Tomorrow I'll be 28 weeks pregnant....and there are 81 days till Ben comes home! We've been pining for spring, with a good 6 inches of snow still on the ground in lots of places, and piled over 12" deep in our front yard, too. The dirty, gray, icy, windy days are beginning to get to me in ways that 8 months of Seattle rain never did. We managed to venture southwards last weekend to sunny Greenville, NC (eastern carolina, close to the coast) to visit with my beloved Grandmother for our birthdays. She took a fall the day before I arrived, and refused to be treated for anything but the pain until I left Monday! (tough lady) She didn't want to spoil our birthday visit, she said! To finish things off, I managed to slip and fall myself on Sunday night, before I left, and bruised my bottom pretty badly. That's another story....
But, both of us are another year older in spite of the drama!
Violet and I manage to get out to the pool 2-3 times a week for exercise. She's learning to swim! She is like a mermaid under water, and adores going from me to the steps completely submerged. She's still trying to get the hang of floating, and getting her head above water to breath in between underwater stints. Genetics are not on her side, unfortunately....her dad canNOT float to save his life. He sinks. Always. So, I'm working with her to find buoyancy somewhere in her chest as she holds her breath while lying on her back in the water. It's there sometimes!
In other random news: We've decided to try a home birth. (Big news, I know) Ben will be here for a brief and sweet 15 days, and we want to try to keep things as low-key and home-based as possible. Neither of us were really looking forward to the drama surrounding a hospital birth....rushing in, going through whatever scheduling nightmares and hospital policy phenagling that comes with birthing in a corporately-run operation....not to mention being separated from Violet for a couple of days, losing sleep (Ben, mostly), etc. So, we're going to just wait at home, basking in each other's company, waiting for Grace to appear, and just pop her out in our bedroom! :) I'm really, really set at ease by this plan. I was NOT looking forward to all that I described during the oh-so-short 15 days Ben will be with us. I am very much confident in my body's ability to birth this baby quickly and easily. Violet's labor was short and sweet, but for the interference of a panic-stricken intern who managed to give me a 4 cm tear to remember him by. I will not miss the narrow hospital bed or the stupid CLOCK on the wall directly in front of my face constantly reminding me how long this was taking!!!!! :P
Anyway...
I've begun collecting a few things for the tiny wee girlie.....bit by bit accumulating some clothing for her arrival, in addition to cloth diapers. Oh, Oh...I found a local woman who MAKES them!!! I know, how great is that!! They're on average $1 cheaper a piece than Bum Genius diapers, and identical to them---only one step better in that they are "front-loading" rather than having the insert go in from the back. She's making them in custom colors for me, too, folks! :) Whoopeeee! Let me just insert here, how incredibly awesome cloth diapers are for your budget. When Violet was 18 months old, and not entirely potty-trained (still wearing a diaper at night) I calculated I had already spent $1100 on diapers for her during her lifetime. ELEVEN HUNDRED! I determined then and there to use cloth next time, no matter how much work it was. Turns out, tho, that these modern velcro-shut, pop-in-the-washer, adjustable-size diapers are just as easy to use as paper. You just have to wash them, that's all. :) I'm totally into it.....TOTALLY.
So that pretty much sums it all up! We're looking at a couple more trips coming up this spring...a wedding and Easter. Other than that it's a beautiful routine we've settled into. I'm so thankful for the friends and family that surround us during this deployment. It's made the time pass so much more quickly, with much more joy than sadness. :)
4 comments:
So exactly when is Ben coming home? We're thinking of planning a trip and want to avoid his visit time (as I'm assuming you'll all be indisposed for the duration of his visit;)).
I was kinda surprised that you were buying instead of making your own cloth diapers. I have several friends that do it and say it's so easy. I may even try it when we have #2!;) Can't wait to see Violet and Evie in a pool together -- I think this may be the summer Evie really digs into it!
I'm doing cloth, too :) Except I went the cheaper route, Econobum, by the makers of BumGenius. I like snaps better than velcro, and these were only about $35 for 12 diapers/3 snap covers. Of course, not looking forward to the "keeping them in diaper pail until wash" thing. But definitely saves some moolah.
Hang in there, Susi! Ben will be home and so will your baby before you know it <3
Susi,
I'm so excited to hear you will be doing a home birth! That is great. I've never experienced a hospital birth, but the dread of the lack of privacy and control of the decisions that would need to be made during the labor and delivery were two huge factors that contributed to my deciding on a home birth all three times (plus my love for doing all thing natural..., well, almost all things). It is incredibly special and intimate to give birth at home and to simply be able to rest, rest, rest after baby. Plus, I even had Shiona still at home when I gave birth to Michael (though Katrina was up at Grandpa & Grandma's) because Shiona was such a sound sleeper! I'll be praying for you and if you have any questions about home births please feel free to ask me.
It is so exciting when your children learn such big skills like swimming or riding a bike. I think it is especially so because you can remember those milestones in your life too. I can't remember beginning to walk, but sure I remember my first swim!
Hope you are feeling better. If your bruise hasn't healed you could try arnica for it. Since you're pregnant you might not want to take it internally, but as a gel on the bruise it helps heal so fast.
Take care now!
Karen
I hope your pregnancy is going well... And you are managing to enjoy it. I know you're counting down until Ben's return, and hopefully that's motivation to make it through each day counting down to that AND the baby.
The pool sounds really fun. I've always wondered if i'd like swimming more if I had a pool in my backyard, or somewhere convenient. But I doubt it. How cool Violet can swim, though!!! At least, underwater. :)
I am glad to hear you're trying for a home birth. I think given your last pregnancy/birth, it's a great option for you. I personally wouldn't desire one, but I know you and Karen and Lisi have had good labors and are great candidates for it. :) I hope God has the baby's birth be a wonderful, peaceful, joyful time for you and Ben!!
I'm very proud of you for choosing cloth. It's such a wonderful thing, and a great decision economically, to your child's skin health, and waste-wise. I think it's wonderful you've found someone to make them for you with your own colors! :) I've seen plenty of homemade diapers on diapering.com, etsy.com, etc. But as I don't enjoy sewing, I have never wanted to do that.
I personally don't actually think front-loading is better (I'm telling you this in case she hasn't made them yet). can you explain why you say this? (also, where is the "cinched" part of the diaper - still in back?)
Like I told you, I love the velcro, and most people I know with snaps say they'd prefer it, but velcro will wear out and snaps won't.... If I had it to do over, and I could get the same deal (buy buying 12 I got a deal), I PROBABLY would have gone a straight half and half of each. As it is, I have 12 velcro and 3 snaps. :) And I love them all. How many are you buying???
BTW, to your previous commenter "Joy": BumGenius and Fuzzi Bunz actually doen't recommend a wet-pail at all. Besides, it will just accumulate bacteria and stink! Just buy a wetbag and store diapers, separated from liner, in there. (like from www.planetwiseinc.com) They zip shut and seal in the odors. I recommend the large! Holds about ~12 of my BG diapers/liners.
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