Not only has today been some kind of record breaking blog-a-lot but the week in general has been quite hectic. Well at least for a pregnant lady. Before I get on with it just a quick reminder that Mom, this is the post that you are NOT supposed to look at until AFTER the 26th...
Friday, December 23, 2011
Christmas Concerts
Yesterday was the annual Christmas concert at the kids school. It's always a bit difficult to sit through given that some classes go on and on and on with their acts. There really should be a 2 minute maximum or something. Just sayin'. I brought the video camera because it's always worth a good laugh. This year the laugh's on my husband though. Juliet was up first and I handed off the camera to him so that I wouldn't screw it up....
Awesome. Jackass. And in night vision too.
He was successful in getting Sam's performance, although I did a back-up recording on my phone just in case. Beware the enthusiasm.
Awesome. Jackass. And in night vision too.
He was successful in getting Sam's performance, although I did a back-up recording on my phone just in case. Beware the enthusiasm.
Belated Halloween
I only just got my hands on a photo of my husband & I from Halloween. It's such a horrible photo of me that I probably wouldn't normally post it but it's too funny not to post, even 2 days before Christmas. Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum. We won best couple costume... no doubt because my husband was impossible to look at without laughing. The real deal was a lot more funny than the photo... but at least you get an idea.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Home Birth Craziness... & A Little Complainin'
Only two months to go. Phew. Although I don't know if I can manage that. Haven't been sleeping lately because of CONSTANT acid reflux. It's even causing a sore throat! I made the kids lunches in the middle of the night last night. My stomach is soooooooo high that I can't hunch over & stretch it in the opposite direction, which is causing some serious middle back strain. Sometimes so much that I lose my breath. It's just awesome. Can I be done now??
I must admit that I am really looking forward to my home birth experience. It gets crazier by the day. With that being said I am also a bit paranoid that I will end up in the hospital with a c-section. I say that because I know that the baby is breech. I know it's silly because there is MORE than enough time for her to turn... but I am just worried about losing the control of my own labour. For instance... if I wind up with a c-section I can't have the baby in my arms right away. I've been told that it's only minutes but I still feel that those minutes are valuable and important bonding minutes. That and it's a loss of control. I also can't deliver in the water in the hospital... and if I end up there for any reason other than a c-section I won't be able to deliver in the water. More loss of control. I say to myself that I am just going to get in the tub and say 'make me get out'. Ha. Whatcha gonna do now doctor. Anyway... every woman has their impending labour paranoia's.. these are mine.
On the up side... I mentioned that the home birth plans are developing into some kind of full out tribal ritual. Someone mentioned to me the idea of consuming your placenta after childbirth, placentophagy. Hmmmmmm... that got my hamster spinning. Every single mammal in the animal kingdom eats their placenta except the camel (and I don't know why they don't). The kangaroo doesn't even deliver the placenta but rather re-absorbes it. So why are we so quick to dispose of this very important organ? There are many benefits to consuming your placenta. It reduces the chances of post-partum depression. It helps to control bleeding. It helps the uterus return to its normal state. It is full of nutrients. So I figured... why not? There are tons of women who do this and tons of recipes for cooking your placenta. Ya... I'm not taking that route. There is a far more bearable route you can take in encapsulating your placenta.... dehydrating it and putting in gel caps, which is way more my cup of tea.
Another idea we've begun tossing around is giving the baby all the benefits of the placenta after birth. This is done by NOT cutting the umbilical cord. In the hospital everything about childbirth is so rushed. Cutting the umbilical cord happens within minutes. I asked my midwife about it & wondered at what point do we have to cut the cord? Her answer.... never. She personally doesn't clamp the cord until it has stopped pulsing, which indicates that the transfer of substances between the placenta & baby is complete. Ideally, keeping the baby attached to the placenta for at least an hour is extremely beneficial. The baby absorbs all the blood & nutrients from the placenta. Another option is called a lotus birth, where the placenta is never detached and naturally detaches itself with the umbilical cord around 3 days after birth. We've definitely got some decisions to make....
With all that being said, here's a picture of me from a couple weeks ago at 29 weeks. Could I get any bigger???
I must admit that I am really looking forward to my home birth experience. It gets crazier by the day. With that being said I am also a bit paranoid that I will end up in the hospital with a c-section. I say that because I know that the baby is breech. I know it's silly because there is MORE than enough time for her to turn... but I am just worried about losing the control of my own labour. For instance... if I wind up with a c-section I can't have the baby in my arms right away. I've been told that it's only minutes but I still feel that those minutes are valuable and important bonding minutes. That and it's a loss of control. I also can't deliver in the water in the hospital... and if I end up there for any reason other than a c-section I won't be able to deliver in the water. More loss of control. I say to myself that I am just going to get in the tub and say 'make me get out'. Ha. Whatcha gonna do now doctor. Anyway... every woman has their impending labour paranoia's.. these are mine.
