I don't have any resolutions to start tomorrow - I think there will be enough change in our household come March. But we're incredibly grateful for the last year - it's been a fantastic one with all our travels, seeing family and friends, enjoying each other and our work, and getting ready for DomerBaby. I can only imagine that 2009 will be even better!
Happy new year everyone!
That's right. We have not made any mistakes yet, so we have a perfect record with DomerBaby. For 2 more months. Hahaha. Which is why I can tell you the story of the horrible little children at the Christmas Eve mass we attended with a clear conscious!
First of all, we attended the children's mass of our own volition. I remember as a child going to mass all dressed up, sitting (mostly) quietly - though probably fidgeting a lot and being a nuisance to my parents - when I was small. When we were older, we participated in the choir, which I *do* remember was a very solemn and quiet job, indeed. The music instructor made it very clear that we were not to talk, whisper, move, or even breathe too loudly because our noises carried throughout the church. I remember, as children, going up to the front to see the baby Jesus and learn about how it's not *really* about Santa, to which we all agreed of course - it's only polite not to burst the priest's bubble, after all.
Well, apparently things work differently at the church we attended this Christmas. The children's choir was having a great time, and it showed. They were generally well mannered, though a bit noisy and had to be shushed at times. I was sad to see so many jeans, tennis shoes, and cargo pants throughout the church instead of choir robes or at least holiday attire. There were of course, the requisite crying children, which didn't bother me much, except the priest explicitly "invited" people to bring their crying children to the lobby and you could tell he was irritated when his request was ignored.
But the worst - the worst! - was when the priest called up all the children to hear about baby Jesus. Kids were going wild - jumping all over (including on the priest), not listening to the priest when he asked them to sit quietly, and even sassing off to him! The poor man could obviously not control them. He was trying to get them to participate by asking questions, like "what's more important, Jesus, or Santa. I don't know if these kids are just idiots, or their parents have never taken them to church, but the answer the priest wanted was always pretty obvious to me as a child WHEN I WAS IN CHURCH. Not to them. How embarrassing.
Anyway, T.J. and I were duly appalled by the entire thing, and more than a little terrified that our children will someday act like that in public (probably a 100% probability, but hopefully not in church).
So that's my judgy mcjudgerson post about bad parenting. If you were the person with the terrible little boy at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, shame on you. And I hope he got coal in his stocking!
[note: I am perfectly aware that my children, my current views, and this very post, will embarrass me in a way I cannot imagine in the future. But I'm willing to post entertaining stories for you! Don't you feel special?]
I received the diapers I posted about a couple weeks ago - and they are so cute! I showed them to T.J., and he was able to tell right away that they were "different" from the fitted diapers we have so far. So impressed. I was showing him how you put an insert in the pocket part, and he got all excited and said we should get ShamWow towels to stuff with! So funny. It's actually a great idea, though I've heard that microfiber can be hold onto odors, making natural fibers like hemp or bamboo a better choice. He was so excited though, that maybe we'll get some.
We also bought some adorable organic things (I know, I know, but they were ON SALE):
Organic bumble bee soft teether:
Organic veggie crate clutch/teething toys:
T.J. has already named all the veggies. We have Mikey the Mushroom, Cathy the Carrot, Randy the Radish, and Billy the Bean. He is very angry that I posted the names he made up - but I can't help it. It makes me all mushy when he gets involved!
And last but not least, the organic Moby Wrap! I got to see one in action last weekend when I saw my friend Kat and her adorable baby Marion. Marion hung out in it for the better part of 3 hours while we chatted in Starbucks, smiling, sleeping, and barely a cry when she was sleepy! I'm sold! You can wear it a million different ways, I can't wait to try it with a baby!
So, no more baby purchases till after the shower, I promise! Haha
Well, sort of. I've been taking my iron and chlorophyll supplements per Charlotte's instructions, and while I'm not exactly "productive" all the time, I actually will do things like laundry, grocery shopping, and cooking again! I think it must be working. Yey for energy!
I know you've all been waiting with baited breath. Hehe. I have grown considerably! Sadly, I think I've crossed over to just "gigantic" instead of "cute-pregnant".
I don't mind, as it means we're getting close to seeing the baby! I'm getting excited to meet him or her. It's neat that there is still so much mystery involved!
30 week picture:
Time line update:
I now have to lean forward to see them. Oh joy!
In other news, we watched "The Other Boleyn Girl" this weekend and I am now paranoid that something I have done has injured my baby. I told T.J. that and he gave me the "you are insane" look, but still. Mother guilt already? No fair!
I think DomerBaby is going to be a soccer player - it's been kicking up a storm! I hope that fetuses kick in their sleep, otherwise we definitely do NOT have a mini-T.J. super-sleeper on our hands. It's fun and reassuring to feel though.
Baby has been INSANELY active the last couple of days. Because of my dedication to the blog, you lucky readers can enjoy the effects on my belly! This required serious dedication - I had to sit in my rocking chair with my camera and watch the belly. And you all know how I hate to be in my chair. I mean, I only spend like 3 hours a day in it. [Edit: Nevermind T.J.'s golfing discussion going on the background! It was almost 70 here today, so he went golfing!]
So, here's the baby rolling from left to right. There is a kick about 5 seconds in, and then the baby does this roll thing towards the right side. I have to breathe still, so you just have to deal with that!
The second one is also a big roll from left to right. Don't ask me how it is always going from left to right - it is. I *think* it's just it's leg, but who knows. This baby keeps me guessing. This one has some little kicks early on, but the big action starts about 15 seconds into it:
The last one is a big swift kick on my right side. Baby gets me at about 10 seconds I think:
Hopefully you find this as fun to watch I do. We're having lots of fun watching the baby grow!
Today I boiled diapers. That's right, on my stove, in my soup pot. So that my baby will have a nice, comfortably fluffy, butt. So far all the diapers I've purchased for DomerBaby are used (except the print I posted the other day - which I haven't received yet). Some of them are in excellent condition, very soft, etc. Others came in sort of crunchified, but otherwise in great condition with the elastic and such intact. Fear not! It's actually crunchy from detergent build-up, not any nasties in the diapers themselves. So I wanted to see if I could boil (strip) the buildup out of them and make them soft again.
