insomniac

Ocean was up sick for 3 hours last night, which means I've been going on just a few hours sleep myself today. That, after a very long weekend with lots of activity (Including, for Phil, his first scrimmage. For me, mostly trying to keep an over zealous toddler from running onto the football field). So why is it that I cannot fall asleep tonight?? Even Steven Halpern isn't doing the trick. It's after 11 already and I have to get up at 7, which sounds really lucky but leaves less than 8 hours if I fall asleep right... NOW. Insomnia math. Boo. I think I'll have some tea and read a really boring book.

50% (but feeling twice that)

I had my 20 week midwife appointment today. I can't believe I'm at the halfway point already. This pregnancy has been flying by, which I attribute to my very busy little boy who keeps me just as busy. My iron levels are fantastic, my blood pressure is low and I've gained a total of 10 pounds which I feel okay bragging about because I had gained at least twice that at this point during my last pregnancy.

We finished Hypnobirthing last week and I'm totally excited about giving birth this time. I'm realizing that if you tell yourself something often enough, you begin to believe it... true or false, good or bad. So I've been working through my first birth, reshaping that experience, and also choosing the kind of birth I want to have this time around. I am extremely relaxed and confident that this birth will go smoothly and be exactly what I'm envisioning.

Hypnobirthing classes ended, but yoga began. Our church is having yoga on Monday nights and I had the best time this week. What an awesome way to connect to your body and learn how to release... I see this being very helpful for birth also.

So all of this is to say that I'm feeling fantastic and despite the occasional unfounded emotional outburst I am really pleased with my pregnancy experience thus far. Yay, baby. =)

what the crap was that?

Phil and I ate some carrots last night before going to bed. Went to sleep feeling fine. Woke up out of a dead sleep feeling like something wasn't quite right... broke out into a cold sweat and thought, "uh-oh". High-tailed it to the bathroom where I promptly threw up, then spent the next few hours there doing the same. Eventually fell back asleep. Woke up this morning feeling tired, but better. Phil was fine, but as for me... I'll probably never eat carrots again.

ungrateful little rodent.

If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk.
When you give him the milk, he'll probably ask for a straw.
When he's finished, he'll ask for a napkin.
Then he will want to look in a mirror to make sure he doesn't have a milk mustache.
When he looks into the mirror, he might notice that his hair needs a trim. So he will probably ask for a pair of scissors.
When he's finished giving himself a trim, he'll want a broom to sweep up. He'll start sweeping. He might get carried away and sweep every room in the house. He may even end up washing the floors as well!
When he's done, he'll probably want to take a nap. You will have to fix a little box for him with a blanket and a pillow. He'll crawl in, make himself comfortable and fluff the pillow a few times.
He'll probably ask you to read him a story. So you'll read him one from one of your books, and he'll ask to see the pictures. When he looks at the pictures, he'll get so excited he'll want to draw one of his own. He'll ask for paper and crayons.
He'll draw a picture. When the picture is finished, he'll want to sign his name with a pen.
Then he'll want to hang his picture on your refrigerator. Which means he will need…scotch tape.
He'll hang up his drawing and stand back to look at it. Looking at the refrigerator will remind him that he's thirsty so…he'll ask for a glass of milk.
And chances are if he asks for a glass of milk, he's going to want a cookie to go with it.

(And the moral of the story is, if someone is a pain in the ass at the beginning, they will be a pain in the ass until the end. And also, don't offer to help people when money is involved.)

THE END.

known. loved.

happenings

*Phil has our house plans in hand and we're getting ready to submit them to the city for approval. I hope we're in our new house before Pea Buddy arrives.

*We went to the Nat yesterday so Phil could work out and Ocean could get out of the house for a bit. When we got there one of the guy swimmers was working out with no shirt on. After intense scrutiny, Ocean started pulling his shirt up and patting his tummy. He kept it up for about 10 minutes before I asked him if he wanted to take his shirt off. He nodded emphatically so I took it off... and he stuck his little chest out and strutted his stuff for the rest of the afternoon.

*Did anyone else see Miss USA fall on her ass last night during the Miss Universe pageant?! Wow... I kinda felt bad for her but I laughed so hard for about an hour after it happened. A quote from The Superficial: "She slipped and fell during the evening gown portion and, well, that's kind of a big deal when you're in a competition where the only judging criteria are how you look in a bikini and your ability to walk."

*I left my pillow at the hotel when we were in Charlotte and ever since then Phil has been funny pillow guy. Our first night back he put a tiny little throw pillow in my spot just to mock me. I bought a new pillow the next day. Last night our dryer broke (again) and our pillow cases were all soaking wet... except for one. Which I of course kept for myself and made Phil take the uncomfortable spare pillow. While I was brushing my teeth he took my pillow and replaced it with Ocean's plastic ball. I'm glad pregnant women get lots of respect in this house.

*Ocean has started signing "More". We went to the pool today and he finally got up enough courage to let me hold his hands and dunk his toes in the water. I put him back on the pool deck and he immediately signed "More". So cute. =)

*I'm still trying to decide where to have this baby. If anyone has positive things to say about either U of M or St. Joe's feel free to pass it along.

*I ate half a dozen chocolate chip cookies yesterday. It was worth the extra 5 pounds I'll have to lose after I have the baby.

with woman

With Woman

From "Hypnobirthing: The Mongan Method":
"In other parts of the world- Spain, France, the British Isles and Old Europe- the lives of the people centered on nature and motherhood. They honored Mother Nature, Mother Earth and Mother Creator. Women were revered as the givers of life.

With no awareness of the link between intercourse and the conception of a child, it was believed that women brought forth children at will. As creators, they were thought to be connected to deity. Statues of the goddesses of these early people were of full breasted women with bodies clearly depicting the ballooning abdomen of women about to give birth. These primal people regarded birthing as the highest manifestation of nature...

Women were nurturers and healers, developing, brewing and administering medicine. All healing came by the hands and healing spirit of women. They collaborated and exchanged learning, overseen by the 'wise women' of the village."

And later, in the same book:
"In Germany [in the early 16th century]... Martin Luther wrote, 'If women become tired [in childbirth], or even die, it does not matter. Let them die in childbirth. That's what they are there for."

I have been reflecting upon this for a couple of days now, and I'm just wondering how we got from the place where women were honored and revered to the place where we were regarded as disposable baby-makers, to where we are now... still working through the misogyny that started creeping into the human race during the second century. And not just in childbirth... this climate of woman-hating permeates through our entire culture.

Damn, you guys, I'm pissed. I better go to bed before I end up writing a book, or before my head explodes.