On the up side... I mentioned that the home birth plans are developing into some kind of full out tribal ritual. Someone mentioned to me the idea of consuming your placenta after childbirth, placentophagy. Hmmmmmm... that got my hamster spinning. Every single mammal in the animal kingdom eats their placenta except the camel (and I don't know why they don't). The kangaroo doesn't even deliver the placenta but rather re-absorbes it. So why are we so quick to dispose of this very important organ? There are many benefits to consuming your placenta. It reduces the chances of post-partum depression. It helps to control bleeding. It helps the uterus return to its normal state. It is full of nutrients. So I figured... why not? There are tons of women who do this and tons of recipes for cooking your placenta. Ya... I'm not taking that route. There is a far more bearable route you can take in encapsulating your placenta.... dehydrating it and putting in gel caps, which is way more my cup of tea.
Another idea we've begun tossing around is giving the baby all the benefits of the placenta after birth. This is done by NOT cutting the umbilical cord. In the hospital everything about childbirth is so rushed. Cutting the umbilical cord happens within minutes. I asked my midwife about it & wondered at what point do we have to cut the cord? Her answer.... never. She personally doesn't clamp the cord until it has stopped pulsing, which indicates that the transfer of substances between the placenta & baby is complete. Ideally, keeping the baby attached to the placenta for at least an hour is extremely beneficial. The baby absorbs all the blood & nutrients from the placenta. Another option is called a lotus birth, where the placenta is never detached and naturally detaches itself with the umbilical cord around 3 days after birth. We've definitely got some decisions to make....
With all that being said, here's a picture of me from a couple weeks ago at 29 weeks. Could I get any bigger???
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
I Am Number Four.
Click on the video to watch... click again to watch it on youtube in a bigger format. Click HERE if neither of those work.
Too cute.
Monday, December 5, 2011
The Nutcracker
In the spirit of Christmas tradition we (the kids & I) attended the Pennsylvania Ballet's performance of George Balanchine's Nutcracker at the NAC yesterday. In the spirit of Christmas tradition 2012 I will be attending the ballet ALONE. Both of my adorable children just couldn't sit still. Forget ants in their pants... they must have had beetles in there. Perhaps it is because I am pregnant and EVERYTHING is less tolerable. Pregnancy, especially at 29-30 weeks, puts a damper on even the most exciting of things.
Sam was jittery even before it started. "I've never seen a Nutcracker show before. I am so excited so that's why I can't sit still". Of course 10 minutes into the show that excitement waned and he was asking about the intermission. And at 15 minutes. And 25. Juliet was equally bouncy and I found that surprising. Last year she sat through the entire performance and barely moved. I guess I was expecting the same this year.
The constant questions are normal. Excessive, but normal. "Do all those kids have moms & dads?" ... "Is that real snow? Is it sparkles?" ... "Will the rats come off the stage?" In between questioning when the "break" was... there was a question for everything.
The ballet itself was AMAZING. I loved it. The Pennsylvania Ballet's art director, set & costume designers were fabulous. The sets & props & costumes were gorgeous and all meshed together effortlessly. The colors were perfect. The Nutckacker himself & the rats were fantastic. Mother Ginger... amazing. And to top it all off a large number of children were cast in the show. It was one of the greatest interpretations of the ballet I've seen. Way more kid friendly then last year's Russian rendition. I've gathered some photos from online as I couldn't take any myself, to show off some of the talent. Most of these photos are credited to Alexander Iziliaev and I found them on the ballet's website.
One thing I love about the Nutcracker is that every ballet company presents it differently. They all have their own artistic take on the Christmas classic. Like I said... last year there was a Russian twist to the entire show, while this year was way more candyland. I can't wait to see it again next year... kids or no kids.
Sam was jittery even before it started. "I've never seen a Nutcracker show before. I am so excited so that's why I can't sit still". Of course 10 minutes into the show that excitement waned and he was asking about the intermission. And at 15 minutes. And 25. Juliet was equally bouncy and I found that surprising. Last year she sat through the entire performance and barely moved. I guess I was expecting the same this year.
The constant questions are normal. Excessive, but normal. "Do all those kids have moms & dads?" ... "Is that real snow? Is it sparkles?" ... "Will the rats come off the stage?" In between questioning when the "break" was... there was a question for everything.
The ballet itself was AMAZING. I loved it. The Pennsylvania Ballet's art director, set & costume designers were fabulous. The sets & props & costumes were gorgeous and all meshed together effortlessly. The colors were perfect. The Nutckacker himself & the rats were fantastic. Mother Ginger... amazing. And to top it all off a large number of children were cast in the show. It was one of the greatest interpretations of the ballet I've seen. Way more kid friendly then last year's Russian rendition. I've gathered some photos from online as I couldn't take any myself, to show off some of the talent. Most of these photos are credited to Alexander Iziliaev and I found them on the ballet's website.
