201 days & 41 inches

This photo was taken on Monday, May 23 when I was 28 weeks, 5 days pregnant and 41 inches 'round the middle. Honestly, from the side, I don't look so bad. From the front, call me double-wide.

Baby S. is still a mover and a shaker, though I think she'll soon run short on room. She's very responsive to my polite requests to move, though. I just give her a little poke and she scoots away - especially handy for the low-and-on-the-bladder position she likes to take up when I exercise, and her foot-in-the-ribs-after-lunch resting spot.

Crib skirt sass

With today's minimal crib bedding standards, there aren't a ton of ways to add fabric pizazz to a nursery. My solution? Custom crib skirts. Here's a sample of the three grey and yellow fabrics I chose for Baby S's room: Amy Butler's Midwest Modern Optic Blossom Linen and Martini Mustard (in honor of Grandpa Bob) and Michael Miller's Bird Swing. Fingers crossed, sewing-machine-maven Grandma Betty will be whip up three sassy skirts for our Park Lane crib.

And maybe, if I wish hard enough, the scraps, along with some others I have laying around, can be used to craft a snappy bird mobile like that one I was fantasizing about. (Wink, wink.)

Sacrificing spaces

505 Aldil is a three bedroom house. Two up, one down. For the last 2 years, one of the upstairs rooms has served as an office. In truth, my office. Why mine? I have the luxury of working one day a week from home, occassionally pick up freelance graphic design work and need a place to produce my fabulous Collard Dogs and Collard Green collars.

But last weekend, I said goodbye to my little second floor sanctuary. Self-less me agreed to move my operation downstairs for the well-being of Baby S. She is going to inherit my special space. It has copious amounts of natural light, lots of shelf storage and is steps from our room. (Notice that the room is yellow, which, along with some grey accents, are the colors I chose for the nursery. Significance? Very little painting.) It will be perfect for her.

My new space won't be quite as light, bright and cheery, or as removed as the upstairs haven, but it is larger, has a spanking clean carpet and is attached to a bathroom - key for the next two months. I should mention, however, that our future house guests (read: Gram and Gramps B) are taking one for the team as well. With my desk, the queen bed won't fit in the room. A sleeping solution has yet to be determined, but all signs point to a futon (if space permits) or aerobed (if Gramps will sleep on it). Watch for photos!

Thanks Bucket List Betty

This weekend's lesson? Prolonged bending over = un-Zantacable crazy heartburn. Learned while assembling what could possibly be the only two pots I plant this summer. (And yes, I am wearing a shirt. Strapless. Desperately hoping that a tan will hide the arm cellulite I've recently acquired. It's hot.)

The reason for my reduction in pot planting? Well, we are once again experiencing a windfall from one of Bucket List Betty's employment experiences. It's no box of discounted Saykllys turtles but 9 pots of annuals, planted and left to grow in perfect greenhouse conditions at Tony's Nursery in Bark River, MI, ain't a bad deal either.

Pass me a crochet boob, please

Last Wednesday Will and I had our second official visit with our doula, Deb Rhizal of Pregnancy Arts. The first visit was a few months ago, at our house in Milford, and served as a meet and get-ta-know-ya/let's talk about expectations. This visit was in Ann Arbor, at Deb's house, and marked the official start of our childbirth ed classes.

Our doula package includes two prenatal meetings, birth services and two postpartum visits. We added a couple extra sessions to go over childbirth, breastfeeding and parenting basics. Though we're still debating a formal/traditional group class, with our busy schedules these one-on-two lessons, scheduled at our convenience, are fabulous.

The plan for Wednesday was to review life-after-baby-basics. What the first two weeks will look and feel like, and what steps Will and I can take to preserve and nurture our bond as a couple, while simultaneously welcoming our new little lady.

Needless to say, we got off track. Early in the "now you're home" convo, which took place over raspberry tea and muffins, the subject of every-two-hour feedings arose, which naturally led to a breastfeeding question. Which led to another breastfeeding question, which led to another, and pretty soon we mutually decided to ditch the plan and focus on breastfeeding basics.

Which is when . . . drumroll please . . . the crochet boobs made their appearance. Why, you might ask, were crochet boobs included in the prop list? Well, Deb had to demonstrate a proper "latch," and how I will be able to help Baby S get the most out of her time with my boob. Though the knit boobies were a bit strange, they were perfect props, and decidedly less awkward than using a live model. Sadly, Will and I didn't get to actually handle the crochet boobs, but we did get our own baby dolls.

Though there's not a whole lot we can do to prepare for the breastfeeding part of bringin' the baby home (except to buy a nursing chair - I have a few in mind - stay tuned for pics) I feel much more prepared to tackle the breastfeeding challenge. I understand the mechanics and why, when the mechanics are a bit off, everything is that much more difficult.

The other awesome takeaway from the meeting? The tips Deb provided Will for supporting me during the breastfeeding challenge. He asked, being boob-less (or rather, having non-milk-producing-boobs), what he could do. Her answer - for the first two weeks, get up with me. Make sure I have plenty of water and snacks handy. Help me position myself with pillows. And when I'm done feeding, take the baby and perform all the after feeding tasks (burping, changing, putting her back to bed). Eventually, she explained, when we start using bottles, we can split the night feedings, but until then, he is my wing man. I like.

Gettin' adjusted

A few weeks ago I blogged about a Birthing Normally seminar that we attended. The panel included a chiropractor, Michaella Walter, from the Optimal Wellness Family practice in Royal Oak. She presented on the importance of spine and pelvic positioning as it relates to childbirth, and on her use of the Webster technique.

The Webster Technique is defined as a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment that reduces interference to the nerve system and facilitates biomechanical balance in pelvic structures, muscles and ligaments. This has been shown to reduce the effects of intrauterine constraint, allowing the baby to get into the best possible position for birth.

My midwife was supportive of chiropractic care and the benefits sounded good to me, so after a quick call to Blue Cross Blue Shield confirmed that my policy covers 24 chiropractic visits a year, I made an appointment with Dr. Walter to just check things out.

So far, I’ve had two visits and two “adjustments.” Both times I walked out with a tender pelvis and sacrum (tailbone area), and looser round ligaments.

It’s hard to tell if it’s doing anything good, but if there is a chance it will aid in my delivering Baby S naturally, I’m willing to give it a few more visits. Besides, the office also employs a massage therapist, not a bad professional to have on speed dial.