. Where do I sign up? Sounds like fun.









Better you than me, sister!


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by **Amy** 
Just came to say, don't forget to try to see the eclipse tonight!

It was lovely. I was expecting bedlam on labor and delivery, but had a normal night and the chance to go for a walk outside on my break to check out the moon.


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Kavita* 
Better you than me, sister!









You could do it if you had to. Right now I'm just kind of in survival mode. Anything not totally crucial to our existence just isn't happening. And I've been having my groceries delivered so I don't have to step foot inside a grocery store.


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

It was nice, wasn't it Mel? We lucked out and had a perfectly clear sky for it.

HoneyTree, congrats on your 1000th post! Yes, it is a milestone. You are MDC elite now.









Well we have arranged a really great childcare situation for Brynn, I am happy to report. When I first started thinking about finding some type of situation, I wasn't really worried. And then I started looking around at our options, and got very worried! I talked to quite a few people, and then had a friend offer to watch Brynn for free (which I won't accept, but man!) starting whenever we want to, through the summer or basically however long we need. She really wants a regular playmate for her daughter (they are not in any type of preschool or social program), and she and Brynn get along really well. And I trust this mama totally, so it feels like the right choice.














They live out in the country so they will have lots of fun outdoor activities to do during the warmer months, like garden, chase the chickens, pick apples and pears, and play in the baby pool. Stuff I'd want her to do anyway! So with that, I am actually feeling really revved up to get back to work sooner than later. I pulled all of my books and binders out of the basement yesterday (well, not all of them - just the ones I need for the next couple of months) and I had this feeling while I was looking at the detritus of 7 years of higher education...like, Wow, did I really know all of this stuff once upon a time??







It's going to be like training for a marathon, almost. My brain is way out of shape!

QoC, any updates on your aunt?

Helen, and DiD for that matter, I just laugh when I read your posts. I can barely keep it together with ONE, so I don't know how y'all are even keeping all of those little people alive!

Op - gotta go.


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## 3for3hb (Jan 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DreamsInDigital* 
And I've been having my groceries delivered so I don't have to step foot inside a grocery store.

(








: at myself)Now why didn't *I* think of that???????


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

We had a perfectly clear night here - the eclipse was stunning. I had to go to my class, but Rowan and DH spent some time looking at it and she told me all about it this morning... "it was a different COLOUR!!!"

My food culture class last night was inspiring and depressing all at once - we talked about food branding and marketing and what was truly depressing was how much marketing is aimed at children. What's depressing to me is that NONE of the food that is advertised is actually necessary or even really helpful. The whole concept of "value-added" food is just disgusting. Like, all those "probiotic" yogurts? REAL yogurt has always contained bacterial cultures, plus you can make it yourself with a heating pad and a mason jar from regular milk, AND it doesn't have loads of sugar and cornstarch and flavourings and crap in it. UGH. I decided a while ago to try to feed my family as package-free as possible on health and ecological grounds - it's hard to get around some things coming in containers, like milk and eggs, but those are at least recyclable/reusable. And yes, the odd cracker sneaks into the house. But I'm trying. And I think I'm going to try harder to get the message out that if it's in a package, it's probably bad for you - and that there is probably an inverse relationship between package attractiveness and food value. Anyway, I put a post on my food blog about it and I asked for feedback - if y'all have a sec, can you go check it out pleeeeeease?









Helen, I hope Skye is adjusting. Poor little girl - I wish you were closer and you could send her over to play with Rowan. River is sooo lovely. He looks just like Steve.







I hope you can enjoy all his wonderful babyness. Do you remember what it was like with Alex when Isaac was born? Is this really different?

Rowan woke up at 6 this morning, soaking wet. That would be the downside of my class nights - Daddy does the bedtime snack and the diaper







: Hopefully she will have a long nap. Actually, no - hopefully she will have a normal nap and then go to bed early. And then I could watch Survivor on our purloined cable!!! (We canceled our cable, and got a refund cheque from the cable company - but it's still on. heh.)


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## Gunter (May 5, 2005)

hey fellow mamas,

who would have thought that i would make it to 39 weeks...today/tomorrow starts the 39th week for me! crazy. dh is no longer "cut off", IYKWIM and that makes it way more fun at my house now. i have a MW appt in a couple of hours. been trying to walk a lot and stay active but i sat a bunch today through LLL, lunch out and driving around. not going to walk on the trail either b/c we have to drive to the MW's office instead.

it's so fun with ezra these days. i enjoy being with her at the library or reading at the house b/c she's just so into it. she remembers books and characters, plots and asks for them. her sleeping and potty learning are really going well so it's no longer hard for us to do either of those. she tells me, "mama, i love you" and hugs me strong. so many things that i like about her spirit...i know you all feel the same about your toddlers. it's such a joy.


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Well, my aunt passed this morning. My dad and uncle and the Hospice Chaplain and nurse were there with her, and she was awake and totally aware till the end. Apparently, she suddenly became very peaceful (finally) for a few minutes and then just stopped breathing. I'm so glad she's not in pain anymore, but so sad for my uncle. The memorial is going to be Saturday and I guess we'll be taking the kids, since they've had colds this week so my in-laws wouldn't watch them (MIL has Lupus, they don't want to expose her to anything). Honestly, that's what I'm most worried about. Killy's just starting to understand/be curious about death, so who knows what inappropriate things he might do or say. Hopefully everyone will realize that he's little and doesn't really get it, but he's really big for his age and just looks older, so people always expect more of him.

I also spent all morning doing taxes. What a day.

I hope all is going well for everyone else. I'm holding up okay, I just have a terrible headache at the moment.


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

The lunar eclipse was RAD. I loved it.

Amy- If I have a spare second to breathe... I am very intrigued by your blog and will definitely check it out and comment.

Q of C- Of course... major







s: and so sorry for your loss, and your uncle's loss. I'm sure most people will understand. And then again... nothing of that sort might even come about. Hoping your trip is peaceful and isn't too hard on you.


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

OH! And...

Gunter- Way to go on 39!!!! Who knows- maybe this babe will surprise you and keep baking for MORE than another week.


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

Q of C--I'm sorry for your loss and for your family's loss. Hopefully it won't be too problematic taking the kids, either for them or for you. I took Ella to a funeral last spring when our old neighbor passed away. (Old meaning, "in our previous neighborhood" but she was also 90 too.) I sat really, really close to the door so I could whisk her out if she got loud, but she wasn't talking understandably then and was too young to really understand about death or really get too much about what was going on, so there wasn't that same concern as with Killy. I was actually thinking about that the other day--what if somebody close to us or one of our dogs died now and I had to explain it to her? What would I say? How does one explain death to kids this age? I'm sorry that you have had so much loss in your family recently, and that you are having to deal with this situation too.
















Amy--I'm glad you found a good situation for Brynn so you can start back with school! (I meant to get into contact with you about that but I've been pretty preoccupied and sort of forgot!! I'll email ya!)

Gunter--I am waiting for you to hit 41 weeks and start freaking out and getting impatient!!







Just because Murphy's Law of Pregnancy states that those who are being careful to not go into labor early invariably end up going overdue!!







