full term!

Well I am 38 weeks today - which means that baby is now officially "full term" - she has missed her chance to be early! How exciting! To commemorate the big day, I woke up with puffy feet for the first time this morning - maybe I'll start 'waddling' this afternoon :) - Otherwise, everything seems about the same as it did at about 32 weeks, except bigger!

Baby has been really busy dancing around in there - I was standing at a checkout counter today while he kicked around (maybe offering an opinion on which flavor drink I bought?) and the person behind me said "Whoa -- I saw that one!" My belly looks quite alien moving on it's own, but those kicks are definitely the best part of being pregnant (well, maybe second best to the baby that we hopefully get to meet soon)!

family yoga

I couldn't go to my regular yoga class today so I converted the living room into a studio. I think it was most enjoyable for Joey who discovered that yoga is a spectator sport --- ("stop looking at my belly!")! Here's the evidence :)

We are all doing great - my belly is bigger and more active every day, which is really fun. I am sleeping more and getting emotional over strange things, but thankfully feeling pretty comfortable - though it feels really strange to have a belly large enough that it sits on my legs! And I think Joe's getting used to the idea that we'll have a new family member pretty soon ... the anticipation is building!

birth plans, part deux

Instead of doing the traditional Lamaze, we took a class in HypnoBirthing, which is more of an approach/philosophy. The name is somewhat misleading as it's not really about being 'hypnotized' but about staying calm and relaxed and not freaking out. The idea is that there is no physiologic reason for childbirth to be painful (there's actually lot of 'data' supporting that). Rather in this culture (not in many others), we create the pain out of fear - fighting against your body creates tension and the tension leads to pain, which makes us scared, more tension, more pain, no progress ... and then you get drugged. So the idea is that if you stay relaxed and work with the natural process, then there's no reason to be afraid, and no reason to be in agony.

In preparing for childbirth, my biggest goal has been to 'forget' all of the things I've seen and learned in delivery rooms. I have experienced an inordinate number of complicated, unpleasant, things-gone-wrong. So I have been trying to get ready for baby in the most un-medical way possible, and part of that means not thinking/talking about all the interventions to 'be ready for' but rather working on positive imagery, relaxation and being excited about my own innate abilities to do something that women for eons have done (without fetal monitors).

That said, no one can plan what a birth is going to be like, and we're open to whatever it brings. Although I've read some great stories about women experiencing birth with ecstasy, I definitely don't expect that it'll be either comfortable or fun, but I am really confident that with Joey's amazing support (and he is amazing, if you don't know!), it will be a positive experience for all 3 of us, no matter what happens :)

gender woes

I had a strange dream last night (I am very unaccustomed to dreaming by the way - this is a new 'treat' of pregnancy that I am sure I could do without, although I am not complaining because at least I sleep fine) - anyway, I was at some sort of medical facility in some foreign and very warm place (Costa Rica maybe?) - they were examining my large belly and said "I guess you know already that the baby is a BOY" - no, I didn't know ... and then I woke up distressed with the decision to tell Joe or pretend to be surprised at his birth. Huumm ... not sure if this means my body is communicating the baby's gender to me while I'm sleeping ... or if it just reflects my growing anxiety about not having chosen a definite boy name. Here are the front runners (in no order), feel free to weigh in:
- Isaiah Anthony
- Cedric Joseph (Joe's favorite - at least the Cedric part)
- Quinn (middle name undetermined)
- I like Everest (per Tia's suggestion) and Gabriel but Joey said no.