9 months in, 9 months out...

could it be today?

i woke up around 9am to some strange new contractions that felt at first crampy, then like they were grabbing at my cervix. i laid there and waited....sure enough another rolled around....could it be? i was happy that my reaction was not that of "oh, craaaaaap" but more of excitement...nervousness, really, but i wrangled it into excitement as soon as it occurred to me that i might "scare off" the contractions that i have have really been hoping for. not that i am excited to be in labor...but i don't want to go too long and start having more worries that maybe something is wrong with me, blah blah blah, and i am anxious to meet our new baby.

so i stayed side-lying for a good 45 minutes, and i had one about every 7 minutes. some were intense, others petered out before they got big. none lasted for very long, maybe 20-30 seconds. blake brought me breakfast in bed (not unusual) but i didn't say a peep, again didn't want to syke myself out. i ate my scrambled eggs and ham with toast...they still kept coming. so i finally got up and peed and had another good sign that these contractions were doing something significant: lots of mucus. i headed downstairs with a silly, nervous grin on my face, and met the family out back where the sun was shining (finally)--blake was in great spirits and exclaimed "isn't this the perfect day?!" they had already started weeding the lavendar bed. i just grinned and said "yes...it is a perfect day....maybe to have a baby?" i told him what i was feleing but we both played it super cool. we're professionals, we know when to get excited and when to ride it out. we headed to breanas to borrow her lawn trimmer, and i let her in on the haps, still playing it cool but of course she was all excited. we told her that blake was still headed to work-as-usual and she said she'd run her errands quickly then come back just to be at my disposal.

i went on as usual as well--sitting at the computer slowed things down, going outside and weeding felt good, but also my hands were really tight and puffy and it made that task difficult. i sat on the pot for a while and there was lots of bloody mucus--i knew my cervix was doing something good! i decided to call the wives just to let them know where i was at. wondered if they wanted to come and take my blood pressure since my hands were so puffy and i'd had slightly elevated bp last visit. but the oh-so-calm beth assured me that it had just been a little high for me, and i'd had no protein in my urine or any other signs of concern this whole time--the puffiness for me is not worrisome. keep about my normal routine and call if there were changes. can do! i took a nice shower and had a snack of cottage cheese and canned pears, my new favorite snack. so white trash, i know...


breana came home and the girls went to hang there for the afternoon while i rested--by rested i mean i ate cookies and drank milk and watched a few episodes of "what not to wear." by 4, i realized i had not had a real lunch and brought a chicken, bacon, avocado and lettece sandwich across the street while the kids rode bikes. breana began photo-documenting what i know she believes to be a "birthday"--what a dork! (heeeeheeehhee, i love you, dork!)

its 6 now and i am back home, waiting for blake to get home. i really want our family put back together! tomorrow is the start of our weekend and i am curious to see if things pick up when he gets home. oh, here comes another one....forgot to time it since the last...maybe another 7 minutes....open mouth, deep breath...wowser......okay it passed.

step right up, ladies and gents!

time to wager your guesses: this is definitley the biggest i've ever carried...so, care to guess the baby's weight?? (at time of birth of course, and who knows when that will be....)

(hint: Mayan was 5 lb 13 oz at 42 1/2 weeks; and Isadore was 4 lb 6 oz at 35 1/2 weeks....Wednesday I will be 39 weeks)

(just in case you forgot the face that goes with this belly:P)

Dorothy goes punk/38 weeks

Isadore accompanied me to the hair salon yesterday where our friend Traci hooked her up with some magenta. I think she should start a band called Dorothy Effin' Gale and the Totos.

38 weeks today. But who's counting?

just another oh-you-know-i-could-have-a-baby-any-second sundays....

Blake and Mayan got up early to test sail a boat that we have put an offer in on. It's 36 footer, which is the biggest boat Blake has ever sailed. They came back so HIGH from their adventure, it was adorable.

Mayan is a total natural on the boat and in the water. She scrubs decks without a peep and ties knots and just soaks up all the knowledge Blake shares with her about sailing. See how in this picture the boat is leaning really far to one side...that is called "heeling. " True sailers get all excited when you get the side rail to touch the water. Mama NO LIKEY heeling. But look at MG...totally into it. Oy vey, this is Blake's child.....

