Goodbye smelly little stump!

The final remnants of the birth, the tape goo on my arm from the IV and her cord stump, are gone!

Finley is free and clear to take a bath! Of course that all hinges on us finding a few moments to climb up in the attic to find said bathtub!

Here are some random pictures--they ended up small but if you click on them they will become larger than life!

Sleeping on mom



0-3 Month pants...clearly they must be closer to 3 months! :)



A close-up of Ms. Finley



Finley's birth-gifts were put to good use...something to rock her for hours and hours!



Some bright and cushy presents from the Fargo Aunties and Odin! Thanks guys!

i know not how i sink or swim...

man...
it's already been a week - well over a week since young Finley Maxine came to live with us.
Outside her momma's belly.

She is already displaying signs of a strong personality.

Maya seems to have grown leeps and bounds in the last week
it may be by comparison,
it may just be this new level of responsiblilty...

it's probably both.
I am stunned by both her physical maturity and her growing up personality.
She is fully a kid now...
There is nothing left of that pudgy, squishy baby body and face...

it is bittersweet;
poignant and exciting
and i'm sure this is just the start of that kind of feeling about my children growing...

i have been spending alot of the time this week counting my blessings
i'll tell you - that's something having a healthy newborn will motivate you to do.
i have a glorious, dynamic, elegant, bright family.

I really don't need to count anymore than that but the list of blessings goes on.
my friends
my health
my faculties
my home
a cool car with a great stereo

there is always so much to do
i sat on the couch last night
watching a dull movie(why didnt we turn it off?)
making a list, in my head, of all the to do's
many of which have been hanging on me for a while

and it is so easy to let the minutia
and effluvium of day to day weigh
but damn!
there is so much glory in this life!
so many miracles
marbles!
mirror balls!

i am worrying alot about how to handle Maya in this transition

and i think that weighs most
more than all those to-do's

here is a cool video i found today
harry nillson on the bbc

New Favorite Video

We love this song and Maya can periodically be heard wandering around singing "fun, fun, fun" or "love, love, love". It is really quite sweet. In my strange postpartum state it periodically makes me cry a little bit as well as smile.

Not a lot new to report on the home front. We went in to meet with Miffy (lactation consultant) to make sure Finley's latch is correct and just make sure we have everything moving in the right direction. For the most part everything is fine but I do need to take some fenugreek to boost my supply a bit. Apparently I haven't been eating enough calories and my supply has taken a hit. Miffy was very proud of our graduate status as a breastfeeding family!

George, can I pet the rabbit?

An allusion to Of Mice and Men was the theme of our weekend. Just like Lenny, Maya wants to pet and stroke and squish and generally lay upon Finley. I have no idea how many times Danny and I said "gentle touches". I'm really glad she loves her but seriously "STOP covering her face with your hands/blanket/stuffed animal/etc"!

It was our first weekend as a family of four on our own with no guests and no daycare to save us! We survived...we really did!

Saturday we went to Bounce and hung out with Aunt Lindsey who was in town for a swim meet. We went swimming at her hotel which was a great afternoon excursion.

Sunday we met the Wiants at a park and had lunch.

Other than that, we were left to our own devices. There were definitely moments of tension but we are figuring things out...right?!

Finley tidbit:

She is proving to be quite sturdy! She is withstanding her big sister's affection with grace and without tears. We have a bit of a pattern of sleeping at night and she has actually spent time in her hammock rather than sleeping all night on us or in our bed.

Maya tidbit:
She has great grandpa Henry blood running through her veins. We were eating supper and she decided that she needed to eat her toast with ketchup. Dipping wouldn't do...oh, no...we needed to spread it on her toast. For those of you without toddlers...ketchup is it's own food group!

Post-Partum Wonderings

Well, it's been nearly a week. What a change 6 days can make in your life. Your heart can expand further than you ever thought imaginable and your body can become more exhausted than humanly possible.

Finley has her own personality showing through already. She has a fierce cry that diminishes into tiny little mewlings that can break your heart. She smiles and giggles often in her sleep. She stares openly and full of questions into your eyes.