However, I'm just teasing--I'm sure your baby will come in his/her own perfect time!!

Helen--I hope that Skye gets adjusted to her new brother and things get easier around your house. It must be a huge change for her to not be the baby anymore, so I imagine that it will take some getting used to.

spughy--you are the most hardcore traditional foodie that I know!! I will have to check out your blog post, but haven't yet. I am not that hardcore, not in the least (one of my kids first words was "cheddar bunnies". Okay that's two words! Actually it wasn't her first, but the girl definitely knew her way around a cracker at a young age.) Not only have I never plucked a chicken, but making turkey meatballs from store ground turkey from a styrofoam tray last night made me feel kind of icky!







Are you still trying to lose weight? After a shameful slump over the holidays, I am back in the saddle big-time, so maybe we can resume our buddy system!

all tax doers--(Mel and Q of C I think)--rock on with your bad, non-procrastinating selves!!! We have to get on that soon too, but I think DH is doing it again this year.

HoneyTree--good luck with your garden! And congrats on your senior member status! Funny how that is such a big milestone, isn't it?! I felt the same way too! (Although I never bothered to pick a senior title.)

willemsmama--have fun with your worms!! I'd offer to help if you have any questions, but really you'd be better off asking Mel since she knows a lot more than I do!!!!









"Raising Your Spirited Child" has definitely been a big help for me. Some of the things in there I had already sort of figured out on my own (like giving Ella more warning for transitions and sort of letting her know what was going on with our day and what to expect). But one of the most important things in there for me was realizing and accepting that we just have a bit of a tempermental mismatch in terms of introversion/extroversion--just realizing clearly how being with/around people affects me and Ella very differently in terms of our energy and abilities to manage/maintain ourselves has helped me. In the last month or two, I've come to terms with the fact that our needs are just different--she needs to be with other people and be out and active a lot, and I need to be alone and pursuing my own thoughts/activities a lot. I really realized that putting her into the playroom at the gym several times a week is not only the best thing for me, but it's really making *her* lots happier too! She talks about the gym and the ladies who work there all the time and she actually asks to go to the gym now--"Go to the gym, see Amelia and babies and kids and friends and toys!!! Play at gym!!!"







And while it's not exactly "vegging" or "solitude" to be slogging away on an elliptical trainer in a room full of other sweating, straining people, the fact that I don't have to make polite conversation with anybody unless I want to makes it close enough to alone time to qualify for me!

More on the gym--I had a couple of initial appointments with a personal trainer as part of an introductory special offer, and I ended up through some twist of fate getting possibly the best personal trainer on the staff, who is also a full time employee of the gym with other responsibilities there. (So she's kind of there all the time, and I see her we wave to each other whenever I go to work out, not just when I have an appointment with her specifically. Which is good because I feel like somebody is keeping an eye on me!) I was not thinking that I would like working with a trainer at all, but I actually was really suprised and it's been really great, and I've already been seeing results from the working out I've done in the past few weeks. (Lost 5 lbs, toned up in the waist area/thighs, etc.) I've decided to make a commitment to this and to continue working with her at least for the next five weeks, twice a week, so this is my top area of focus right now in my life. Yes, me, a gym rat--who whudda thunk it?!







We had a good talk after our training session today about a few specific goals that I have and we came up with a plan to work towards that, so that's very exciting. Also nervewracking--I am scared of failing and disappointing myself, which in the past I've sometimes dealt with by not trying so at least I didn't fail! So it's feeling like progress, not only because I am getting into better shape but I am confronting some issues that have stopped me in other areas of my life, and learning some things about myself as I'm going through this process. It's really important to me to get my own body image issues under control, so I don't end up infecting Ella with my own crap or projecting stuff onto her, which I realize my mom really did with me (and still does, to a degree.)

I'd better wrap up here and go put the child to bed!!! DH has been very patient and long-suffering this evening and watched her and got her dinner while I did, well, basically nothing! So the putting to sleep is my gig!


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Kavita, I think I need to read that book. None of mine really qualify as laid-back at all, and sometimes I don't deal with it brilliantly.

Spughy, Alex was phenomenally independent from an early age- he was walking at 9 months, and would happily just go and do stuff (mess, mostly) by himself. Skye, otoh, LIKES me, and likes company. Right now she's spending a load of time with Isaac, who is getting her through this because he's btdt not so long ago.
Bless him







I know he drives me insane on a regular basis, but I love him so much.


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## Gunter (May 5, 2005)

the babe has officially 7 days to be born before i schedule a c-section for next friday. our family's birthday calender need a feb baby.

you all suck who wish more than one week on me.









i was 2cm last night at my first internal with my mw. soft and mushy. this would be such a great weekend to have a babe. s/he could share a birthday with one of two great people in my life.

today, ezra woke up with dried snot all over her face so our "walk the babe's head down" adventure is out b/c i don't want her to be in public right now. we're snuggled in the bed eating raisins, instead. send her healing vibes and send me "don't get sick" vibes!


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Kavita* 
all tax doers--(Mel and Q of C I think)--rock on with your bad, non-procrastinating selves!!! We have to get on that soon too, but I think DH is doing it again this year.

Yeah, one country down, one to go. Last year I procrastinated our Canadian taxes until late summer. I resolve to get them done on time this year. One thing I love about the US is the waaaay simpler tax forms. Partly my life is less financially complicated here, but I haven't EVER had taxes this easy to do in Canada, not even when I was 16 and working my first job.

gunter, this weekend sounds like a great time to have a baby.

kaspirant, where are you? Off having a baby, perhaps?

Kavita, your gym arrangement sounds terrific. I've slacked on working out with cold and yucky weather recently, but need to get running harder to compensate for reduced breastfeeding and less easily burned er . I seem to have crossed the "eat whatever, whenever" line from breastfeeding.

And a smilie for Neela:







: who now needs more attention


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## gingerstar (Jun 10, 2005)

Just popping out of lurkdom for a minute to respond in no particular order....

QoC, I am so sorry for your loss. Don't fret about Killy; he belongs with your family at a time like this. Just focus on your (the four of you I mean) family, meeting the needs you and your littles have, and on being there for those affected, like your uncle and dad, and don't let others pressure you.
















to Helen also! What a lot you have on your plate, mama. I hope you know we are all pulling for you, and we always have an ear and a shoulder waiting should you need it. Don't let that stiff upper lip keep you from getting your own needs met! It is too easy for mamas to get lost, to get put behind everyone and the dog....

Gunter, yay!! for making it this far - and I agree with Kavita (such a tease) about your precious babe will come at just the right time. For you though, I hope it is this weekend, since it sounds like a special time for you. Can I also mention that I have been coveting your green baby flower face necklace for ever so long, but it has to wait for $.... Your jewelry is all lovely.
Sending you birthy vibes, and healing vibes for poor Ezra!

Sarah, will check your blog and comment. I am also inspired to improve our family diet just from listening to you!

Kavita, how very cool that the gym is such a great outlet for both of you - I am so envious, and I just so admire you for what a great start you have made! I think you and your sweetiepie will benefit from that understanding you have of your different natures and needs, and it just shows again what a great mama you are.

Amy, what a great start you have made too! It seems like things are really falling into place for you, and that has got to feel good.