Here's my method, in case anyone needs to do theirs:
Round One:
Boiled water in stock pot, then added the diapers.
Added 3 at a time, and changed water after every other load.
Used tongs to stir them around, as there was air bubbles in them (normal).
I also had some smaller pots going on the other burners to speed heating time for the next batch of water.
Fished out the diapers to cool - I rinsed them with cold water so I could wring them out.
Round Two:
Boiled water in stock pot with maybe 1/4c vinegar, then added the diapers 3 at a time as above.
This time I changed the water every load to ensure that they weren't soaking in soapy water.
Fished them out and dumped them all into the washing machine.
The Washer:
I didn't have a lot of diaper friendly detergent options, so this time I went with a TINY amount of All Small & Mighty Free and Clear detergent. Probably 2 tablespoons is all, but this was too much!
I put vinegar in the rinse slot with this first wash. I washed on "heavy cotton wash" cycle on HOT with an extra rinse.
Since there was still soap suds, I did another rinse.
There was STILL suds, so I did another rinse (thank goodness we have a high-efficiency front loader!)
Then I tossed them into the drier.
The Results:
Amazing!!! You can still tell which ones were the crunchified ones, but they are WAY softer. Mostly you can tell because the terry cloth is more matted than the other ones, and a little more gray. The semi-crusty ones are almost perfect now! I would highly highly recommend trying this with any crusty diapers you might have.
Note: these are all newborn sized diapers, so they aren't used for very long, just a couple of months. If you are trying to strip diapers because of ammonia problems, I'm not sure my method would work as well - there may be additional steps, like adding Dawn to the boiling process. I am just basically prepping mine and trying to make them as soft as possible, so I didn't want to add additional soap.
I'm just going to link the album, because there are so many! Here are a couple teasers though:
I got a few more diapers today (for a steal, of course). DomerBaby will be all decked out for Teresa in Japan!
This is a Happy Heiny pocket diaper. It's one of the simpler diapers to use - the waterproof cover is sandwiched between a soft inner layer that touches the baby and the printed outer layer that you see. You "stuff" an absorbant insert in between the waterproof layer and the inner layer of the diaper. Th
e top layer close to baby wicks the moisture into the absorbant layer, similarly to how disposables work.
This type of diaper is considered to be one of the most convenient types, as it doesn't require a lot of steps to get it on and off. Many people use these for daycare, as they work in the same way as disposables once they are stuffed. There is an added bonus that you can adjust the absorbency (and hence, the bulkiness of the diaper) by choosing what you use as the insert. Most people add thicker inserts at night and lighter ones during the day.
Today was our 28 week appointment. Unfortunately, T.J. is in Iowa, so I went to this one alone. He didn't miss anything good, though - no worries!
First, the hospital midwife: I saw Kay today, and she was very nice, but not very thorough. My blood pressure was good - 100/60, and she was happy with my weight gain and all that. In fact, she was looking at my chart and just like "wow, everything is going perfectly". So I was happy about that. She listened to the heartbeat with the stethoscope (I got to hear too - very fun) but did not measure it. And she didn't measure my fundus, which I thought was odd. I think I've actually only had it measured once or twice there, though. She felt the baby and I'm very pleased to say that the baby is head down! In her words, the baby was very low - unusually low for a first time mother. She said I have great birthing hips. Niiiice.
After that appointment, I asked for a copy of my bloodwork from last month (they did the glucose tolerance test and I wanted to show Charlotte).
At Charlotte's, I showed her my bloodwork, and I was blown away by the results! My glucose was great - only 85 - but they also measured a bunch of other things and my red blood count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelet counts were all low. And not just marginally low. Like, it seems pretty seriously low! Charlotte was quite concerned, and put me on an iron supplement in addition to my prenatal vitamin and also told me to take liquid chlorophyll, which should increase my platelet count. I'll also be sucking down the red raspberry leaf tea, which can help with iron.
I was pretty baffled at how the doctor's office blew off these results - it's their lab report, and the items that are out of range even get automatically highlighted on the print out. Charlotte told me that it's just not a big deal to them, because if you are at a hospital and have any blood issues they can do a transfusion. Seriously?!? WTF people! I kind of hope this is just her bias against them, but I don't really have a better explanation.
She did say that my feeling of laziness and sugar cravings are most likely tied to these low levels, so hopefully with my supplements I'll be able to get some energy back.
Anyway, besides that, everything is coming along well. All the stuff Charlotte tests for in my urinalysis came back great, and my blood pressure there was 106/64, so it sounds like I can drive in Atlanta without serious agitation. Haha! Charlotte measured the heartbeat at 140 bpm (normal) and was able to get a better feel for the position of the baby. It's definitely head down like Kay said, and it's mostly on the right side of my belly. But it's turned a bit funny so that one leg is splayed out near the left side of my belly button, which is why I can get good kicks there at night. Charlotte actually "grabbed" the leg. Baby didn't like that though - it doesn't like to be pushed around.
I'm going to try and draw a picture tonight of the way I think the baby is in my belly, because I think it's super cool.
Charlotte now has an assistant, Jessica, who seems nice. She'll be attending the birth as well to help Charlotte. In other exciting midwifery news, it sounds like Georgia may push through a licensing program for CPMs like Charlotte which would (1) make it legal for THEM to attend us and (2) make it open to reimburement for INSURANCE! Yey! I love seeing change in the crappy system that is American obstetrics.
The Plenty Magazine blog requires extreme dedication to my Google Reader. They post about 20 items per day, it seems. I originally subscribed because my most favorite blog did a spinoff on this blog - which is aimed at environmentalists.
(quick, go check out that link - it's uber funny)
Anyway, since I have a reputation of being crunchy, I thought I'd link today's post, as it is pretty funny and describes our house well.