Maya has grown up into a protective mother bear overnight. "Don't touch my sister!" "That's not safe." "I love you Finley." are just a few of the oft heard phrases in our house. We of course have moments of regression as well (stroller rides instead of bike rides) but we also have wonderful growth as well (she goes to the bathroom in the potty at least once a day if not more).

Life is changing and it is definitely beautiful!

Maya going home:

Finley going home:

Maya on the scale:


Finley on the scale:

A sweet pic of each of the kids...that is very strange to write...kids!

Four Days Later

Well, four days have passed since Finley was born. It definitely has been a whirlwind adventure. Here is a little bit about our most recent adventures.

Saturday
-We checked in to the hospital at 6am.
-Bobby and Christy "hung out" (chased) Maya for the day.
-Finley was born at 1:34.
-Maya, Bobby, and Christy came to visit the hospital quickly followed by John and Elaine.
-Maya gave Finley her birthday present (a beautifully hand-painted frame of the family) and received a present from her little sister (a mini train set). Upon receiving said train set, Maya darted from the room ready to go home and try it out.
-Terrence, Erica and Grace came to visit.
-Danny, Jen and Finley crash out asleep only to be awakened every 2 hours for various tests and vital checks.

Sunday
-The Wiants come for a visit bearing some much needed Dutch Brothers coffee.
-We worked valiantly to try and arrange all the needed appointments in order to be released by noon. Of course we were assured that this would happen so we called Kate and told her to bring Maya to the hospital about 12:15 so the family could come home together.
-We finally exited the hospital at 2:30! We were all starving and exhausted.
-Had lunch with the Thomases and quickly fell asleep.

Monday
-We got up and carted Maya off to daycare and introduced Finley to her class and friends.
-Kate, Finley and I loitered while Danny was at work.
-Evan & Hayley and Jackie and Jordan visited from out of town...it was great to see them.

Tuesday
-Kate, Finley and I laid around at home dozing and snoozing. It was glorious.
-Danny came home from work and we went grocery shopping. Finley's 3 day old beauty made a Market of Choice employee cry.
-We picked up Maya and met John and Elaine for supper.
-Home again and we tried to sleep...Finley of course had other plans...mostly marathon nursing sessions all night!

Wednesday
-Breakfast at "Bacon" with John and Elaine.
-Finley had a check-up where Dr. Curtin pronounced her healthy and happy. We don't have to go back until her 2 week check up.
-A couple of appointments and then home to lounge with Bobby and Christy.

It's definitely been an adventurous few days. It's amazing how grown up a 2 1/2 year old can instantly seem when partnered with a brand new baby. Maya seems so mature and is showing us everyday what a wonderful and sensitive big sister she is.

John and Elaine left this morning and Kate departs tomorrow. We have no idea how we are going to "make it work" (Tim Gunn) but somehow we will manage...even if it's by the skin of our teeth!

Here are a few pictures of Saturday and Sunday.

Introducing...

Finley Maxine Thomas

Born July 19, 2008 at 1:34pm
She weighed in at 9 pounds 2 ounces and was 21 1/4 inches long.
She arrived after 2 1/2 hours of contractions and 9 minutes of pushing.


Big sister is enjoying her little sister!



Here is the link to her Sacred Heart Hospital debut:
http://www.newbabynews.net/hospitals/sh7/public/
Click on July.
Click on Finley Maxine.

day of...

well here we are...
jennifer just recieved
an epidural about 25 minutes ago...
and now she is snoring.
i guess i will miss my bet - as kate so kindly pointed out - of 12pm delivery.

water was broken at about 8am tho contractions were already under way - i guess the kid knew it's destiny was to beborn today.

contractions got really intense and close together, 5 minutes or so, right away.
we did that for a couple hours but eventually they became too painful and jennifer asked for medicine.

we are all pleased that no pitosin or anything was needed to induce - that breaking the water was all it took!

now we wait!

The D Day...

Well...tomorrow is it.

Our child will have a birthday of July 19, 2008.

We go in tomorrow at 6am to start the induction. More than likely we will start by breaking the water and see if that is enough to jump start labor. If not, we will move on to the dreaded pitocin.