HoneyTree, congrats, new senior member! I love hearing about your garden plans; it is making me feel more ambitious for this year, so I am starting to make a list - but much shorter!!

Mel, how shocking to hear of our taxes as being simpler - wow, just wow.

My mom just came home from rehab, after having both hips replaced. She has done amazingly well, we are ever so proud of her; two days in hospital, then moved to rehab, where she scarcely had time to knit or read as she was doing PT twice daily and OT twice daily as well, and they sent her home after a week because she could do everything they were supposed to work with her for, independently. Amazing.

Uh oh, waking babe.


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Sorry, my earlier post was interrupted.

I also wanted to pass along big hugs to you and your family, QofC. Thinking of you.

Good to hear from you, gingerstar. I'm glad your mom is doing so well.


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Thankyou, Sharon. I'm truly impressed with your mum, btw. My uncle had one hip done the week before River was born and it's been slow healing for him.

Gunter







I know that Skye's last month of pregnancy was harder than usual for me because Isaac was so early and I was contracting so much so how could it not be any-day-now when I was already far more pregnant than I had been with the last one? It's a very special kind of hell, but you're a very special person and you can survive it.


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

Please send Gunter all your easy labor vibes. She posted in her DDC that she's in labor!







:


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DreamsInDigital* 
Please send Gunter all your easy labor vibes. She posted in her DDC that she's in labor!







:


Very weird . . . I was just coming here to check and see if maybe she was in labor, and I was planning to post that despite my teasing to the contrary, I in fact keep coming on here the last few days to see if she's in labor yet.

So Gunter, I replied to your post on the DDC thread, but I'll be thinking about you! You have the thoughts and good wishes of your whole Nov. 05 tribe accompanying you as you labor and birth!!


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

Aww! Go Gunter GO!!! You can do it!!!







:

I was waiting to hear such exciting news!!


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## Phoenix_Rising (Jun 27, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *flapjack* 
I wrote River's birth story, btw, and put it on the blog...

OMG Helen, that was beautiful. And this part made me cry: "Steve handed me a towel to wrap him in, told his dad (who was in the next room) that baby was here safely. Dad knew- and had thought to check the time of birth when he heard the first cry, at 2.25am."
And no I'm not pregnant

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Queen of Cups* 
Well, my aunt passed this morning. My dad and uncle and the Hospice Chaplain and nurse were there with her, and she was awake and totally aware till the end. Apparently, she suddenly became very peaceful (finally) for a few minutes and then just stopped breathing. I'm so glad she's not in pain anymore, but so sad for my uncle. The memorial is going to be Saturday and I guess we'll be taking the kids, since they've had colds this week so my in-laws wouldn't watch them (MIL has Lupus, they don't want to expose her to anything). Honestly, that's what I'm most worried about. Killy's just starting to understand/be curious about death, so who knows what inappropriate things he might do or say. Hopefully everyone will realize that he's little and doesn't really get it, but he's really big for his age and just looks older, so people always expect more of him.

QoC, I don't have any words for you right now, but know that I am thinking of you.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Kavita* 
"Raising Your Spirited Child" has definitely been a big help for me. Some of the things in there I had already sort of figured out on my own (like giving Ella more warning for transitions and sort of letting her know what was going on with our day and what to expect). But one of the most important things in there for me was realizing and accepting that we just have a bit of a tempermental mismatch in terms of introversion/extroversion--just realizing clearly how being with/around people affects me and Ella very differently in terms of our energy and abilities to manage/maintain ourselves has helped me.

I thoroughly agree. DP and I have been reading it and it just makes so much sense. I can't believe that I never read it before now!

And yay for labor, Gunter! Thinking of you and the babe right now. . .


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## Awaken (Oct 10, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DreamsInDigital* 
Please send Gunter all your easy labor vibes. She posted in her DDC that she's in labor!







:

I was just coming here to check! Yay Gunter!


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

Baby Gunter is here! No details yet but her doula updated that baby had arrived. Squeeee!


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## barcelona (May 1, 2006)

Yay Gunter!!!! I can't wait to hear the details.

And hugs, Q of C, to you and your family...

Reading along, and will be back to catch up soon!


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

Just can't wait to hear about Gunter's baby! I posted reply too quick.. and saw too late that there was already a page 9... off to see if there's more of an update...


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

Shucks! No juicy baby details yet!







Waiting patiently... It took me a couple days... so it could be awhile...


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

There's an update


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## kaspirant (Apr 28, 2006)

38 weeks 2 days. Wooo hoo!

I came in to post yesterday and fell asleep before I finished typing. DH closed the window so I had to start all over again.

Q of C - Much prayers and love to your family right now. There is nothing easy in life while dealing with death. You are in my heart!!

Gunter - OH My!! I'm so excited for you. You got your wishes of a Feb babe and you are holding your buxton right now!!!! I can't believe how soon I too will be holding our little girl!!!









MelW - Thanks for thinking of me!! No no baby yet.

MIL ordered our carseat from amazon last week. She told me we'd have it in 5-7 days. I sit biting my fingernails knowing that "ANY" day now....we still didn't have it yesterday so DH called to get the tracking number. She looked it up and it said it would ship on March 18th for a March 25th(ish) delivery. Ummmm so not gonna work. So now she insists it will be here by Friday. I'm biting my nails on this one. We have a second convertible seat from DH's old car...but I'd so rather have a bucket for her...*sigh*

I spent the last two days in a haze of misery. The only food I was able to eat yesterday and keep down was jello. Soo not a good day. I've spent the last week in prodromal labor thinking any second now we are gonna have a new babe, but she's not ready yet. For some reason the date March 21st is stuck in my head which would put me at 41 weeks 6 days. I guess only time will tell.

Jacob woke up this morning telling us all "Happy Birthday" ... maybe he knows something we don't









I'll try to stay posted in here but if I miss out and we are in labor DH will text barcelona and she can pop in to give you all updates.

Trying not to be a stranger...but I'm really struggling through the transition to SAHM to such an active bugger while I'm 9 months preggo...you can read more about my brain's craziness on my blog.

*hugs* all!!


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

Kaspirant- I totally understand the bucket/convertible dilemma. I wanted to do a convertible so bad (partially because we already HAD one..) but it DID NOT work for us. It was really hard loading three kids by myself and trying to load her directly into the car. It was easier for me if I could just load her first in the house and then take all 3 out to the car and just click her in. That way she was calmed down by the time we got into the car, rather than being so upset for the first couple minutes of the drive. I'm glad you're still pregnant too! Waiting to hear your labor update any time now!

I'm nostalgically stalking all you pregnant mamas so close to labor. Is it weird to say that I miss being in labor? That ultimate hormonal/chemistry cooperation between our sweet babe and us? Almost like an instinctive dance that we perform as we become a family? Maybe it's just my new mama hormones still flowing...









Oh man amy... I was gonna check out your blog and forgot. You're going to have to forgive me. I just found out yesterday that we have to move to the other end of the state by March 16th... and I'm ripping my hair out. Just taking a second out to veg on here and pretend my life is not so crazy... *sigh* This too shall pass.


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Danile, ikwym. I miss pregnancy and birthing too.