The first thing you will notice about environmentalists is the smell. As it stands, they come in three flavors: lavender, patchouli, and natural. This is due to the fact that environmentalists do not use deodorant because it contains aluminum and a number of chemicals that concern them greatly. Instead, environmentalists prefer the scents of nature. The most committed allow their own bodies to dictate their smell identity. More often than not this will lead you to believe that the person you are talking to is an organic onion or garlic farmer. Fortunately, there are no environmentalists who consider it an insult to be mistaken for an organic farmer.
As for the rest of their grooming regimen, a look into the shower stall of an environmentalist will reveal several bottles of natural shampoos that didn’t work but can’t be thrown away, and of course, handmade soap. Once you have confirmed that your new friend has an oddly shaped bar of soap, you should ask them if they make their own. If the answer is yes, you have discovered what you will be receiving for your birthday! If the answer is no, then you know exactly what to get them for nondenominational holidays.
Read Part Three: Being Depressed by Statistics
Read Part Two: Brainwashing Children
Read Part One: Bringing Numerous Talking Point to Dinner
Don't worry, we don't make our own soap (yet) so you are safe this Christmas. I do have Tom's of Maine lavender scented deodorant though, which made me laugh. I prefer the crystal though - I swear it actually works well!
It's a small step, but I'm excited nonetheless. There are all sorts of supplies that you need to birth at home... just little things like peri boddles, gauze sponges, something called "surgilube", a cord clamp, foot-printer, etc. The midwife will deliver the birthing tub around 36 weeks when we do our home visit. Hopefully my nesting urge will kick in before that so our house isn't a disaster!
Tomorrow is my 28 week appointment. I don't think there will be anything very interesting. Most likely I'll get scolded for eating too much candy (I blame my coworkers - they relentlessly bring in chocolate) and we'll find out which way the baby is lying. I'll also get a copy of my bloodwork from last time, so we'll see if there is anything interesting there.
I'm still confused about which way it is, but it's about 90% on the right side of my belly! I wonder what's so distasteful about the left side. Weird kid. The kicks have been in the middle/right of my belly lately, so I'm pretty baffled.
I got home late last night, and T.J. went straight to the frozen tundra - I mean Des Moines. We had a great time visiting with family and friends, and I had a shower there! Everyone was so generous, we were completely overwhelmed by all the wonderful and thoughtful gifts we received. Unfortunately I don't have pictures to show you yet. I'm sure I'll get some soon!
Pittsburgh is my new favorite place, because everyone was so complimentary. It was just what my hormonal self needed. Even a woman at the airport looked at me, did this double-take/hesitation thing, and said "You look beautiful!" (did she read my blog post from last week??? hehe). Other gems included "You can't tell you are pregnant from the back" and "You look fabulous/amazing". Tell me more, tell me more! Hahaha. So my ego is nice and big, probably until I step on the scale tomorrow after a weekend of indulgence!
Oh, and when we flew in to Pittsburgh it was snowing, and it looked so lovely for the party on Saturday. Everything melted by Monday, but we were so happy to see snow. It made it feel much more like Christmas.
My thoughts are starting to turn more towards labor and delivery lately, and I remembered that my midwife mentioned that "they" say you will have your baby exactly 5 months after quickening (when you feel the baby for the first time).
I looked back at my blog posts, and that was September 27. Which would give DomerBaby a birthdate of February 27.
Now, I think DomerBaby is going to be a St. Paddy's day babe, so I don't believe it at all. But ya never know. MeeMaw (T.J.'s grandma) says she thinks the baby is coming in late February... maybe she knows something we don't!
Things one should not say or do to a pregnant woman:
1.) "Wow, you can really tell that you are pregnant from the way you are waddling... I mean walking."
2.) "You know, pregnancy is great for a while with the glow, but then women just get big, uncomfortable, and grumpy."
Note: just do not comment on a woman's mood, period. This really isn't limited to pregnancy.
3.) Any comment about clothing being too tight, small, or too frumpy unless you are their bestest friends.
4.) Any suggestion that the clothing at Victoria's Secret would not "fit" them anymore. We are not pregnant in our butt, and our boobs are fantastic, thanks.
5.) "Wow - you look so much further along than that!"
6.) "Are you sure it isn't twins [wink wink]."
7.) Any effort to touch a stranger's (or possibly even an acquaintance's) belly, especially if you are in an elevator. Or at work. Or at the store. Or at church. You get the point.
Appropriate things to say to or do for a pregnant woman:
1.) "You look great!"
2.) "You make it look so easy"
3.) "You'll be a wonderful mother"
4.) "Can I carry that for you?" (but let it go if she says no thanks)
5.) Walk slowly - we have to be careful now, as our balance is off, and it's frankly just hard to keep up.
6.) Ask what they feel like eating, and be ready with suggestions if they aren't sure.
7.) NOTHING - pregnant women are just as happy as normal strangers to be ignored.
Here's another eco-baby article about toy buying. After we got our toys-for-tots, I had a small bit of guilt about the non-eco friendliness of them, but I think we did alright getting *active* toys at least - sports gear, sidewalk chalk, play-doh, etc... None of our toys required power sources, either. That was not an accident. T.J. and I both feel pretty strongly about providing toys for children that make them active and use their imagination.
It did make me realize how easy it is to forget about toy safety when you are concerned about what a child might actually want - and how hard it may be to balance the child's wants with both safety and earth friendliness. Since our target age was past the "eat everything" stage for the toys we bought, I feel all right about the options we chose. Even the packaging wasn't too over the top. If we had been buying baby stuff though I think I'd have made a bee-line for the wooden toys (with non-toxic paint!). That's a lot easier, too, as babies aren't concerned with brand names yet.
So, just a little realization (for me) that it's much easier to talk the talk than walk the walk with a lot of the ideas I've been touting on here. It doesn't mean we aren't going to do our best to be safe and eco-conscious, but I feel a bit like a wanna-be now rather than a true green mama! A good lesson in humility for me, I suppose.
That seems to be the consensus in my belly! DomerBaby has been wildly active lately! Tonight it's been crawling back up top a bit... maybe to go back head down? I guess we'll see if the heartburn returns!