One thing I love about the Nutcracker is that every ballet company presents it differently. They all have their own artistic take on the Christmas classic. Like I said... last year there was a Russian twist to the entire show, while this year was way more candyland. I can't wait to see it again next year... kids or no kids.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Cheer On!
The Christmas cheer continues. Last weekend was the Brockville Santa Claus parade so we hit the curb to take it all in. Usually we spend American Thanksgiving in Baltimore but this year we didn't go so it was our first ever Brockville parade. While it's all fun & festive to be out & celebrating the holiday cheer I must admit that daytime parades are rather lame. Without the darkness to illuminate the floats they just look like vehicles covered in wiring. Not all that impressive. Then you have the historical figures riding Segways...
It was all fun nonetheless and we got another glimpse of the man in red. Woohoo.
So I think I mentioned we got our tree last weekend & decorated it. The kids still love it and so I don't think we will be getting a bigger one... although Juliet has agreed to this on the account that we get a big one next year. I wrapped some presents and put them under the tree without any names on them and have forbid the kids to even touch them. It was an experiment... and it's actually turned out better than I expected. They actually haven't touched them but they have shed a couple tears and asked a few times if they could open them now.... it's like if they ask every day one day I will say yes. They've got 22 more days before that happens.
I let them open a gift from my grandmother... because if I remember correctly she had said "this is for when you decorate your tree". I just wasn't sure if she meant that it was actually for decorating the tree... or to go under it once it's decorated. I took the chance that she meant the former & we each opened her gifts. I was right. She gave me some awesome vintage ornaments. They make an excellent addition to an already excellent tree/plant. Lol. Cheer on!
It was all fun nonetheless and we got another glimpse of the man in red. Woohoo.
So I think I mentioned we got our tree last weekend & decorated it. The kids still love it and so I don't think we will be getting a bigger one... although Juliet has agreed to this on the account that we get a big one next year. I wrapped some presents and put them under the tree without any names on them and have forbid the kids to even touch them. It was an experiment... and it's actually turned out better than I expected. They actually haven't touched them but they have shed a couple tears and asked a few times if they could open them now.... it's like if they ask every day one day I will say yes. They've got 22 more days before that happens.
I let them open a gift from my grandmother... because if I remember correctly she had said "this is for when you decorate your tree". I just wasn't sure if she meant that it was actually for decorating the tree... or to go under it once it's decorated. I took the chance that she meant the former & we each opened her gifts. I was right. She gave me some awesome vintage ornaments. They make an excellent addition to an already excellent tree/plant. Lol. Cheer on!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Random..
Hello December!
So were your kids as excited as mine to open the very first door of their very first advent calendar? Geez. I gave it to them on Monday and everyday this week they have been "reminding" me that they can only open it on Jeudi. But their idea of a reminder is more like a question just to make sure that they can't open it earlier. They eagerly searched for the first door so that they'd be ready for this morning.
They are so funny. They never cease to amaze me. Listening to their conversations... answering their questions. Juliet comes up with the craziest, but intelligent ideas...
"Mommy... what would happen if there was no more air?"
"Mommy... what would happen if there were no more trees?"
"Mommy... do people come from outer space?"
"Can children be astronauts or just grown ups?"
During an episode of House Hunters when 2 gay men were looking for a house.. "Mommy, are those men neighbours?" ... which led to my explanation of how sometimes boys love boys & girls love girls.
"Mommy... how does the baby eat in your tummy?"
In the very busy public bathroom at the Y... "Mommy... why do your underwear go up your butt?"
That's the last time I go to the bathroom at the same time as my kids... who knows what other questions they'll come up with.
Happy December!
So were your kids as excited as mine to open the very first door of their very first advent calendar? Geez. I gave it to them on Monday and everyday this week they have been "reminding" me that they can only open it on Jeudi. But their idea of a reminder is more like a question just to make sure that they can't open it earlier. They eagerly searched for the first door so that they'd be ready for this morning.
They are so funny. They never cease to amaze me. Listening to their conversations... answering their questions. Juliet comes up with the craziest, but intelligent ideas...
"Mommy... what would happen if there was no more air?"
"Mommy... what would happen if there were no more trees?"
"Mommy... do people come from outer space?"
"Can children be astronauts or just grown ups?"
During an episode of House Hunters when 2 gay men were looking for a house.. "Mommy, are those men neighbours?" ... which led to my explanation of how sometimes boys love boys & girls love girls.
"Mommy... how does the baby eat in your tummy?"
In the very busy public bathroom at the Y... "Mommy... why do your underwear go up your butt?"
That's the last time I go to the bathroom at the same time as my kids... who knows what other questions they'll come up with.
Happy December!
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