Kaspirant, you're up next. Come on down Leah, the time is right (but not, please, until after your car seat arrives.)


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## barcelona (May 1, 2006)

Kaspirant, I'm so glad you're still pregnant, though I'm sorry you're having such a rough, crazy time right now. You are in my heart, and my pager is turned on, awaiting news that you're in labor, whenever little Leah is ready to come (hopefully, as Helen said, after carseat has arrived).

Gunter, I smile and feel so warm knowing you are holding your little babe...and can't wait to hear the story and see pictures.

Ducette, good luck with the move, and with this crazy time!!

Peace to all!


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## Gunter (May 5, 2005)

hey mamas,

so lovely to feel your love in all the comments. thank you so much! i am a mama all over, again! stoked that i got to be preggo past 39 weeks but so glad to have my lil feb babe here with me earthside. so glad to NOT be pushing anymore! uhm, having only had to barely push twice with ez, i clearly didn't know what to do this time around when i had to push forever.

she's a she much to everyone's surprise and our pure delight. we're calling her rosa so far. at 7 pounds, she weighed a whole 2 pounds more than ezra and looks so healthy, pink and plump to us. she's sleeping a lot and i have to say she's nursing "efficiently" instead of hanging around like ez did. i am still being amazed by how different two kids with the same genes can be...even in utero and the first 36 hours of their lives.

this labor was not the cake walk i had with ezra. it was so friggin hard for me. i needed an amazing amount of encouragement, support, touch and presence from my people to get through it. challenges like asyclitic, stubborn posterior lip, and persistent posterior position with her ultimately being born sunny side up! having a homebirth means something else to me now entirely different from what it meant with ez. i look forward to processing everything with you all in the weeks to come. i will post pics on my blog soon so check there for them! thank you for your support, too!


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

OOOOHHHH!!!! YAY GUNTER!!!

Enjoy your babymoon mama!!!! She sounds like a super cute little snugglybug!


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Congrats, Gunter! What an amazing birth! After things settle down, having two very different and wonderful births will probably make you such a terrific doula in so many ways. Take care and rest well. Oh, and Ezra sounds like she was just amazing









kaspirant, I'm thinking of you and sending you easy labor vibes (you know, once the carseat has arrived!). Where are you birthing Leah?

Neela is having the first nap-free day of her life today. She slept longer than usual last night, and was so not tired this afternoon. We nursed and snuggled and rested for an hour, then gave up on sleep. We're doing okay, but I sure miss her usual brightness in the afternoon- I can tell she's tired.

She's also the master of moving furniture around to get what she wants lately. She's eaten food off the stove, climbed up to play with a windchime hanging from the closet rod, pulled things off shelves, etc. She stands on the toilet to empty out the medicine cabinet. And on Friday, she pulled a masterful heist- scissors and money to make pretty flowers ($30 worth, to be exact, though I suspect the bank will accept it for exchange). The evidence is on her blog


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## 3for3hb (Jan 13, 2005)

Kaspirant... ooooo, transitioning to SAHMhood at 9 month preggo has got to be really difficult!!! I made that transition back in the first tri and it's hard enough to keep up now regardless of anything, really. I can't move as fast or as much as I used to and they are REALLY taking advantage of the fact.

I've been feeling rather anxious lately. I'm ready to be done but know I need the next few weeks to get me really ready. I don't think I'm going to 42wks this time. I feel like we're pretty generous with our dates. But... dh is convinced that I need to mentally prepare myself to be pg for the next 6 weeks. If I am, I will need serious help. And I will become a shut in. I can't keep up, not with this bulging varicosity. I made the mistake of giving in to nesting once again and mopped floors, scrubbed the bathroom from top to bottom, vacuumed everywhere etc etc AND messing around with dh. I'm suffering for it now. I'm using everything from lavender oil (which is amazing, though temporary), to washcloth ice packs wrapped in witch hazel soaked clothes. But I'm pretty much couch bound now. And like I said, the boys are taking advantage of it. Dh told me yesterday to stop yelling so much but I refuse to get up and put that much pressure on my perineum just to go and talk to one of them in the next room... so. Things have gotten rather noisy around here as well.
Whine, whine, whine.
I've done next to no mental prep for labor (as compared to prev pgs) and so in the past couple of days have been freaking out about how I dont think I'll be able to handle the intensity. I keep trying to remind myself that every birth is DIFFERENT. When I was pg with Gabriel, my main prelabor anxiety was that I was going to be in labor for 30+ hours again. Then, because of how quick my labor with Gabriel was (3 hours) I am worried that this one is going to be quicker and I'll completely lose it. I ***KNOW*** that I would not be able to handle childbirth in a hospital/birth center setting because I would give in to interventions so quickly. And knowing that sort of makes me feel helpless. When at home, I don't have a choice but to just go through with the labor as it presents itself... all the while wishing I didn't "have" to.

I was talking to dh about how I want him to encourage me/talk to me/help me focus when I'm in labor. He's been great. I even had him read some things in Husband Coached childbirth so we could discuss/get new ideas. He's much more in tune and on board this time around than with my other pregnancies (first time was, well, the first time, and last time he was bogged down with work... this time, since he works for himself he's much more relaxed and flexible).

29 days to my edd....

MelW-







on Neela's "art" That is just the thing that happens around here on a daily basis.


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

Monique, hugs! That sounds really painful. I don't remember how big/how many rooms your space at home is, but can you limit the space a little so there is less square footage for the kids to get into?

Mel, I often wish we lived closer and could get together IRL but now I'm thinking it's probably good that we don't--sounds like our girls together would totally wreak havoc and destruction and tear a place up!!! Ella does stuff like that too, although maybe not as bad. I have a few little stool/end table kind of things that she tried to carry around to get into stuff, and she uses her learning tower for devious ends too! I kind of cut way down on cooking unless DH is there to watch her every second, because one day about a month ago I was making alfredo sauce and was looking in a cupboard across from the stove for the nutmeg, and when I turned around Ella had reached up and grabbed the (nylon) whisk that I'd left in the pot and was reaching all the way up above her head and stirring the alfredo sauce. It scared the crap out of me--I hate to think of the probability (high) that she could pull the pot of bubbling sticky sauce down on her head and face. (shudder) I've already had one family member in the burn unit for months, thank you very much, and I don't want another one.

On a happier note, I am so happy for Gunter!!! I read the birth story on the forum a couple of hours after it was posted but was too hurried to respond, but I was really excited to hear that everything went so well! (Well, in retrospect--I am sure that it didn't feel so great at the time!!)

Kaspirant is up to bat next!!!!







Just let us know when you start having some prelabor signs so I can begin anxiously stalking several times daily!!









No big news here. I have to hurry up and get ready for my day, I have to get to the gym because I have an appointment with my trainer at 10:30. (well really it's 10:45 but I lie to myself so I get there a few minutes early instead of a few minutes late!) Since I'm not showered and dressed, and Ella isn't even awake, I'd better hustle!! Poor little bug is sleeping in--she was up a bit late last night and is super tired. We had my husband's boss and his family over for dinner last night, so that was a big deal. It wouldn't be as bad except that in addition to the usual cleaning and cooking frenzy of having a dinner party of any sort, we had a little bit of decorating to do that we'd put off, so we ended up buying a new set of dishes. Like, three hours before they were due to arrive, I was at the store buying dishes!!