And I'm happy to report that after about 50 miles of driving, 5 days, and 84 envelopes later, all the people on my Christmas list should be receiving cards as fast as the USPS can deliver them. And since my father in law works at the post office, I know we'll get special service.
I've grown out of 99% of my non-maternity clothes (though this doesn't mean I don't attempt wearing them now and again), and I've started growing out of some of my maternity stuff shirts. But today I put on one of T.J.'s dress shirts to go under a sweater, and it fits. For real. It buttons all the way, and doesn't pull.
I find this particularly strange because as you all know, T.J. is ridiculously skinny. So thin that I weighed more than him BEFORE I got pregnant. Did I mention that he's about eight inches taller than me? And I'm not (usually) a heavyweight myself.
Is this some sort of cruel fashion joke? Slim men's clothes fit pregnant women, but maternity clothes do not? Ladies, I think we're being scammed.
T.J. and I went Christmas shopping on Saturday. But for the first time ever, we did our shopping at Toys'R'Us! We went out to buy toys to donate, and frankly, it is way more fun buying for all the adults on our list. We got all sorts of cool stuff. Well, we think it's cool stuff. Check it all out:
If the tots enjoy the toys half as much as we enjoyed shopping for them, I think it'll have been more than worth it!
I am no longer capable of making simple decisions, like whether or not to go to the grocery store, or what size envelopes to use for Christmas cards.
Thank goodness I have people who can help me! LOL
In other news, the baby seems to have gone back to being transverse. It seems much more uncomfortable for baby though - I keep getting these "pushes" - they aren't jabs, more like the baby is trying in vain to stretch out and get some room. I try to tell it that if it flips back to head down it'll have plenty of room - but alas, it is ignoring mama.
I got 2 diaper covers in the mail today!
I got this bummi snap:
And this motherease air flow:
I keep accidentally buying plain white ones, even though I keep saying I'm going to get cute ones. Oops! I need to redouble my cuteness efforts for DomerBaby. I just can't pass up the deals!
This is not a mumu, it's a sweater I bought before I had any sort of belly, so I was not hip to the jive of how a belly can make a sweater look. I think I look a bit like certain characters from Alice in Wonderland. All I'm missing is the giant bow:
Hmm, I'm beginning to think the maternity clothing industry may take their cues from tweedle dee and tweedle dum!
Here is the same night - 26w5d Pregnant
I much prefer my yoga wear.
No, it's not DomerBaby's gender (though I think it's a boy). We've been doing our Christmas shopping! I'm super excited to give out some of these gifts. That is all I will say... such a tease.
Last night we set up the tree - it's beautiful. T.J. does a great job with the lights. My new rocker is set up across the room from it, so when I rock it looks like the tree is twinkling. I love Christmas.
And we're staying home this year, so if anyone wants to come for Christmas, let me know. We have lots of room! Haha.
I'll hopefully post new pictures tonight!
We're coming down the final stretch, people! How freaking exciting is that???
latest and greatest from the womb:
1) I am almost positive that DomerBaby has turned from being transverse (laying sideways cradled in my pelvis) to the head-down position. I'm getting kicked up higher now. This is great, as generally babies move into the head-down by 28 weeks. We'll see if it stays put though - it's still doing acrobats in there it seems!
2) Holy heartburn! This is the other reason I think s/he flipped. The last 3 days I've had horrid heartburn at night. It must have realized how much more room there is that way, since it can kick my stomach into my throat.
3) I think the nesting stage is beginning. I've been fantasizing about throwing all our stuff out to make room for the baby. (Don't tell T.J.)
I went to yoga tonight, and it was my favorite session yet. Tonight we practiced sounds at the end (for labor). We were all making these melodic "aaaaaaahhhhh" sounds for like 5 minutes - like a choir. It really did sound like a choir. Or a chant.
Anyway, I don't know if it was the vibration of the sounds, or the group-ness of it, or because you run low on oxygen (it focuses on lengthening exhales), but I got this really really neat feeling of largess and well being. Like I was the focus of the world. And it felt like I was just... big. But in a good way. Like puffed up to 2-3 times my size. It was like, if I was dough, I had risen and was now 3 times bigger.
I know, totally strange. But it was amazing. I felt fantastic afterwards. My mind was totally racing afterwards, which is bit strange because usually I'm all mellow. This time I was so excited and refreshed. I can't wait to try it in labor.
I'm officially a hippy freak.
Although I weigh myself every few days, I haven't paid too much attention except to raise my eyebrows periodically and report it to you all. After last month's appointments, when both of my midwives raised *their* eyebrows, I've been trying to eat healthier. Being done with tax season is helping a lot, too. So tonight I did the numbers, and they very odd. Just goes to show that everyone gains differently:
Month 1: +0.0
Month 2: +5.5
Month 3: +1.0
Month 4: +5.0
Month 5: +9.5
Month 6: +2.0
And I'm pleased to report that instead of ice cream and cranberry sauce for breakfast, I had an english muffin and an apple!
Fun pregnancy fact of the day: my belly now hits my legs when I go up stairs!
Fun Georgia fact of the day: Senatorial republican candidate campaigned yesterday with Sarah Palin. Democratic candidate campaigned with (rapper) Ludacris.
1) I'm not sure who to take less seriously
2) as Auntie Debbie pointed out, it's ironic that Sarah Palin is ludicrous.
We were thankful to have good friends to spend our day with - and electricity!
Our electricity went out about an hour before the turkey was set to be done (in our electric oven). It was only out for 20 minutes, but it was definitely long enough for me to have a hormonal meltdown crying that we would have a totally raw food Thanksgiving! Haha.
All's well that ends well, though - the power came on about 5 minutes after our first guests arrived, and we were only set back about a half hour with dinner! I am already thinking of how to improve next year's dinner and streamline the process since we'll have DomerBaby underfoot!
I think we will keep the normal stuffing (maybe make a double recipe it's so popular!), nix the mashed potatoes, and make sweet potato souffle a standing part of dinner. And I will never make green bean casserole from a can again! It turned out sooooo good.