Kate will drive down in the middle of the night tonight. Maya has plans for tomorrow and will come and visit us tomorrow afternoon/evening when all is said and done.

Danny and I are feeling good about the decision. There is really nothing to gain by keeping this kid inside anymore. In fact, there is a lot to risk and lose now that we are well over 40 weeks.

It's strange to look into the dining room seeing Maya dancing to the Mamma Mia soundtrack and knowing that tomorrow we will add another one to our family. I've had 9 months to prepare for this and yet I feel totally unprepared!

Late Post

Sorry to keep ya hangin'...just a short post to say...we're still pregnant and having a busy day with a doctor appointment and a DATE. Danny and I are headed to Mamma Mia...the last date before having two kids...? Probably...Hopefully...Maybe...

More later...

Happy Thursday Morning

Ah, after a night of sleep I am feeling much better! Although I will say I was crampy all through the night and it feels like the kid has moved a bit lower. I am definitely not getting my hopes up...but we "could" be moving towards something.

Nothing much going on for us today. Maya goes to school, I go to Duck and Danny to work. Then tonight we have our last Birth to Three.

Of Interest: the past several weeks Maya has not been interested in me putting her to bed...for the last three nights she has specifically requested me. Perhaps she knows something we don't.

Cooler weather...finally!

Hooray! Today it only got into the mid-80s which was a welcome relief from the high 90s we've been having!

We had another day of Mad Duck this morning. Maya's class came to see the show which was a ton of fun. We did have a bit of an "episode" at the end of the play when Maya took off running towards the road and refused to stop and I had to chase after her. Seriously, it must have been a sight. I have been in a fair amount of pain ever since although a nap this afternoon seemed to help.

Other than that there isn't much to report. We are going to Derick, Alina and Saffie's house tonight for supper. Bobby and Christy are coming over after bedtime to watch Project Runway (HOORAY for another season). Tomorrow more Duck and then our final Birth to Three class. Then Friday is our doctor appointment. Perhaps I will do more ruminating on that topic later.

Lots of Knees

I think I am most excited to see this kid's spindley legs and knees. The thing I can't understand is if it is so uncomfortable in there...Come Out! The upper right side of my belly is just getting knee'ed to no end. Perhaps a future soccer star? Maybe there is a "knee-slapping" comedy routine I can't hear. Or a yoga routine? Whatever it is, I am anxious to SEE it rather than FEEL it!

To all of you recommending sex....

(and there are several of you)

did you not see this picture?


seriously...without getting too graphic...that would be added to the 7 Wonders of the World!

We didn't get the spicy potatoes tonight...it was too freaking hot (100 degrees again). But I think Danny and I are escaping for a lunch together tomorrow. There's always the full moon on Friday too!

Still here...

I am still here.
Pregnant.
At least it is going to be cooler this week.

It's odd to know that this is the last week I will be pregnant. I know I've said it before but I am really hoping this kid decides to make an appearance this week on its own. I am trying not to get my hopes up in case it doesn't happen...I don't want to be too disappointed if we have to have another induction. I think we are going to try some tasty spicy greek potatoes tonight...yummy! If nothing else it will be a fabulous supper.

On a side note...my eye has been twitching for 2 days now...it's annoying!

late night/early morning

i can't sleep...

this baby could come at anytime.

I am trying to psychically induce labor by listening the the song "Birthday" by the Sugarcubes.
Somehow i think this will work.
(That is not a typo, i really mean with my brain waves...)
i have not had the opportunity to play the song in the presence of Jennifer or the infant in her womb yet.

I tried this morning.
Maya wanted to play the Casio instead.
I implored her to wait until this afternoon as I felt 9:30 am was a little early to top volume-blast
Casio-tone Demo...

which, inevitably, is where any Casio experience goes with Maya.

Anyway she and mom went in to her room to Casio and dance (mom read)...

and to try and let me listen to me song - So, neither Jen or the wombling heard it, I turned it off, besides, because the door is no match for top volume-blasting Casio demo.
it's worth it - the dancing is truly superb.

so, so far, I have listened to "Birthday" 5 times...
in headphones.