And we also found curtains we liked too (we currently have bare windows--not so great for privacy b/c you can see our entire living room/dining room from the street!) but we couldn't find rods long enough, so that's our project for tonight--look for curtain rods and then hang them soon. The good news is, the dinner went well and we now have toss pillows, new dishes, and curtains!







Although I might have to invite someone else (like maybe the senior boss) over to get the curtains actually hung! lol!

Gotta scoot, hugs to everyone!


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Kavita said:


> Mel, I often wish we lived closer and could get together IRL but now I'm thinking it's probably good that we don't--sounds like our girls together would totally wreak havoc and destruction and tear a place up!!! Ella does stuff like that too, although maybe not as bad. I have a few little stool/end table kind of things that she tried to carry around to get into stuff, and she uses her learning tower for devious ends too!/QUOTE]
> 
> It sounds like they would. Neela is such a climber lately- she even explained to me which of our dining room chairs was the best because "it doesn't slip on the floor". The other ones are more lightweight and sometimes slide on the kitchen floor. And she has totally helped herself to food on the stove- luckily just something that was sitting cooling on a front burner. She just pushed up a chair and opened up the pot to have a snack!
> 
> Monique, I hope that you're feeling better or have this baby soon (or both!).


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## zjande (Nov 4, 2002)

Hi everyone! I'm desperately far behind & don't have the time I wish I did to catch up on this month's thread, so I'm just going to jump right in here.









Congratulations Gunter!







:







:







: (Ok so you didn't give birth to a tree, but that is just my *favorite* smiley & it makes me feel all gushy to see it, so there ya go. lol). Yay a new little teeny girl!














Although not so teeny compared to your last baby huh? Isn't that weird? Mine were that way too, my last one being a full pound & 1/2 bigger than my last babies. He seemed HUGE! And still does... the kid is off the growth charts he's so monstrous. And I don't know why, him having the same genes & all like you mentioned.... creating new humans is so fascinating!!









And wonderful birthing vibes to the rest of you approaching your births!







:







:







:







:
So exciting!

Xeowyn is doing fabulously. He's had an explosion in his vocabulary in the past 3 months. It's so cute. And he continues to be adorable & hilarious & sweet (in between the tantrums of course







). Our biggest issue lately has been that I'm wanting to wean (I hate to even admit that!) but he's so so so so in love with the boob that I can't. So I'm cutting back on the number of times per day I bfeed him.

I nursed all through my pregnancy even though I had no milk, & am tandeming him & Draeksley. Xeowyn has always nursed MANY times per day. Many many many. And he asks for it, no exaggeration, DOZENS of times a day. He's obsessed with my boobs. I can't hold him at all, even in my lap facing the other direction without him groping my boobs & demanding "boo-ah". I want to be able to carry him without it leading to a tantrum & him angrily grabbing my darn boobs!

It's all been weighing so heavily on me. I don't want to traumatize him, he's still adjusting to having a new baby brother (Draeksley's 9 weeks now), & I don't want him to feel kicked off of his beloved boob because of it. But Geeeeeeez, if I just about hate almost every nursing session I spend with him, how is that any good?







I just don't enjoy tandeming. At all. I'm totally surprised & disappointed in myself. It took me a full 2 months to admit it to dh! I feel really bad. But tandeming is completely uncomfortable to me, & breastfeeding 2 babies on demand takes up a gigantic portion of my days. So, I'm cutting down to a nursing in the morning, at nap time, maybe one evening nurse & then bedtime. And for about a week I've been saying no to his frequent demands for nursing during the night. It is just SO uncomfortable to nurse them both at night! And I lose so much sleep. He sleeps right in between dh & I, & we both comfort him back to sleep, but he still cries & yells every night a few times.









Anyway, that's my boob story. Thankfully, since I've started cutting back on my nursings, I haven't gotten one single plugged duct or mastitis! I was having them chronically for several miserable weeks.

Otherwise, we've all been sick. It seems like everyone under the sun has been sick lately.

We've started getting bulk orders of food from Azure Standard delivered to us. Our first order was huge, like 500 pounds of food.







I ordered 50 lb bags of wheat, six 25lb bags of dried beans, lots of soup stock, oat milk, etc etc. It's been pretty fun.







We want to stock up on stuff before the food prices climb ever further up & up. The price of wheat has TRIPLED since last year. It had doubled by Dec. & now tripled as of last month. Grocery shopping is just going to get suckier & suckier in the coming months! So, that's been one of our main focuses lately....







. Well that & having a new baby.







:

I'm madly in love with mama-ing & having babies. How many am I going to have before I feel done???? I do know for sure though that I don't want to be pregnant again soon because I've learned that my milk dries up during pregnancy & I don't like tandeming! So, no babies for a little while....









Kavita, hurray for new dishes & curtains! Our dishes have a very fancy theme, it's called "a la Goodwill"







. We also don't have curtains & you can see straight through our living room & dining room from the street. I never close the shades because the window sills are full of plants.







:

Anyway, enough babbling from me.


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

If any of y'all have Gunter's home address, would you PM it to me? I used to have it, but it has vanished!


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Yay Gunter!!! Congratulations on your lovely new baby!





















From what I hear it's really common for kid #2 to be a pound or two bigger than kid #1 - almost everyone I know who's had more than one has been like that, my mom and DH's mom included. Which makes me a little reluctant to have another









I am horribly stuffed up right now with the worst cold I've had in a long time... after going weeks with everyone around me sick, I got a cough on Friday that I put down to sucking in too much kitchen smoke (pork roast, trying to get the crackling crispy, and totally worth it I might add) but then I went and did major manual labour yesterday, shoveling chicken poo and manhandling a rototiller through clay and sod to put in a big big garden at a friend's place and that was, healthwise, a huge mistake. Oh well. At least I have the luxury of dropping Rowan off at the IL's and spending the day on the couch, going through an entire roll of tp with my snuffles and feeling sorry for myself.

Rowan insisted on being a tiger this morning, after finding her tiger costume in the closet where she was hiding from her jacket. Negotiations produced a regular child from the shoulders down, with a tiger head.

Mel, Neela sounds like quite a character. I'm kinda glad you *don't* live near us or she's be a bad influence on Rowan!














. (I'm kidding, I would love it if you lived here.







) The worst Rowan's done - so far, of course - is to draw all over various surfaces that were never intended for drawing: the floor, the table, all the chairs, the usual. I have it SO easy, I really do. (knocking on wood...)

Zjande, good to hear from you! And take it easy, Monique! Hi everyone else!!!

back to my couch to sniffle now.


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

Somebody please tell me I'm not the only one with a weirdo kid. Winter sits down to dinner tonight (grilled cheese sandwiches and french fries - all my pregnant senses could tolerate) and he asks for ketchup. So I put some on his plate, he uses a french fry to scoop up the ketchup and he licks it off, repeat until ketchup is gone. He then proclaims "All done" and gets down and runs off to play. So for dinner he had about 2 tablespoons of ketchup.
And yet, sometimes at other meals he will eat twice as much as anyone else.