Here's a picture of our tables... no food pics, I forgot and since dinner was so late I wouldn't have wanted to keep people waiting further, but the turkey was golden brown and delicious, as Alton Brown would say!
Dinner:
Buffet:
Dessert:
It is very comfortable! We got an extra cushion set with it (blue denim), so we're covered for boy and girl. LOL. Although the pink gingham that T.J. is sitting on goes surprisingly well in our living room w/ the couch and dining room walls being that burgundy color.
We got it for about 85% off the retail price by buying on Craigslist.com - and it's ecofriendly, since we're reusing! (remember the old 3 R's - reduce, reuse, recycle?).
In other cuteness news, Grandma and Grandpa Monn got the baby a cute Moses basket and stand that we can use as a bassinet and travel bed when DomerBaby is new - or longer if we have a peanut like T.J. was! I'm so excited to use it! (our bedding is brown and green - not pink!
I missed my planned post yesterday, but we only have 98 days until the due date! How exciting is that! I think I've officially crossed over from "happy to be pregnant" to "anxious to have a baby in arms". I've got a looooong way to go for that, though!
Please read this post from just about my favorite blog on eco living and natural parenting. I was going to post something very similar today, but she says everything about it that I would, and probably in a more eloquent way.
"News from the formula companies... and it's not good. i've been lucky enough to be able to feed lucy without any formula supplementation. though challenging at times, i'm so glad not to have to worry about stories like this. melamine has turned up in brand-name infant formula here in the united states. the same stuff that, you know, killed a bunch of dogs awhile back, and later put thousands upon thousands of chinese babies into the hospital (many of whom are still there). reports state that only trace amounts have been found in u.s. infant formulas, in levels that are for now being considered harmless. my take? melamine has been found in infant formula. enough said.
the findings make me sad for formula-feeding mommies, many of whom want to breastfeed exclusively but aren't able to, for whatever reason. the simple act of feeding a hungry baby (be it by bottle or by breast) shouldn't come with doubt, worry or guilt. if it's not melamine in formula or bpa in bottles, then it's the presence of dioxin and other nasties in breast milk, appearing in concentrated doses due to the ever-rising prevalence of chemicals in our society.
did generations past have to deal with these types of worries? overhanging guilt of things that simply could not be avoided? where did society fall off, letting our tiniest members come in contact with questionable chemicals and known carcinogens? this all goes far past formula--to baby shampoos and lotions, baby diapers, baby clothing, baby food, baby toys. something is just not right with this picture, and the very worst part is that despite all that i know about all of this, i can't shove my daughter into a bubble. she's exposed. i may have reduced her exposure, and i will try my hardest to continue to do so to a reasonable extent. but lucy, like every other baby in america, is exposed. and there's nothing i can do to change this."
I don't know what else to say about this. It's truly a travesty, and concrete evidence that our own coporations care more about profit than the health of our children, and frankly that the government doesn't care, either. A sad, sad day.
The other day Grandma Curran mentioned cord blood banking, and it reminded me to get back on my high horse about birthing. Hehe. So if you are sick of hearing about my opinion on birth, blame my Mother-In-Law. (just kidding!)
The answer to the original question is that we will not be doing cord blood banking, for a couple of reasons. One is that it is not an option for us, as we'll be birthing at home. This is only available to people who birth at hospitals.
Second, and more importantly to me (and I'm sure T.J., if I made him read up on it), is the benefits of delayed cord clamping until the umbilical cord stops pulsing. In hospitals (unless you direct otherwise and they actually listen to you), the cord is clamped immediately, but this effectively reduces the amount of blood that the baby gets, and can cause low iron in babies (see this article, for example) and oxygen deficiency, especially if the baby is slow to breathe on its own.
Iron deficiency is something that "they" are often worried about anyway, and can even lead to pressure for a woman to supplement with formula - some proclaim that breastmilk is "deficient" because it is low in iron. It is true that there is less iron in breast milk, but it is better absorbed than from formula, so beware of people who tell you this!
Here are some reasons to delay cord cutting, from a Midwife in California:
Totally not baby related, but I wanted to give T.J. a shout-out for all his handiness yesterday.
First, he fixed the sticky gas pedal on our car! All it took was a $5 can of some sort of fuel injector cleaner. The focus drives like a dream, now!
Then, he repaired the wall in our bedroom where our curtain rod randomly ripped out of the wall - anchors and all. He even repainted and rehung the curtains.
Today, he may even clean up his mess. Hehe.
My hero.
<3
In honor of Thanksgiving week, here is a picture of our friend turkey (remember my ironing incident?)
Poor DomerBaby gets so abused.
Today we learned that Mama needs to go back to kindergarten - to learn to use scissors! Did you know that you should use a straight edged ruler when cutting squares? Hello, Captain Obvious! Luckily I am just making cloth wipes for DomerBaby, so it doesn't really matter what they look like. Next time I will try to take more care.
But here is the first wipe (the rest need to be trimmed, basted, and stitched!) The owl side is flannel, and the other side is terry. Hopefully it'll take care of anything DomerBaby can throw at us!:
Poor DomerBaby, even though I know it's ok in there, I still feel bad that I'm sick. I have some sort of stomach bug, but I think it's pretty much run its course. It started last night, and I have to say that I'm getting pretty wimpy being home by myself "with the baby". I had just read lots of stuff about pre-term labor, and since it was my tummy hurting so much - it even seemed to hurt more in waves - I have to admit I was a tiny bit scared that I was going into labor [insert eye-roll here]. It wasn't until the light of day that I realized 2 of my coworkers had already had a stomach bug. Duh. Didn't help last night when I was crying alone in bed wondering what I should do. I'm so silly.
T.J. and I get to enjoy a relaxing weekend at home. I'm planning to do some knitting or sewing, and I have to plan our Thanksgiving meal! We're having some people over for dinner on Thanksgiving, so It's time to get ready. The holidays tend to sneak up on me here because the weather doesn't change very fast... it doesn't feel like it's time yet! Of course, we're speeding towards when we get to meet DomerBaby, so I'm not complaining about time passing quickly.