I spend most of the day in the tub soaking my poor achin' hips, and chatting ont he phone with my sister while Isadore watched the Wizard of Oz (dressed up as Dorothy and clutching her Toto stuffed dog, no less.) When Blake and Mayan got home I fed them then swooped the girls off to see a real professional puppet show of their fave book "StellaLuna" at the Winningstad theatre in downtown Portland. I love living in the city.....

Finally evening....what is the one thing that can get between a man and his Star Trek? A pregnany belly! Don't I look freaked out? That is because I AM! I will be 38 weeks on Wednesday and today I woke up to the feeling like someone had kicked me in the crotch and my pelvic bone was bruised. This proably means the baby has dropped a bit which it looks and feels like. And, oh yeah, if it wasn't for me seeing this picture I would not even know that I have stain on my sweatpants b/c I can't actually SEE my sweatpants.




A few people have asked me why I have not blogged about my blessing. Well, I guess for a few reasons--one being that is was overwhelmingly sweet and it spend days spinning on the wonderfully kind things that were said to me--blogging it wasn't really on my mind. The other reason is that, it was very, very special and intimate. To me a blessing is not merely a party. It was carefully thought out and planned by my best friend Breana, who took great care to make it something that reflected ME, and my wishes. There were parts that were very ceremonial and healing, and really can only be known by those that attended. One of my favorite parts was when we threw our fears in to the fire....one at a time, gathering up our biggest fear and tossing some lavendar into a flame to help let go. I loved this part b/c it wasnt just about me, it was a chance for everyone there to have some healing. And it wasn't as woo-woo as it sounds, really. It's as natural as any room full of compassionate women being present and being open would create for themselves. The most mind-blowing part for me was just hearing what others had to say about me and what characteristics had drawn them to me. Talk about a confidence booster just when you need it the most! I seriously needed a reminder that I AM strong, I do have things to offer the world, I do bring beauty and light, and I will bring all of that into my birth and into my new child's life. How did I forget all of that and let so much fear and doubt in?

Here are a few shots from that day. Our sacred circle in our amazing living room which was the perfect setting:
Me, in my cute new dress, sorting through some gifts sent by Chemynne:

I was so happy to have my parent risk the crappy weather conditions, and embrace a sense of adventure to join me and my family for this event. It really made the day extra wonderful! A picture with the grandkids:

Amy and I due the same time, feeling each other's bellys...Baby Max has the hiccups:
Thank you for who came and filled me up with all of your warmth and love. Those of you who could not attend were very much missed! Breana, you have gone above and beyond for me and I love you!

sweet! our suite!! it's compleeeeete!

glue-down cork tile: NEVER again. floating cork is SO much better...but on a budget, it was this or nothing. here is B, pulling up the carpet tacks, getting ready to lay 'em down.

mayan took these! go, b, go!

uh-oh, somebody is getting high on the adhesive fumes....

her, too!
(just kidding, it was a low-odor water-based cork adhesive, very mellow)

aw, who could resist those baby blues??

okay, just after this, blake suffered a major back-injury moving a piece of furniture--it sucked! it took a loooong time to finish the project, mostly it got done by him laying one row at a time, everyday after work. poor B! but it finally healed enough for him to bust out the final area last weekend. (thanks to Rich and Breana and Rich's mom for coming over and moving our bed for us!!) today we did most of the final touches.....

huh? who's room is this?

it's the newly done master bedroom! so sexy!
(i love these lamps, we got them at target years ago--they shed the coolest light on the walls. i decided to mount them, so they don't take up bedtable space)

this area is waiting for some photography, a rug, and my favorite swivel rocker...why do we have 2 tv's you ask? well our dumb no-name big screen doesn't communicate with the comcast universal remote, so we watch movies on the wide-screen and tv on the regular tv. tv-heads have to do what tv-heads have to do, you know?