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## zjande (Nov 4, 2002)

LOL. Xeowyn does the EXACT same thing. He'll just eat the ketchup. Or the butter. Or the jam.









spughy, me too! I very rarely get colds, even when everyone around me is sick. But this past week I've been a miserable blob of misery. I hope you get better soon!


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## gingerstar (Jun 10, 2005)

Sarah, quick healing vibes, and a little reassurance - all three of my girls were 7 lbs, varied by about 2 - 5 oz. And while I did everything right with my first - lots of protein, yummy leafy greens, good rest, etc, I got worse with each pg, until with Ella I felt like I hardly ate at all, since I had ms all day for months, plus not great rest, since my middle DD hates sleep.








And Ella does the ketchup licking thing, too. Other times she out-eats my 6 yo.


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## Phoenix_Rising (Jun 27, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Gunter* 
hey mamas,

so lovely to feel your love in all the comments. thank you so much! i am a mama all over, again! stoked that i got to be preggo past 39 weeks but so glad to have my lil feb babe here with me earthside. so glad to NOT be pushing anymore! uhm, having only had to barely push twice with ez, i clearly didn't know what to do this time around when i had to push forever.

she's a she much to everyone's surprise and our pure delight. we're calling her rosa so far. at 7 pounds, she weighed a whole 2 pounds more than ezra and looks so healthy, pink and plump to us. she's sleeping a lot and i have to say she's nursing "efficiently" instead of hanging around like ez did. i am still being amazed by how different two kids with the same genes can be...even in utero and the first 36 hours of their lives.

this labor was not the cake walk i had with ezra. it was so friggin hard for me. i needed an amazing amount of encouragement, support, touch and presence from my people to get through it. challenges like asyclitic, stubborn posterior lip, and persistent posterior position with her ultimately being born sunny side up! having a homebirth means something else to me now entirely different from what it meant with ez. i look forward to processing everything with you all in the weeks to come. i will post pics on my blog soon so check there for them! thank you for your support, too!

Yay new baby! I can't wait to see pics









Quote:


Originally Posted by *DreamsInDigital* 
Somebody please tell me I'm not the only one with a weirdo kid. Winter sits down to dinner tonight (grilled cheese sandwiches and french fries - all my pregnant senses could tolerate) and he asks for ketchup. So I put some on his plate, he uses a french fry to scoop up the ketchup and he licks it off, repeat until ketchup is gone. He then proclaims "All done" and gets down and runs off to play. So for dinner he had about 2 tablespoons of ketchup.
And yet, sometimes at other meals he will eat twice as much as anyone else.









Keagan licked all of the cream cheese off his bagel the other day. Two nights ago he ate the cheese off the top of his pizza and was done with dinner. Whaddya do? I figure when he's hungry he'll eat. So nope, you're not the only one with a weirdo kid


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## DucetteMama21842 (May 11, 2006)

Yep. Isaac does the exact same things.







:


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

Don't we just love 2 year old eating habits? I have often wondered what kind of instinct is at work while I watch Winter eating only the bottom half of a sandwich, leaving the top piece of bread on the table, then taking sips of water and spitting them onto the bread and then finally, cramming said piece of bread into his cup, then getting down and running off. I have a love/hate relationship with his eating habits because they are so darn funny! But I don't love cleaning up the mess when he writes all over the table with peanut butter and yogurt.
Oh, and he calls yogurt "Igor" which never ceases to throw me into a fit of the giggles.


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## kaspirant (Apr 28, 2006)

Add Jacob to the strange eating habits group...the kid is insane....

Quick update on us.

***I don't have GD. (Knew it already but went and took the 3 hour test today just to keep Leah safe from unnecessary testing and other crud if they decided to just assume I had GD.)

***Carseat is HERE!!!

***Nearly positive I'm either having a leap-day baby...or she'll be very very late...we shall see. On leap day I will be 39 weeks exactly...

Jacob has been unusually aggressive toward me and DH lately. I'm struggling with staying gentle with him...He is lashing out with his fists and his words and I can't find the triggers...It seems so out of the blue I'm seriously at a loss...getting a little concerned about a newborn with this...

I know things have been unusually stressful for DH and I. Maybe that is playing into Jacob's behavior as well?!?!


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Kaspirant, you sound far too happy to be labouring any time soon. I hear the 21st of March is a good day for a baby, though... and Skye's behaviour has been out of whack for months rather than weeks, really, since walking got really difficult for me. I don't know if this is any help or not, but she's certainly very gentle with River...


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

Well I'm definitely on the mend - I felt much better yesterday and I'm just a little snorty today.

I was about to post that Rowan's odd eating habits are minimal, but right now she's sitting on the couch eating popcorn for breakfast so I don't think I can really claim that







The popcorn, btw, is popped in coconut oil and smothered in nutritional yeast, so it's not like it's microwave crap or anything, but it is still popcorn. Sigh. At least I can take the leftovers to playgroup for snacktime, which can't be said for oatmeal or scrambled eggs. She is also another butter freak - we can't have a butter dish on the table anymore because she just insists on eating nothing but butter. We don't eat a lot of sandwiches so she hasn't got the hang of disassembling them.









Kaspirant, a leap year baby would be SO cool! Good luck with that. And I'm so glad the car seat arrived


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *flapjack* 
Kaspirant, you sound far too happy to be labouring any time soon.

Oh, hey, I disagree--I said that about myself with Ella up to the end. (I really didn't think I was suffering enough pregnancy misery yet to go into labor.) Also my midwife also insisted at our Saturday afternoon prenatal on November 5 that she didn't think I was going to have the baby until Thanksgiving or after--15 hours after she uttered that statement I was in labor and she was born at 2:12 am on the 8th!!! So there's just no telling!


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## zjande (Nov 4, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DreamsInDigital* 
Oh, and he calls yogurt "Igor" which never ceases to throw me into a fit of the giggles.

haha, that's pretty funny.









Xeowyn calls his baby brother a word that sounds just like "Twinkie".







: The very first time we asked him to say "Draeksley", he said "Oooh, Baby Dwinkie!" Sooooo funny. (Xeowyn has no idea what an actual Twinkie is, btw).









Ack, Dwinkie is calling!


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Kavita* 
Oh, hey, I disagree--I said that about myself with Ella up to the end. (I really didn't think I was suffering enough pregnancy misery yet to go into labor.)

I posted the day before Neela was born that I was convinced that misery was the trigger for labour, and that I was convinced that I was therefore going to be very overdue. (I also bragged that I hadn't cried in over a week). So I'm with Kavita, it could totally be tomorrow. Yipeee!!

Aubrey, it's so good to hear from you. I hope that things go smoothly with weaning Xeowyn. And you may find compromise somewhere along the path to weaning where nursing only once a day or something *works* for you two. Sending you big hugs and wishing you all the best.

Neela seems like the most normal eater in the universe right now. Though last week we had chocolate sorbet one evening and the next day I couldn't figure out what she was doing with her booster seat. She was licking the melted chocolate off the strap! And then needed to check it and taste it every day for the next week. She also does the "bird" thing where she wants to wet all her food in water. Or dump bread into her cup and drink it.