We've reached the point where DomerBaby would have an 80-90% chance of survival if (heaven forbid) I went into preterm labor! I guess that's kind of a morbid milestone, but it's still good to know.
That said, I don't think this baby is coming out before St. Paddy's day!
Today was our 24 week appointment (we were in Key West last week, so now we're a week behind on appointments).
First was the appointment with the hospital midwife, Margaret. I really like her - I was seeing Kay, but Margaret is way better in my opinion. Today I had to do the blood sugar test, but I was ornery and refused to drink the orange yuck stuff, so Margaret told me just to eat 2 hours before the test and we did it that way. Honestly, I think this test is the biggest BS ever, but since it didn't hurt DomerBaby for me to get stuck with a needle, I didn't complain too much.
After that we did the weigh-in (yikes) and blood pressure. All is well there - my blood pressure seemed pretty low - 106/70 today! Good sign I think. Margaret gently suggested that I lay off the sweets so that I don't gain too much with the holidays coming. Sigh. I'll try, I promise.
She listened for the baby and I got to hear the heartbeat for the first time! It is really cool. And then she felt around for the baby, it's all nestled in my pelvis right now, still sort of transverse. She said usually they start engaging around 28 weeks, so we'll see what's going on at the next appointment.
Then I went over to Charlotte's house, and we chatted more about health stuff - whether I had headaches, swelling, etc... It continually amazes me how much more *medically* thorough Charlotte is than my hospital midwives. Of course, it's important that she knows if I'm low risk, but still - you'd think that the others would want to know that, too. She also measured the baby - I'm about 1-2 weeks ahead in fundal height, but the baby is laying pretty funny and she said that may be why. Or maybe I'm not going to get my little 6lb peanut like T.J. was! Haha. For what it's worth, this variation is within the realm of normal. DomerBaby is now about 2 pounds! So that just leaves 20 unaccounted for. Tee hee! Charlotte measured and the heartbeat is 150 beats per minute! So I guess everything is going well in there. Yey!
One "bad" thing is that apparently my abdominal wall is starting to separate. Charlotte warned me about this at the beginning - to not use my abs to sit up from a lying position. I do try to roll and use my arms, but apparently I was not diligent enough. I need to do some research on this, but I think it's more figure/fitness related than baby related. Goodbye abs! DomerBaby is worth it... it's not like I wear midriffs anyway.
We go back in 4 weeks at 29 weeks (28w appt), then the next time I'll go 3 weeks later to get back on schedule (32w), then every other week! Time sure is flying.
On the airplane to Key West, the flight attendant walked by and started the following conversation with me:
FA (seeing my baby books): Are you planning to breastfeed?
Me: Yes, I hope to.
FA: That's nice. I BF all three of mine.
Me: That's wonderful, I hope we are as successful
FA: Just make sure you are prepared
Me (smiling): Well, I'm trying to read a lot to prepare
FA (bending in close): No, I mean you need to rough up your nipples - like with a washcloth. Otherwise they will be sore and it won't work.
Me: Oh... yes, that. I will have to do that.
It really is true - people will say anything to a pregnant lady.
PS. You do not need to "rough up" your nipples. Ouch! Someone told me that they were told to scrub them with a toothbrush! Good grief.
Courtesy of Steve and Jane's wedding photographer:
Here we are - too bad you can't see DomerBaby. I'll upload more pics soon.
Here's Steve and Jane - so pretty!
Well, I thought that was pretty cool.
I'm definitely feeling more "pregnant" over the last few days. Tired on my feet, sore back, etc... Still sleeping through the night, which is great. DomerBaby is getting pretty wild, too. S/he is getting more and more active every day, it seems! T.J. is more tired, too. The pregnancy must be wearing on him. LOL
Key West has been a relaxing vacation for us. No more mishaps after the taxi incident, so far! The wedding was gorgeous, but I think we're ready to go home tomorrow. We're out of non-drinking activities that pique our interests here.
Can't wait to post photos!
T.J., baby and I are safely in Key West, but not without some mishap! We arrived safely by plane, only a half hour late, and got a cab to our hotel. Like good little riders, we buckled up. Except when we got to the hotel, my seat belt did not come off!
First, the driver tried to blame me, saying I put it on "backwards". Uh huh. Then he refused to let anyone cut it off until his manager arrived 20 minutes later. (eye roll). The manager and the owner of the cab company - who I talked to on the phone - were both very nice. The Westin Resort sent their manager out, as well as their head engineer. It was quite a spectacle. I think they were terrified I'd pitch a fit and/or go into preterm labor! I don't think they realized that the most pressing problem would most likely be my bladder. Hehe.
Luckily the manager arrived after a while and agreed that I must be cut out of it, and I was free! DomerBaby did not like being stuck any more than me. The seat belt got really tight from everyone pulling on it, so it was not the most comfortable 20 minutes of my life, but luckily we are all safe and sound here. I think we'll walk to dinner!
More later of our mis-adventures in Key West!
I'm sure that even if you've never experienced a burgeoning belly, you can sympathize with the idea that your body can tend to grow faster than your sense of space realizes it.
This morning I found out the hard way, when I ran my hot iron into my belly while ironing! OUCH! To add insult to injury, it was right by my *very* sensitive popped out belly button, which makes it even more painful!
T.J. said maybe he should take over ironing until after the baby. He might be on to something there!
Poor Belly.
One of my great friends, Emily, sent us a baby care package that we received today!
Emily lives in Alaska, and she sent us some awesome Alaska-wear, including some adorable onesies with brown bear and moose, tiny socks to keep baby warm, a froggie outfit, and of course a pair of carharts! DomerBaby will be all set for playing outside!
We love all the cute things she sent for DomerBaby, but especially the hand-knit sweater!