(I have three versions of the song - the original and two remixes)

and one half time on speakers.

it's ok.

i think the universe is still getting the message.

but i think i will try more direct methods tomorrow after work.

Jennifer and/or the wombling will hear the song one way or another.

musical coaxing - headphones.

woof. (less barking, more wagging)

Our apple tree gave up a another branch.
we seriously need to call in the professionals.

I went out there and hacked at a bunch of the heavier branches so we wouldn't lose anymore,
but seriously, how did people do stuff like that before power tools?

If i had been George Washington I would have told the whole neighborhood, and everyone at school for that matter - I mean, a cherry tree, with an ax? That is an accomplishment to be proud of.

But I guess that's the kind of thing that sets one apart for founding fatherhood...

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jul/10/washington-home-had-no-cherry-tree/

on the other hand, maybe not...

anyway I was out there stomping around...
with some big lopper thingies, i dont know if they're sheers or what...
and a little hedge saw - I guess it's a hegde saw
and some gardening sheers - seriously...

I don't know what I'm doing.

Jennifer said I looked rugged.
She was helping from the deck,
telling me where to cut - it was a very domestic scene.

i had to remind her that beneath my sensitive, tender exterior, lies a rugged, manly heart.

She said she knew that, but sometimes forgot, or at least needed to be reminded.
I'm not sure what the difference is but, there you go.
anyway, i thought i'd share that little snapshot of our evening.

oh, of course it was dusk/dark...

i'm sure our neighbors just shake their heads - hell, for all i know, you're shaking your head right now.

Yes, we wait until branches fall off of our fruit trees before we deal with them.

I could read you the list of justifications,
but it's no excuse you haven't heard before.
From us.
Or me.

And, yes, we wait until dusk/dark to deal with the fallen branches.
(same familiar list of justifications, with two additions; a. "seriously, 90 Degrees!?" and b. "seriously, overdue!?")


i have to work not to be embarrassed about our shoddy yard.
but only a little.
i can't tell if at my core i don't care about yard work, or if at my core i long for a tidy yard.

it is a goal.
that i can live with.
it maybe my lifelong challenge...
to get that thumb green, and get that yard cleaned up and looking good.
Any yard.

Or it may just be something to aim for.

Whatever, it's late.
As you know,
We went to the fair today,
or, as Maya called it, the Fairy.
Fairy it was.
I'm so glad Jennifer decided to come with, it made the day.

My favorite parts:
Maya saying, "We are all Fairy Princesses"
getting to paint her face
watching the people
The piano with the front taken off being played with mallets by a ragtag group of moppets, including Maya.
Being with my family in such a unique, crazy place, getting to soak it all in together.

By comparison, we went to the mall this evening...
well, there really is no comparison.

I'll tell you what, I't'd be a marvelous world if going to the mall was replaced by going to some place like Oregon Country Fair and we did it every week.

As long as the parking was more like the mall than the fair.

And I wouldn't really want to wait a half hour in line for tickets to go the mall every week.

anyway,
good night all you fairy princesses...
i am going to bed.

But first,
A picture from the park
After the fair, Maya and I went to the park so the other fairy princess could take a nap.
Here is a photo from the park.

Late but Uneventful...

So for those of you who checked this morning and thought "oooo, no update...could it be the time"....sorry, no such luck.

For those of you outside of Eugene it is Country Fair weekend. Every year we have escaped the fair and this year we decided to experience it! Maya's friend Juni talked about going to the fair on Friday and since then it is all Maya could talk about. So this morning, after much debate, we all (hugely pregnant mom included) loaded into the car and headed out to the fair.

We had fun and we are now at home "relaxing" in the heat and privacy of our own home! Here are a few pictures of our adventure.

The EDD...

Well, here we are--July 12! The "day" we have been moving towards for the past 40 weeks. It looks like we will be here for a few more days at least!

We woke up this morning about 7:30. Maya is sitting on the cupboard in her pj top with her legs crossed helping dad make pancakes. She is quite a character this morning! We have Bounce in about an hour and then Mad Duck after that. Danny has been pondering taking Maya to the Country Fair this weekend. We will see how that turns out!