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *zjande* 
Xeowyn calls his baby brother a word that sounds just like "Twinkie".







: The very first time we asked him to say "Draeksley", he said "Oooh, Baby Dwinkie!" Sooooo funny. (Xeowyn has no idea what an actual Twinkie is, btw).









Ack, Dwinkie is calling!

That's not too far off.







Winter still calls Suriya "Baby" rather than make any sort of attempt at her name. He drops a lot of first letters on words though so I can imagine he'd probably have a tough time with it. He is talking up a storm but there are very few of us that can actually understand what he says.

I'm a little fearful of having three kids under age 3. I'm afraid I might never want to leave the house again. Winter is one of those kids that takes off running the second his feet touch the ground. We've had some scary moments in parking lots, and I'm just imagining having another baby vying for my attention and it gives me cold chills. I had one of those nightmare moments a few months back when Gabriel was trying to help me by getting Winter out of his carseat and he set him down on the ground because he'd hurt his finger and Winter took off running while I was in the middle of getting Suriya out of her carseat. For some reason my mind can't seem to let go of that incident and every time I think of it I just hug Winter tight and think of how close I came to him being seriously hurt (or worse) that day. Never ever ever want a repeat of that. Am I a terrible person for considering one of those backpack leash dealies for times like that? I have never thought I'd even consider it, but my word, that was a heart-stopping moment and probably aged me 20 years that day. Thoughts mamas?


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## zjande (Nov 4, 2002)

Man, are there pros & cons to having wide spaces between our kids OR WHAT??

I ponder the same thing DiD. Having these last 2 babies 24 mos apart is SO different from my last ones that were all 6-8 years apart.

And that sentence is the understatement of the year! Oy.

But because I can't help my brain from already floating into the future & dreaming about what the next baby will bring & WHEN it might decide to come...... I too wonder how I would ever leave the house because I have a hard enough time doing it now.







: I can't help but think "geez, if I'd somehow had all my kids pretty close in age, I'd just *not* leave the house without another adult. For years."







Seriously. But when I have a 9 & 16 yr old, I have no choice, the poor kids want a social life & to do things like take their GED & look for jobs & stuff. I can't force them to stay home & watch me change diapers for the next 5 years. So as much as I'd like to stay home with my babies, where it's safe & easy, I too confront the world's scary parking lots etc. etc. And Xeowyn is a major runner, too.

OMG the first time I left the house with both babies alone was ridiculous. I took Draeksley to the pediatrician. Picture me standing there next to the baby scale that's in the dead center of a maze of a building with halls leading away in every direction, & the nurse telling me to "hold my baby on the scale" while she fiddles with trying to get his weight.







: Xeowyn ran, when I or someone else would bring him back to me, he'd just run again down another hallway, laughing hysterically the entire time. I was laughing out loud too at the pure ridiculousness of what was now my life.









Anyway, I haven't shared a shred of advice, just a ramble about myself & how I understand your fear. I would personally absolutely use one of those cute little monkey backback looking harnesses rather than risk my toddler being hit by a car! Judgmental onlookers be damned!! I'd also pull a shopping cart directly up to the side of my car to load & unload kids.

But generally, I'd probably try not to leave the house alone much.









Anyway (again), I need to go to bed. I have this rare moment of alone time because my entire family fell asleep before me. I was up late watching the business of being born online until the computer freaked out & I have no idea how to fix it. It SUCKS being totally computer illiterate.









Totally OT, I have a friend who is 18 days overdue today (!!!) & is having labor signs right now. She might be having a leap year baby! That would be so crazy.

Ok. REALLY going to bed now.


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

DiD, I have one of those backpack leash things and I don't think twice about it. Her safety is worth a million dirty looks from stupid blindingly ignorant people who have no idea what it's like to have a toddler who runs into the road.
Saying that, however, Skye is refusing to walk anywhere in case I try to carry babycham. (She can say Sam, sort of, won't try to say River. He's usually just baby though, or baby- DOWN!) So maybe Suriya will have a similar level of clinginess and at least that way she'll be lying on her face kicking and screaming in the car park rather than running for the traffic.


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## 3for3hb (Jan 13, 2005)

ON the parking lot/leash note... I always hated the way those leashes looked. The backpack things aren't so bad. It was just the fact that the leashes actually looked like dog harnesses that really turned my stomach.
The boys have become better about staying with me. I'm all about grabbing a handful of jacket at the shoulder to hang on to them, especially in parking lots.

Monday, after their gym class we were in the parking lot and they were holding hands and I was grabbing the customary handful of jacket. We waited for this SUV to pass by and then started crossing the parking lot to our vehicle when the SUV stopped, Gabriel tripped, and the SUV started backing up. I started screaming and luckily I was loud enough that the guy heard me and stopped. I was also glad that I had a handful of Gabriel's jacket in my hand because it was the only way I could get him back up in time.
Can you imagine what would have happened if he hadn't stopped? I would have literally thrown my kids out of the way and gotten hit myself. Plus there's no telling what I could have strained/pulled/injured to dump myself into more pain and misery than I'm already in.
He stopped and half opened his door to see what happened and said sorry. I was so ticked off (businessman on a cell phone not paying attention) I shot him a look and just attended to my children. My pg self wanted to rant at him but I stopped myself because I didn't want to get into a road rage type situation (ever see that CSI episode??).


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

My mom used a leash thingy with my younger sister and saved it for some reason, and gave it to me when Rowan was born, but she turned out to be not a runner so I've never used it. It does look quite medieval though - it's from the 70s, and all metal and canvas. But, had she turned out to be one of those kids who break and run at every opportunity, I would totally have used it, and, like Helen says, ignorant onlookers be damned. I don't even care that it looks like a leash. I support the concept of toddlers on leashes.







I think it's MUCH healthier than all those mamas who confine them to strollers so they can't even walk.

Hey kaspirant - you in labour yet???


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## MamaFern (Dec 13, 2003)

gunter congrats!!!!!









kaspirant..love and gentle birthing vibes to [email protected]!!

i don't have any time to read and reply. ive been offline for 2+ weeks








life is crazy busy and beautiful.. timothy started a new job so im full on doing the 3 kiddos&everything maddness .

zjande nice to see you here. i keep seeng your # in my phone and wanting to call you so bad. i miss you and want to hear all about your new one and life and all that stuff.

hope you are all well.

XOXOXOXOXOXO
fern


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## Phoenix_Rising (Jun 27, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DreamsInDigital* 
Am I a terrible person for considering one of those backpack leash dealies for times like that? I have never thought I'd even consider it, but my word, that was a heart-stopping moment and probably aged me 20 years that day. Thoughts mamas?

In one word, nope








In my life BK (before Keagan) I thought never in a million years would I own one of them. And then my child started walking. . . then running. . . and since he is so small he can run between people and I can't see him. We own one of the backpack leashes you are talking about and while I did have a twinge of guilt when I used it that twinge was because I just didn't get it BK. Judgment is an interesting thing. We like to think "I'd never do that" and then we get to eat humble pie when we are put in a situation where we do just *that*.

Hi, Fern!!!