Emily is the person who taught me to knit. She's much more talented than me, though - I never graduated from hats and scarves. Haha. I'm glad I know so many talented artistans
Hopefully we'll be able to bring DomerBaby up to visit Alaska sooner than later, but luckily we'll get to see Emily and her husband Kyle next August at another dear friend, Taylor's wedding!
There is lots of good work is going on right now in Georgia to make home birthing legal for certified professional midwives. There is a midwifery task force convening in Georgia on November 19. Please take the time to send an email to Trish Keller trkeller@dhr.state.ga.us and tell her why you think home birth should be supported in Georgia - as it is in 22 other states! Great reasons:
1. A woman should have a choice to birth with an experience professional in the place of her choosing.
2. Home birth outcomes are at LEAST as good as hospital birth outcomes with low-risk pregnancies.
3. Home birth reduces the amount of medical intervention - some of which can injure baby and mom.
4. Home birth is less expensive for everyone (if we could get insurance to cover it!).
Thanks for your support!
With the holidays coming up, I thought it'd be good to remind people that the holidays can be a time of great excess, but let's try and focus on being with people we love, caring for the less fortunate, and of course, celebrating it in a manner that is helpful in providing a better world for DomerBaby and all the other children who will be inheriting the earth from us!
Part of "going green" is to buy things that are sustainable in nature (re: less plastic) and last a long time. The other part - the not as fun part - is to consume less all together. Now that Christmas is looming take a moment to be conscious of *all* of your shopping. Consider the source of your purchases. Is the item safe? What is it made of? Who made it? How far did it have to be shipped? The best items are made of sustainable materials (like wood, natural fibers, etc), grown and harvested responsibly (organic cotton, managed forests, fast-growing plants), and designed in a safe, sturdy, and high quality manner. Ideally it wouldn't travel around the world, either. You might consider buying one more expensive item than 12 inexpensive but questionable ones for the people on your lists.
Edit: check this article out - "the stick" has made it into the toy hall of fame! See what I mean?
On a personal level, please consider that we live in a small apartment with no storage before you go on your baby buying sprees this year [we've come to terms that we can't stop some of you]. An article of clothing, a small well-made (safe and natural) toy, or a book is *much* appreciated. Part of "raising baby green" is to raise them without an excess amount of things surrounding them. We're very committed to that. Please don't go overboard if you choose to buy a gift! Another great option is to buy something for toys-for-tots or adopt a child or family this Christmas instead. We are very blessed to be able to afford everything we need, but that's certainly not always the case.
Speaking of DomerBaby, s/he is getting stronger in there! Somehow it manages to whack me on the left and right side at once in synchronized fashion! I think it must still be lying transverse (sideways) and one is an arm and the other a leg. Or I have an octopus baby that they didn't discover during the u/s.
Well, we are if you live in St. Paul or Pittsburgh.
We just can't stay away - so mark your calendars, we'll be making appearances in MN January 9-11, and in PA December 12-15!
I'm totally excited!
That's right, you heard it here first - some women (they say 20%) have orgasms while going through labor. Interesting, no?
T.J. and I went to see a movie called "Orgasmic Birth" yesterday. It was different, to say the least. Some of it was a bit uncomfortable to watch - namely the woman who was smiling and giggling and obviously having an orgasm. She was sort of like watching bad porn. But the other 10 ladies who allowed their births to be filmed were much more "normal" in that they seemed to just have what the movie called "ecstatic births". There was obviously lots of pain involved, but there was a definite focus on the man's part in birth as a support person, lots of touching (non-sexual) and just plain joy.
The main premise (in my opinion) was that birth is not only normal and natural, but that it should be viewed as a joyous (even sensual) occasion, and not something to be feared. I think that's an important message, now that it seems all media depictions of birth are frightening emergencies in need of fixing.
I still liked the technical aspects of the movie best - for instance, they talked about the hormone oxytocin being released during birth and lactation. This is the same hormone released when you have sex and orgasm! But I could also relate to the other side, too... I've been feeling this deep urge to be around women who are pregnant or who have birthed lately. I don't really know what it is, but I think it makes evolutionary sense... historically women took care of each other, and knowledge was passed down that way.
After the showing, they did a Q&A which was fun (I got to plug home birth some more) and then we went on our merry way. Our midwife was there, too, so we got to see her.
I saw my belly jump yesterday! It was pretty cool. T.J. was not patient enough to watch and wait, so he missed the 2nd one. Of course, it's easier for me since I can feel and see it at the same time!
DomerBaby is getting more fun every day.
NBR (not baby related), but I made this awesome soup today. I doubled the potatoes, use 1/2 and 1/2 instead of heavy cream, minced garlic vs puree, and organic chicken broth vs. bouillon. It turned out really great! I highly recommend as a good hearty fall soup!
PS. Papa, I saw a recipe for stew last night, and now I have a hankering for venison stew. Maybe you can send me the recipe!
A "funny" thing happened to me the other day. I'd been talking to enough pregnant and previously pregnant women that I knew that it is completely normal. Still, it was ridiculously weird.
On Wednesday night T.J. picked me up from work and we were heading home, and I started to feel down. I envisioned just crawling directly into bed and pulling up the covers as we were pulling into our parking spot, and practically flew into the house rather than waiting for T.J. to get the mail like I usually do.
I made it to the bedroom, then sat on the floor and started crying - HARD. I don't know why I was crying, there was no reason. I wasn't even hungry! So after a few minutes I get a grip, but I'm still just sitting there staring off into space on the floor when T.J. finds me. Poor guy - he didn't know what was wrong, and I don't think he "gets" the hormonal thing. So he just gave me a big hug and we went and curled up on the couch. Then he made me mac'n'cheese for dinner. What a good hubby.
That's right, DomerBaby is now "as big as a spaghetti squash". Ha! They say that baby weighs about a pound now, but I think it must be more, since I'm up 20! Haha. I'm gonna be the biggest pregnant lady of all time, but so far I'm feeling pretty good about it. The baby has been kind about not making my face fat yet, for which I am very thankful. Not that I believe it isn't far off at this rate!