1 Day Left...

9:15pm Update

Yes, there is still no baby and quite honestly no signs that this baby is coming anytime soon. In fact, we've gone from a -2 station back up to a very high placement. I'm still 3/50% but that doesn't say much. Dr. Schnapper asked again if we wanted to induce and we said not yet please. She is on call on Monday and Saturday. We made an appointment for Friday the 18th (Grandma Max's birthday) at 10:15. She agreed to give us another week to see if the kid would come out on his/her own but she intimated pretty strongly that she would request an induction at 41 weeks for everyone's safety. So, basically if the kid doesn't make an appearance this week he/she will have a birthday on Saturday, July 19th. I am hoping that Kate's freed up schedule, the EDD that I think is more accurate (Wednesday), and the full moon on Friday will kick the kid out. Fingers Crossed!
---
still no baby...

i am slammed with the usual pre-gig/pre-travel brushfires

Mason leaves for Canada tomorrow and has 3 gigs there over the next 2 weeks

Jennifer's away from her computer...

in the park...

watching college students act like birds

and mummies

and princesses

and invisible indians

and rappers

etc.

and hopefully little kids are being entertained by all that.

i dont have any new photos...

i will post something old

from when Maya was teenier

we'll soon have another teeny one!

2 days...

8:30pm Update

Sorry for the lack of updates today. Apparently none of us ever recovered from the "late" start this morning. Another morning of Mad Duck and random stuff. Danny and I went to the library and I got 4 fabulous fiction books to read while I am attached to this child in the early days of nursing...that is of course assuming this kid ever decides to make their appearance into the world. Then we had Birth to 3. Everyone was surprised that we didn't come with a new bundle. Next week is our last week...I hope we don't miss it because it is the last gathering in the whole series.

We have a doctor's appointment tomorrow at 4:15 and hopefully we will find out that we have made some "progress"...which of course means nothing...but it would at least be nice to know that things are moving in the right direction!

Funny story from this morning:
Maya was sleeping in bed with us when I woke up and realized that it was 8:35. I got up and went to the bathroom and came back in and said it's time to get up. Danny smooched Maya a little bit to get her stirring. She opened her eyes and said "2 more minutes" and closed her eyes. Um, if she is giving us this line at 2 1/2 what is she going to be saying at 15?
---
We are here.
We woke up really late.
We are rushing to get out of the house to get Maya to school in time for breakfast.
I am still pregnant. :)

3 days...

5pm Update:

Holy Hell!!!! It is too freaking hot here today!!!!!! Seriously if it had been this hot all summer I would have totally taken Schnapper up on her induction idea 10 days ago! Seriously...not a lot of fun.

Danny is currently running around smooching on Maya and they came to smooch on me and I just looked at them like they were insane and said "step away from the hugely pregnant and horribly overheated mom"! Not very friendly when all they wanted was to smooch on me...but seriously! :)

---

Sorry for the late update this morning/afternoon.

Our household started off with a beautiful morning of Danny rescuing Maya from the dinosaur that was in her crib biting her toes. She came into our bed and told us all about it, we read some stories, we sang some songs and then....all hell broke loose! We aren't really sure what happened but essentially anything we said/asked her caused her to fall on the floor screaming and crying. We went around and around for about 25 minutes until we finally had clothes on, hair up, teeth brushed, "medicine" taken, and a breakfast bar in hand. Seriously the morning went from blissful to hellful in just a matter of seconds.

It is definitely another hot day here in the Eug. It is supposed to get back into the mid-80s for the rest of the week which is fabulous. Nothing new on the "I'm still pregnant front"...because yes, indeed I am still pregnant! :) Feeling fine and dandy (except when I am hot) and I think the kid thinks he/she should stay put forever! We'll see about that!

4 Days...Happy Opening Mad Duck

7:45pm Update:

One last update for the day. It was HOT today. Hot as in grumpy pregnant mom hot! Apparently we will have one more day of it tomorrow and then it will cool off into the mid-80s again. Whew!