AH!! devil kitty!! no, it's just Humper....note the new curtains covering our badly trimmed balcony doors. HUGE improvement, i tell you.

this room is soooooooo us. i'm beyond excited.

hey, haven't done one of these in a while...35 weeks here (a few days ago)...i look stoned in this picture...HA! i wish! but the "nester" in me does make me want to go in there and clean the fingerprints off of that mirror RIGHT NOW. i'm gonna.

phew, now we can relax...right?

been sewin'

a few months ago i was at fabric depot to get some stuff for a quilt and it just happened to be their huge 40% off of everything sale--i grabbed the last cart available and started piling in bolts of cute stuff i liked. didn't know what i would DO with most of it but that didn't matter! one cute fabric i found was in the baby/nursury secion, it was a grey flannel with skull and crossbones, too cool to pass up. well i am happy to say i have finally put it to use! i made myself some cloth pads for after the baby is born--postpartum pads they call them. it sounds nice to have some soft natural cloth up against you those first few weeks as opposed to some synthetic gel-filled plastic pad, which i've used in the past and yes, are convenient...but i am going to be washing diapers anyway, these will slip right in. i based my pattern off of this mama's pads (who if i could afford i would have bought a ton of!) on Hyena Cart, a place for crafty mamas to sell their goods. the construction is flannel on top, a cut up prefold diaper in the middle, and fleece on the back (which should protect against leaks) which Breana GAVE to me. so each one cost less than three bucks to make (online ones were over $13.) now i am working on the next size down, for normal periods. i wonder when i will have to worry about that again! Ahhhh!!

the funny thing about this pattern is that when i am done with them, if the baby is still tiny, i can use them for diapers--ha! they are totally unisex.....i'll just add some velcro.


34 weeks today. had a wonderful visit with the wives. they are so on it, and attentive and we're all feeeling very hopeful that things will go smoothly. baby is growing everyday, and is still extremely active (more than any of my other babies....) and responsive to us listening and groping. both girls used their hands to feel where the head was (headed down, thank goodness!)
in two weeks, the wives come to our house for a home visit. slightly mind boggling, because i don't FEEL ready but that is b/c i am not ready at 34 weeks.....hopefully after that visit and the mother blessing (and our bedroom being finished--blake has been doing awesome working a little bit everyday on the cork floor) i will have had that shift into true anticipation and openness to meet what our friend Fawn calls "the Last Nomad." no arguments there--lol!

yes, i still exist

this is the last photo i took of myself--about a week ago, in the almost finished bathroom. i have completely survived my laptop withdrawls, and now do laundry and bake regularly. if it were warmer in our house i would be barefoot, then i could be barefoot and pregnant and bake and do laundry all day. it suits me well, i tell ya.

i could do some complaining though. for starters, i am kind of freaking out! time is moving WAY too quickly for me right now. i am 32, almost 33, weeks. that means i could comfortably have a full term baby in just over 4 weeks. Hell's no, i say. i need AT LEAST 6 more weeks. baby is doing very well, very active, and shaping up so far to be a peanut like the others. i won't complain about that--my baby can be small as long as baby is healthy and thriving which is the case thus far. baby's bony little buns keeps trying to poke through the top of my belly but keeps running into my ribs. possibly related is that a good three-inch patch of skin has gone completely numb just under my right boob--it's either that or the sheer weight of my boob is causing the numbness. regardless, i had it with my other pregnancies too and i am confident the feeling will return soon after birth. on the hip front, now that i am well into my third trimester, the relaxin (the hormone that helps widen the pubic bone) is for sure kicked in and doing its job. at night when i go to roll over, it feels as though my hips have "melted" into the pillows and mattress, and i have to be oh-so gentle in readjusting. same goes for getting up to pee, which thankfully is not very often (maybe once a night, sometimes never) as i hear with third time moms, the bladder has developed more nightime resiliency or something to that nature. speaking of pillows, i must always create a sort of wedge that goes from my waist to my head and props me at a good 30 degree angle, so as not to upset the Heartburn. if i fall off of my wedge in the night, and wake up with acid eating at my throat, i always have a cup of milk there at the bedside ready to sooth me.

other than that i'm goooooood. i am trying to swim once or twice a week which feels AMAZING. the first time i went, i did four laps and thought i might die. but friday i did eight, in about a half hour, with no problem and it felt so good. i was extra pleased to have the slow lane all to myself--'cause let me tell you, i am slooooooow. still doing yoga once or twice a week, too.