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## HoneyTree (Apr 5, 2005)

I wouldn't think twice about the leash, either, DiD, for all the great reasons already mentioned. And I, too, was totally one of those judgmental, cynical, snarky younger women who thought I would never do hundreds of the things that I do now as a mother. Thank the gods that we are changeable creatures!

Anyway, how bad can it be? Even Maya Wraps advertise that they can be kid leashes in a pinch! And what's more loving and AP than a baby carrier?

And Monique, the director of my school had a safety evaluation done recently, and got into a conversation about parking lots and children with the officer who conducted it. He told her that the number one way that children get hit by cars is when the car is in reverse--there is the least visibility and least awareness on the part of the driver in that situation. Scary, scary, scary. I'm glad your lungs served you well and that you and your babies are safe.


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## Kavita (Dec 7, 2004)

u

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Susannah M* 
In one word, nope








In my life BK (before Keagan) I thought never in a million years would I own one of them. And then my child started walking. . . then running. . . and since he is so small he can run between people and I can't see him. We own one of the backpack leashes you are talking about and while I did have a twinge of guilt when I used it that twinge was because I just didn't get it BK. Judgment is an interesting thing. We like to think "I'd never do that" and then we get to eat humble pie when we are put in a situation where we do just *that*.


Yeah, that!!!

I got a dog backpack leash thingie for Ella when we traveled alone by air last year. (from Target, think it's the eddie bauer one.) I haven't used it in a while but had it in the trunk of the car--one day a month or so ago she spotted it and wanted it--she has been playing with/hugging/wearing it around the house ever since. She'll play with it as a "doggie" and then ask to wear the "backpack" and get me to help her put it on, and will just wear it around the house for long period of time and then want to take it with us when we go out. It *is* very cuddly and nice, she really loves the thing just like a stuffed animal, and for every glare I've gotten I also have had someone come up to me and say what a good idea it is to keep your kid safer and let them be able to walk, or how cute it is, or that they wished they'd had something like that when their kids were little. And people ask her about her dog or her backpack, what's your doggies name, etc. So I'm all in favor of the backpack leash when needed. A word of warning, however--if you kid takes off at a dead run and you're holding the leash and not moving, once they get to the end of their range they can sort of snap back and end up falling flat on their backs, so I suggest testing the thing and letting them maybe experience that particular law of physics if necessary at home and on a carpeted surface first before venturing out into malls/airports/parking lots!!!


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## gingerstar (Jun 10, 2005)

Another Ella with another "puppy pack" here! And I second Helen - our littles safety is so important, I am beyond caring what others may think. But when we have used it, I have gotten lots of positive comments, lots of "how cute" or "what a great idea!"
Monique, that must've taken 10 years off you! I am soooo glad you are all safe!
And I'm mildly surprised at some of the choices I've made, paths I've taken as a mom, that I would never have predicted. My first LLL meeting, I was stunned to see the toddlers running up, nursing and running away, never knowing I would be doing the same thing, three times!


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

I forgot to say, Monique, I had a phone call from school a few weeks ago to say that Isaac had nearly been hit by a car crossing a road. I was confused, because I take them in by bus, walk them over the busy main road, watch them while they cross the small but horrendously badly parked because all the mothers at my childs schools are selfish cows road, and then they go in by themselves. It turns out it was someone backing out of a driveway who nearly hit him- as Gingerstar says, it's more common than you'd think.
This also raises the question of why the other parents lose the ability to parallel-park in anything less than 3 car lengths when I'm driving to school, but I'll save that issue for another day...


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## kaspirant (Apr 28, 2006)

No leap day baby!

I've been having contractions like crazy today and we stayed down the mountain just in case...

I'm birthing at the hospital...after all the complications with my first birth we really felt like it was the best option...I'm not convinced right now it's about a 45 minute drive to the hospital without traffic...and we live in southern california there is no such thing as NO traffic...

I had an OB appointment yesterday and I'm 3 cm dialated... /shrug I'm not expecting anything soon...maybe that means I'll go into labor tomorrow...

DH starts his student teaching assignment on Monday. He can't really *miss* any of this so it kinda stinks for us...I mean he will call in if I'm in labor during the work day, but we REALLY need him to be there. However...the day I turn 42 weeks he goes off for a 2 week spring break...so that 42 week mark is looking pretty good again...if only I can make it to 42 weeks without killing someone...

I'd get an extra 2 weeks of paid leave...AND have DH home for the first two weeks...we shall see...

I'm miserably pregnant and hate moving around. Chasing Jacob is killing me. Nursing him is insanely killing me. I feel like a hippo. I feel like a horrible awful mother. We have watched more movies the last few days than I care to admit. This too shall pass....I know i know.

I know I haven't been very active in the thread but my brain is so wrapped up in me that I feel bad typing...

PS for the praying types...keep our family in your prayers...my paycheck is on HOLD because of a stupid clerical error and it's going to be several weeks before they release it...DH hasn't been working in 7 weeks...so to say we are broke is the biggest understatement of the century...but we *have* the money..my stupid employer just won't let me have it.

*hugs*


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## kaspirant (Apr 28, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kaspirant* 
/shrug I'm not expecting anything soon...maybe that means I'll go into labor tomorrow...

Famous last words apparently. Been seriously painfully contracting for the last hour. We are getting the house picked up then headed out.

barcelona will get a text for updates. In 2005 there was no Wi-Fi at my hospital...but maybe they have come out of the dark ages since then...


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Oh I was just about to pray for you to hold out til 42 weeks, but I will now pray for an easy and gentle birth AND for your paycheck issues to be resolved.

Have a good baby!!!!!


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Safe birthing, kaspirant. We'll do some serious money-materialising visualisations for you while you're gone, you just go have a baby







:


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *flapjack* 
Safe birthing, kaspirant. We'll do some serious money-materialising visualisations for you while you're gone, you just go have a baby







:









: Happy birthing sweet mama.


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Gentle birthing and big money vibes headed your way, kaspirant. I can't wait to hear details









I totally understand the puppy pack now that I have a toddler. And they look much less oppressive than the 70s harness that Spughy described, which sounds kind of S&M. My bad parent parking lot moment was last summer while I was working in the garden (community garden in an open area of our apartment complex). There's a playground right next to the garden, and Neela had been playing there happily only moments before, when I was digging and heard some honking. There she was, in the middle of the parking lot, standing in front of a neighbour's car


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## barcelona (May 1, 2006)

The word is in from kaspirant!!!!!!!!!

Leah Karlin
March 1, 2008 2:25
8 lbs, 1 oz

If I get any more details, I'll be sure to share.

What a great way to ring in the new month, with a new baby!







to all, especially the new mamas (and mamas-to-be)!


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## spughy (Jun 28, 2005)

YAAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!

Congratulations, Alicia!!!


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

Yay!!!! Welcome baby Leah!


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

YAYYYYYY!!!!!!!

(Is that am or pm, btw?)


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## DreamsInDigital (Sep 18, 2003)

Is it time for a new thread, it being March and all?


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## barcelona (May 1, 2006)

helen, it's pm.

and yes, time for a new thread i suppose! to sleepy to start it, though...off to bed, and more soon


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## *Amy* (Jun 16, 2004)

Here's the new thread.


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