What else is there to do other than play in water on the deck? Well, that is exactly what Maya and Danny did while I had a little rest in front of the fan. Here is a little proof!


This is a lovely picture that Auntie Kate will appreciate. I think she often complains of her hair doing the same thing in the heat and humidity!



And finally a picture of me and Maya...not the most flattering...but not much is flattering on me these days. Even with an Elmo sticker stuck to my belly!


More tomorrow, I'm sure!
---
1:00pm Update

So for those of you checking periodically throughout the day, I thought I'd let you know that anything that was happening has now subsided...but it's nice to know that something was going on.

Mad Duck opening was a success and it was fun to see the kids enjoying the show!
---
8:00am Update

I woke up at 3am wondering..."hmmm...I wonder what that is". I peed, read for a while and fell back asleep. At 7:30 I woke up again to weird crampy/achiness and told Danny that we should at least pack the bag this morning before we left for work. So, we did. We are "prepared". Yes, these could be early contractions but that doesn't mean the baby is coming right now! :) They seem to be worse when I walk around but considering it is going to be almost 100 today I'm not sure how much I will be able to spur them on.

I will update more later...because I have to go to...

Opening Day of Mad Duck. When we first started Mad Duck I said it was a race to see if we would get to opening first or have the baby first. Guess I know which one is going to win since I can guarantee you I am not going to have this baby in the next 1 hour and 38 minutes. (Mad Duck opens at 11am). Off to the park to watch "Cinderella, or, It's Okay to Be Different! I am a lucky girl!

The Countdown Begins....5

Yes, five days left until the "due" date. Will I be one of those oddities (10% of pregnancies) that actually has the child on the actual date? Perhaps...I guess we will see. On the pregnancy front I don't feel any different than I did yesterday...so nothing new or interesting to report.

Danny stayed home today to try and recover from a nasty cold. He keeps worrying that the kid is going to come out and he won't be able to hold it because he is sick. Maya had it last week and I am hoping that I'm not next in line because that would suck more than being 10 months pregnant in 100 degree weather.

What a beautiful segue...yes, it's supposed to be almost 100 degrees for the next 2 days. I have one word...LOVELY! And yes, that is sarcasm dripping from the screen of your computer.

Tonight we realized that part of the apple tree had fallen down in the backyard from the weight of the apples. So out Danny and I went at 9:30 in the near-dark to try and "prune" an over-grown apple tree. Seriously ridiculous. I think we are going to see if we can call someone to come and hack it down and clean up the debris. I'm just not sure we have the time, energy or anything else to deal with it at this point or any point later this summer. Hopefully it won't cost a fortune...but right now our backyard is a freaking disaster zone.

Last night when Danny was getting Maya settled for bed she said..."Just a minute, I have to check my e-mail". And proceeded to pull out her little laptop, hit a few keys, make a few grunts and put her computer away. It was really funny.

I'll try and keep the blog updated every day for the next while...just so you all can stay in the know! :)

Always listening...

Here's a funny story and proof that 2 1/2 year olds are constantly listening.

Driving home from the pool today we drove past a car. Not such a big deal; however, I asked Danny if had seen the driver because I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman. About 30 seconds later we hear in a sing-songy voice "woman or man, woman or man, woman or man". This made Danny and I giggle but what really sent us over the edge was when she added "how I wonder what you are" (a la Twinkle Twinkle) to the lyrics. Seriously, they are amazing.

Today we had Bounce in the morning, got some berries at Saturday market, had lunch and then enjoyed a long 2 - 2 1/2 hour nap. Maya was tired from being up late last night watching the fireworks, Danny is sick and I am 39 weeks pregnant. We are definitely a sorry bunch today. After the nap we decided we would head to Splash to have a little pool time. Overall it was a pretty relaxing day...

Dr. Schnapper is on call tomorrow. We will see if we see her! :) I am definitely not holding my breath.

Here are a few pictures from the last couple of days.

The boring way:

A less boring way:


Totally exciting way:


The bike lady from yesterday's post who made "Maya feel very happy":


Getting used to the big sister role of pushing the stroller:

Happy 4th of July!