DomerBaby has been kicking furiously today, after a lull for a couple days. I guess it was just relaxing and growing, and now it's ready to get down again! Hopefully T.J. will be able to feel it some more. He loves to feel it, but doesn't like to wait patiently for it to happen!
In other baby news, one of my best friends, Missy, had her baby Helen Elizabeth on Sunday! Gongrats to her and Erick! It's so cool that we're having babies close together this time around (she has a two year old daughter, Siri, too). I'm hoping that the babies will get to meet sooner than later, but neither of us make it easy by moving all over the place. Of course, *I* didn't move to American Samoa (stupid me).
No trick or treaters, so far. I hope I don't have to eat all 3 bags of candy by myself. I don't think it'd be good for the baby.
Happy Halloween!
I've been reading "Our Babies, Ourselves" by Merideth Small, and it's so darn cool! The beginning got off to a slow start (it is an academic book) but the last few chapters I've read (about sleeping, eating, and crying) have been so interesting. Like all of the books I love, this one is based on research and scientific thought, not on being a "guru baby whisperer" and making millions on the best-seller list.
Highlights:
Generally, when people ask me how far along, I tell them in weeks. I usually am greeted with a blank stare, as people are clearly unable to do the 
math (I don't blame them, months don't fit neatly into 4 week increments). So, for your knowledge, I've created a chart that (I think) gets all the months/weeks/tri's correct.
For example, I'm currently 21w2d pregnant, so I'm in the 2nd trimester, and I'm in my 6th month of pregnancy.
Holy cow! I'm in my 6th month of pregnancy! That is insanity. We better get our act together, eh?
In other news, I tried again to get the sewing machine up and running. The sewing specialty store that we bought the machine from sold me the wrong bobbins. After a mini-tantrum, T.J. calmed me down and ordered the correct bobbins online. I will be returning all the overpriced stuff I bought there when I return the bobbins. I'm still grouchy over it.
I've heard about this for a while on some message boards that I'm on, but it's mainstream now (ever-vigilant Aunt Debbie tipped me off), so I thought I'd post it:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/10/24/baby.clothing.rashes.ap/index.html?eref=rss_us
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government is warning parents about Carter's Inc. baby garments with tag-less labels after about 400 babies who wore the clothing developed rashes on their backs.
The warning applies to the fall 2007 line, which includes about 110 million garments, said Mary Drayna, a manager for the Atlanta, Georgia, company. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said Friday that children should stop using these garments if they develop a rash, but the agency did not announce a recall of the product line.
Drayna said the affected clothing includes knit items such as body suits, shirts and pajamas. She said the items have prompted about 400 reports of baby rashes, but she could not comment on how serious any of the rashes were or if any required hospital visits.
The garments were made in various foreign countries, and they were sold at Carter's retail stores and at department and national chain stores, according to CPSC. The clothing appeared on the market in fall 2007 and could still be on retail shelves, although Carter's has released other products since then, Drayna said.
The company's online announcement said it had received reports that some babies with sensitive skin could be allergic to the heat-transferred, or tag-less, labels used in baby clothing.
"It appears that a very small percentage of children can be allergic to one or more ingredients in the labels. The solid, rather than stenciled, background on the fall 2007 labels appears to have produced a more pronounced and noticeable reaction among those children who are most allergic to the ink," the announcement said.
Also, the company's internal review of the product found "no indication that the labels contain any known skin irritants or abrasive chemicals, or that such a rash is anything beyond a rare allergic reaction to an otherwise safe product."
Today there was an article in the Wall Street Journal about plastic toys that contain chemicals called pthalates. They have been found to be harmful to children, and are being banned in the U.S. as of February 2009. If you are planning to buy toys for babies (including DomerBaby!) PLEASE take this into account during the next few months. Retailers are marking down prices on these toys, making them even more tempting to buy. THEY ARE NOT SAFE.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122472242723860917.html
If you are looking for safe toys for babies and children, look for wooden, natural fabric, and metal toys. Think retro! Some great online stores are:
Oompa
Moolka
I'm sure you can find local stores that sell good quality toys as well... even large retailers carry them! So, consider this your PSA of the day!
Yes, I live in Georgia, and they have me calling the partner "boss man" here. tee hee!
Anyway, today I had lunch with Kent, the purpose of which was to go over my performance and figure out my plans for pre- and post-baby. Luckily, T.J. and I had come to a definitive conclusion just last Thursday when he was home!
So, I'm officially finished with work when I go into labor (or before if there are complications or it gets too hard for me). I do not plan to return to work until DomerBaby and any future sibling is in school, but we'll see how that plays out.
It was very nerve wracking, but Kent was *really* kind about it. In fact, he said even if I had wanted to plan on coming back right away he would have encouraged me to keep an open mind since I wouldn't know what to expect till then!
I think he'll miss having me around, I do some excellent work. Haha! Let the countdown begin!
The other day I was driving to the farmer's market, and had my favorite station on (classic rock). It was so funny, because the baby was thumping around a lot more than normal! I think it digs the music.
I've been feeling really good, just missing T.J. terribly. I am definitely getting more hormonal and weepy!
Here is a synopsis of what's going on lately (copied from a baby website - so I didn't put in the "he"):
Your baby weighs about 10.5 ounces (300g) and measures about 7.2 inches (18cm) from crown to rump. He still moves about freely in amniotic fluid. [edit: the ultrasound tech thinks the baby is closer to 13oz]
Your baby may respond to external sounds, such as the music you are listening to or your voice.
Your baby has developed some red blood cells already. The white blood cells that your baby needs to fight infections are being manufactured.
He is developing taste buds on his tongue.
His digestive system is sufficiently advanced to absorb water and sugar from the amniotic fluid that he swallows and pass it to his large bowel.
Your baby has lanugo hair on his forehead and upper lip and his eyebrows are thickening.
Vernix (the waxy substance that covers and protects your baby's skin) accumulates on your baby's eyebrows.
Your baby's eyes are still sealed shut.
Your baby continues to grow and develop and his kicking is getting stronger now.
Close up... still sleepy!
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