Rebecca Kyrie is here!

She's Here! Rebecca Kyrie born Aug 14th, 1:09pm via c-section. At birth she was 7lbs, 3.7z and 20 inches long. She's perfect. We are home now. As I can I'll be posting the birth story and the next part of our adventure. Right now priority is Becca, nursing, taking care of myself and sleeping when we can. Picts can be seen at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=86263&id=691613054&l=5b09de5371

:)


EDITED: Fixed typos. That's what I get for posting on little sleep!

Anticipation

I was talking with Raendi last night about this strange limbo that we are in. The Kidlet is due on Saturday and many of my moments in the day are thinking about his/her birth. Not knowing when it's going to happen is both exciting and little anxiety inducing.

It's like a surprise Christmas morning, but instead of Santa Clause showing up with presents we pack our bags and head to the hospital for the marathon. Now, to run a marathon or climb Mt. Washington or something like that, I would normally prepare. I'd be sure to get a good night's sleep, eat a good breakfast, wear comefortable shoes. But, being pregnant, all that goes out the window! So, it's more like climbing a mountain after a night of dancing and a few too many apple martinis. It makes for a strange anticipation.

But, just like Christmas morning, when it finally arrives and we get to meet the little one, it's about family and love and hope in the world and joy. And it will be blessed work and moments to learn and oppertunities to grow and be thankful.

39 weeks and 2 days! AKA Shhh, Daddy's Sleeping

So, while Raendi takes a well deserved nap, I decided to take a nice bath to soothe my sore back (overdid the nesting today I think!) and then take a 39 week belly pic. Please excuse the blurry focus. :)

We picked up a gorgeous old fashioned rocking chair for the front room on freecycle.org yesterday. The previous owner received it when she had her first baby 23 years ago and was happy to pass it on to our growing family. Good Karma for all! We spent the afternoon with the Creegans at their pool, the last Saturday before the Kidlet arrives as just a twosome at their pool. While the weather felt like early September, the pool was 85 degrees and heavenly. Taking the weight off my body by floating is certainly a lovely thing also!




With my due date not for another week or so, I'm still hoping that I'll go early. But, honestly, the due date they gave me is pretty spot on by my calculations. Looks like another few days at least of being pregnant and a quiet house. In some ways I'm going to miss being pregnant. It's been a miraculous thing that my body has grown this little person, provided all it needs and my job has been too take care of myself. Perhaps this is a reminder for the next stage of motherhood to be sure to continue to take care of myself?

G'night all, time to chill.




Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. Elizabeth Stone

The Blog-o-sphere

So, throughtout the time we've been expecting the Kidlet, I've been reading this blog: www.Dooce.com. Heather is funny, honest, and willing to call something meaningful that is such. She posted the third part of her labor and delivery story recently and I sat on the couch, laughed out loud and cried reading it.

One thing she said about her labor and delivery and a natural childbirth experience really hit home:
"I did it. I totally did it. And I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to be able to have this experience, that nothing went wrong. That they didn't have to intervene. I know that. I know there was a lot of luck involved. I know how lucky I am.

But I'm also so damn proud of myself for conquering this challenge, for doing the work and having it pay off, and having lived through that kind of pain, having gone into that place inside Jon's palm, I now have a new perspective on life. Yes, on life. It's just changed everything, I can't deny it.

She changed everything."

We are 9 days away from the Kidlet's due date and the most I seem to be able to do in a day is a few essential things and then wait and prepare. When talking about her decision to have a natural birth, Heather writes about some people who compare the pain of a root canal to the pain of childbirth, you get pain meds for a rootcanal, right? Why not for this too? And then she says that it's like comparing giving life to someone to a ... tooth. And I'm there with her. At 3am after my 5th bathroom run, I lay awake in awe and wonder at the sheer enormity and miracle of this experience. At some point soon this person I've been growing inside of me will come out, perfect in his or her imperfections, beautiful and wonderous and independant and soulful. I am in awe of this process. And I believe that this next part, delivering this baby, deserves the same amount of reverence in my book which is why I'm going in with all sorts of tools that bring me closer to the experience rather than keep me separate from it.

I feel prepared, not that I know what will happen finally or have any control over what happens, it's the bit of risk that make it worth it somehow. But I feel prepared to go into this experiece with enough knowledge and practice to be able to be present. And I can't wait to meet our little one. Whenever you are ready Kidlet, we are.

Finished Nursery

Alas, I have been lax in uploading pictures of the nursery. Here is the final product!


Changing table and supplies.









Curtains!













Crib and bookshelf.













Play table and such...













Rocking chair and the Kitten who still thinks all the hubbub around the house is for her. ;)