Today was definitely a busy day. We started out at 8am loading up the Mad Duck stuff to haul to Amazon Park. We did two runs, had lunch and then got to Art and the Vineyard for the promo performances. We looked at some art and by 3pm Maya was in a full blown manic panic crazed loon state. So we took her out...screaming...to the car. A bike taxi heard the screams and gave us a ride to the car. Once we got to the car Maya said "that girl made me very happy". It was very sweet...Once we got her in the car she promptly fell asleep.

We were going to journey out to Creswell with the Wiants but the process of getting loaded up was too overwhelming. So Bobby and Christy came over for a bbq and Danny and Christy were able to cheer each other up...they had the 4th of July homesick blues.

Danny set off a few fireworks in the street in a pre-funk. And it is now 9:10 and Maya just told us that it was getting dark. Thank god for her or we would have forgotten to get loaded up to head to Villard to watch the display!

I have pictures from the day...and since the last million posts have not had pictures I will try and edit some in later tonight!

Happy 4th to you all!

Here is a picture of Miss Priss in her plethora of polka dots outfit and tutu. How else would one attend the firework display?

Interesting indeed...

So, tonight is Thursday which of course means...Birth to 3. We had enough time for supper but not enough time to get home, make supper and get back to Eugene so we decided to go have some Mexican food in Oakway. Well...the entire meal it felt like I had heartburn in/across/around my belly. Interesting indeed...I guess we will chalk this up as early signs of this baby coming. There have been other (less-than-glamorous) signs as well...which is good because it lets us know that my body is working together with the kid to set an eviction date.

Just thought I would update since I know we have some stalkers! We will keep you all updated!

I am officially...

more pregnant than I ever was with Maya! :)

Did I get some of you? Even just a little bit?

Today we are 38+5 and Maya was born at 38+3. Feels kind of weird to think about it that way. The last time we did this we had a 2 day old at this point.

Anyhow...we are getting very close if we are going to have another fireworks baby. I'm definitely not holding my breath on that one...but maybe we will pack our bag just in case.

We received 2 boxes from Auntie Mel in the mail yesterday...one for Maya and one for the New One. I will post pictures of the beautiful items within when I get home tonight! Let's just say Maya was curled up with her prize all night long...and...she even slept through the night!!! Thanks Auntie Mel for the beautiful prizes!!!

This weekend is Art and the Vineyard. When Danny worked for Maude Kerns it meant something totally different to our family. Now we just have to go there for Mad Duckling...we do a preview performance tomorrow and Saturday. Perhaps we will take a little time to shop one of those days as well...as long as my feet are not gigantically swollen!

Other than that we don't have a lot of activities planned for the weekend. Hanging around the house playing with water and putting our feet up...and surviving the freaking fireworks!!! Argh...fireworks really suck! And on that note...Happy 4th of July to everyone. Stay safe.

The month of July...

Well, we are officially here...July...the month of the due date! It doesn't seem that long ago that July seemed like it was years away and yet, here we are on July 1st!

We had a doctor's appointment yesterday. All is well with baby and I. My blood pressure is fabulous, I gained 1 pound and the baby is making progress towards coming into the world. Don't start calling, e-mailing or harassing about when...just yet! Let us at least get to the due date (the 12th). I personally don't think we will make it there...Danny on the other hand thinks we will go there and beyond. We have another appointment scheduled for the 11th...we will see if we need it. Dr. Schnapper politely offered an induction which we gracefully declined. Since I am 3/50/-2 (pregnancy code...figure it out if you can) she said it would be an easy induction. I really want to try and let it happen naturally this time...just for the experience. She said she was on-call Wednesday and Sunday if we wanted to spontaneously go into birth on either of those days! :)

There are still some items to do...
-pack a bag for the hospital
-wash the sheets on the baby's "bed"
-clean around the house (fold laundry, sweep floors, clean bathrooms) type of things

I'm sure there are more things to do...but my brain is pretty mushy these days.

There is no picture with this blog right now...but I figured it was best to get the "update" up...I'll add a fun picture after rehearsal...perhaps!