Midwives, Doulas and too much information

I've attacked pregnancy with an academic vigor. Not surprising given how nerdy I am, but, there is such a thing as too much information. I have collected 20-some books on pregnancy, childbirth and the first year - of varying opinion and perspective - from ob/gyn's to midwives and those in-between. I've mined the internet, asked my sisters, mother, friends and random strangers to tell me thier birth stories, compared and contrasted methods and styles, researched c-section and episotomy rates, medications, interventions, breast pumps, bpa-free plastics, circumcisions and just about everything else. We've hired a doula and switched from a ob/gyn to a midwife and we've decided to try for a waterbirth. I've subscribed to parenting magazines, discussed at length various issues with Nathan and made list after list after list. I like lists. I like crossing things off of lists even better.

I'm saturated. My brain is full, and instincts are starting to take over as my first real desire to nest kicked in this week. I think its probably time to put the books away and to start letting all of that information (much of it conflicting) sink in and sort itself out. It's time to get the nursury ready and get stocked up on the basics like diapers and burp cloths. That and try to relax, nap and enjoy quiet time with Nathan before the boy makes his grand entrance.

Speaking of the belly tot, he is doing well. He is moving and kicking and spinning and roiling around with frequency and urgency. He is getting big, too! I am starting to look almost cartoonish in proportions. My feet are constantly swollen and nothing has felt quite as good lately as swimming in a nice cool lake and letting my knees, hips, feet and joints have a break from all this extra weight.

I am looking forward to the whirlwind of birth classes and baby showers that are scheduled for September as well as camping Labor Day weekend and swimming as much as I can in that sweet, cold, clear lake water... ahhh...Week 30 (Month 7)

Breaking the Law

...before it breaks me. I finished the third class in my Master's degree today. I hit send on my final term paper and promptly celebrated with an orange soda and some tacos. (Man, I miss beer...) Anyway, I really liked this class and my professor. It was Nonprofit Law and, being that I've long flirted with law school, I knew I'd like it. I even did all of the reading, including the tomes on nonprofit law written by the American Bar Association. The better news is that my classmates tell me that law is the most feared and most difficult class in the degree. If that's true, I should be able to finish the Master's with little problem, just time. Is my nerdiness becoming? Do I look more lovely in the dim glow of a musty library? Want to be on my trivia team? Oh, yeah.

July 4th Weekend - Babies and Sunshine

Cabin rules: Let the kiddies get as dirty as they can all day, then scrub 'em up good in the outdoor tub before bed :) Lukas, age 1; Miranda, age 3; Tobin, age 1: Each with an assigned parent.

Six months pregnant! It's the first time in my life that I'm not a bit self-conscious about how I look. What better time to finally break out the yellow polka dot bikini? Lots and lots of suncreen was neccassary, however.

Early summer in the garden

Our big and beautiful Black Walnut tree, after having a year off from nut production last year, is back with a bumper crop this year. The tree goes in three year cycles. Amy and I have been researching the best way to harvest, cure and store the nuts this year. We'll have to fight the hoard of squirrels that flock to the tree for them. They like to sit up on the lower limbs and throw the walnuts at passing humans. Seriously. They are cantankerous little bastards.Columbine

Hosta, astilbe and a rock cairn I don't know what these delicate little yellow flowers are called, do you? I like to find out...
Heliotrope
Verbena

We have a lot of purple plants for some reason!

Iris

The Belly - 21 weeks

Photo by Nataraj

Love and Baseball Weekend

What we call "Love and Baseball" is our unofficial anniversary. We celebrated this year by traveling to Wisconsin to see friends in Madison and the Twins in Milwaukee. We were nearly thwarted by the horrible flooding and road closures and what should have been 9 hours of driving turned into something more like 14 as we circumnavigated the state. The Twins won and there was blueberry pie at the Norske Nook at the end, so it was still a good weekend for us.

Twins vs. Brewers at Miller Park in Milwaukee 6/14/2008

Twins won 9-4 in 12 innings

GREAT game!

Snips and snails and puppy-dog tails

Well, well. Babe is 20 weeks along in gestation and we had our half-way point ultrasound today. Looks like we have a healthy little boy in there!

Fist headed to mouth, sucking his thumb already!