the house is shaping up. the only thing keeping me from posting pictures of our new uber-cool bathroom is that i need to find a cool shower curtain rod. the ones at home depot are hideous, i tell you. IKEA has what i want but i am saving my strength since everytime i go there i leave with the gnarliest backache ever. the person who designed their carts with all 4 wheels to swivel, so that the cart is always carreening out of control and it takes every muscle in your back to keep from crashing into the stacks of beautiful swedish-house-crap, should be shot, in my humble opinion. i have successfully painted our bedroom and am ready for blake to pull up the carpet and lay down the cork floors. add curtains, a comfy chair, and some tidying and my "suite" will be ready for me and the baby to rock and nurse all day long for a few solid weeks. diapers are stacked, organic baby clothes folded neatly, wool diaper covers are lanolized, and i am even finishing up on my own home-sewn cloth postpartum pads. they are so cool, they have grey flannel tops with skulls on them. now that is some post-partum bleedin' in style. too much information? ah, well, i am not sure anyone is reading anymore anyway--lol.

mayan's blog is much more interesting--go check it out: http://www.mayanszoomtozoom.blogspot.com/

what we look like

this is what i look like 25 weeks pregnant from the left:

this is what Humper looks like when he sleeps:

this is what Blake looks like when he is doing house projects:

this is what Mayan looks like riding her bike without training wheels:

this is what Isadore looks like floating on her back:

this is what Nomad looks like in the evening:

this is what Isadore and I look like watching Sesame Street first thing in the morning:

this is what my belly looks like in bed:

this is what the girls look like taking a bath:

and finally, this is what i look like 27 week pregnant from the right:

random belly

these aren't the best...but i've had requests!

22 1/2 weeks

23 weeks

for the last few days i have been feeling yucky--again! no big appetite, nauseous, tired....flash back to first trimester (and much of the beginning of the 2nd.)

i am 24 weeks today, and as much as i hate to speculate b/c i think it is fruitless...i am starting to think this might be a boy! it is possible this extended yuckiness is just this baby, this pregnancy and completely unrelated to gender, but i gotta say--it's making me wonder.

the other night i had a dream that i gave birth to a baby that was a perfect 8 pounds. that was a good dream. i would be shocked if i had a baby over 6 pounds since i never have. then again i had just read someone's birth story and their baby was a perfect 8 lbs., so i was probably just integrating the information into my own dreams. ah, the mystery of it all!

I FOUND MY CAMERA!!

so get ready folks...a little preview of what you've missed before the camera got lost--and some current goodies to boot:

Mayan takes a music class on Tuesdays--her assignment was to design a percussion instrument. this is her Doomagotti:

poor papa--this is the pile of bills that constantly shuffles along the counter. bills get paid on the right, and new ones move in from the left. we split the counter half and half--no food gets on his bills and no bills encroach on my food.

i think mayan took this. it's a little crouching pharoah with Dorothy slippers.

Dia de los Muertos--our alter

after dinner we shared our favorite stories of the people we have know that have passed away. then we got silly for a family shot.

it's baby Nermie! not many things cuter than a kitten in a paper bag sitting in a ray of sunshine...

mayan getting deep into her body art

i was so excited that i found the camera that as soon as i charged the battery, i started snapping away! here is blake getting busted eating my chicken salad leftovers

here is isadore sleeping

and here is mayan NOT sleeping

aaaaand.....drumroll, please..................











belly pic #1 (19 1/2 weeks)

belly pic #2

belly pic #3

today is my 120th day since conception. the Sikh's believe that this is the day that the soul enters the child, and it truly becomes a person. i am not a Sikh but i think it is really cool to have one special day that honors the change a women has mid-pregnancy--out of the woods as far as miscarriage, belly now swelling and obvious to the world, baby is moving and feels more *real*...somehow our culture tends to really "miss it" in terms of celebrating the deeper, meaningful experiences. the change may not happen in one day but subtle, significant changes are happening and i have been trying to honor that more than ever this time around.

xo