Saturday, February 28, 2009

Gumbo still in the pot

Aren't you glad I am giving you a daily update on his status?

I had more contractions today, but who knows what that means. I've been in "false labor" so many times now, its hardly worth a mention.

I hiked at Croydon Creek Nature Center today. I just did a small 1.5 mile loop. There were lots of leaves on the ground, some green sticks starting to grow out of old brown dead winter sticks. One interesting thing about Croydon Creek is that there are many trees which are fallen, and the roots ripped right out of the ground, the soil must be really bad or something. I saw two white tailed deer, they were awesome.



This is not an actual picture of the deer I saw, but it is a white tailed deer, and its pretty. Plus, I don't have much else to say, so this is helping fill up space.

Today was Sophia's (Andrea and Jake's little girl) birthday party to celebrate her first year of life. It was fun. I can't believe a year ago I saw her born. It was amazing. It will be amazing to see Gumbo enter the world as well.

Friday, February 27, 2009

still preggo, Lenten reflection

I'm still pregnant. No baby yet. Its an exciting world we are living in. I had a nice massage today. I also made a bunch of Dal Bhat, which are a type of Lentils from Nepal. They were yummy. What follows is a nice reflection on "giving things up for Lent." I don't think things like this are said enough, so I am copying and pasting from an email I'm getting during the Lenten Season.

Is 58: 1-9a; Matt. 9: 14-15

What a privilege is ours, that God allows us to share in the work of redeeming the world; what an honor, that God uses our living hands to heal, our voices to comfort, our arms to strengthen and uphold the ones often forgotten or lost at the margins of our society. And as we reach out our hands each day to the hungry, the homeless, the despairing, we ourselves are transformed, becoming in word and in deed what we claim to be: the healing, comforting, living Body of Christ. And so as the season begins I often hear "What did you give up for Lent? Chocolate? Beer? Eating between meals?" These are probable questions in the air during this five-week season, especially when surrounded by the young people, and sometimes the not so young. Some have thought that the underlying motivation behind this question suggests that a deep expectation of fasting or abstaining from something enjoyable helps us remember why this season of starkness exists. The people in Isaiah's time fasted and hoped their sacrifices would bring them access to God. Why fast? This is the question asked in today's scripture and it is a relevant question today. Should one fast because the voice of one's parents is remembered? Should one fast to remind and be reminded of strong religious practices? Should one fast to allow the pangs of what was given up to serve as a reminder of those in the world who are not as fortunate?

Isaiah appears to answer these questions. There is nothing wrong with fasting. In fact, this practice has an appropriate time and place. Many believers and non-believers are writing on the topic today. Hopefully this is a starting place for all. If the pangs of what was given up help the image of those who are not as fortunate to come to mind, then what are we to do with that image? The passage from Isaiah suggests we act on it by releasing those who are imprisoned and oppressed, feeding and sheltering the hungry and homeless, and clothing those who are naked. The suggestion is action. Simply remembering these people without an action to mend the division keeps the division alive and well. Jesus takes us one step further in today's Gospel. We are challenged to look at fasting in a completely different way. As others observe the rules of fasting, Jesus is not concerned about the social protocols. Jesus is fasting with his actions. What he chooses to do is fast from actions that separate him from the ones who suffer and are not as fortunate. What about us? What actions pull our attention away from those accounted as of little importance in our society and in lives? How can we fast with our actions? These questions are so much more important than whether we eat chocolate or not!fr.

Dave Caron, OP
New Orleans

Thursday, February 26, 2009

still pregnant after al these years

well at least today.
walked 2 hours at the mall in the morning
walked 2 hours in the evening around Rock Creek Park with Tommy G.
took a bunch of evening primrose oil today, that's supposed to help.
that should help get things going.
otherwise I'll still be pregnant for another day.
that's the update.
no need to call and ask if we had the baby.
that's why we have the blog, when labor starts we'll post.
and we'll post some more when the baby comes.
V & Tom

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Due date + 1 day.

Due date was yesterday. Too bad Gumbo didn't know it.
Today I'm still pregnant. Feeling fine, but still pregnant.

I tried to fake nest today. Thinking I could trick my body into thinking I was done being pregnant.
I did a whole bunch of laundry, washed the bathroom toilet, tub and sink. I set up the pack in play in our bedroom and set up the diaper changing part for it and some breast feeding stuff in the bedroom. I also set up the bed in the guest room to get ready for giving birth. The diaper pail has a liner in it. I cut up some fabric I had meant to cut up for a while. I partially cleaned the back porch, it still has more to go, but I can do more tomorrow if I'm not having this baby yet. I don't know what else I can do to convince my body that my brain is ready.

I'm watching a move called "The Waitress" its all about this girl who got pregnant from her loser husband and then didn't want to have her baby. She just had the baby and now is madly in love with it. Its a nice thing to watch right now. When she had her baby she told her stupid husband to get out of her life and never come near her again. I'm glad she is going to start her life over.

Luckily, I don't have a problem like that. I won't need to kick Tom out. I love being married to him and we are having such a wonderful time getting ready for our baby. We are starting to daydream about him in bed at night, its hard to sleep because we are just so excited. It's going to be crazy to have something that we made from our love and God's love. I can't even imagine it. We are getting ready to be in the greatest love ever.

It's going to be amazing. =)

I'll be sure to update everyone (or Tom will) when things are happening, when labor happens, when the baby comes, etc. It's going to be amazing! Wow.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Almost "due"

I'm still pregnant.



I'm feeling great! Tom is in good spirits. I think that if we can maintain this state of joy then we will be ready whenever the baby comes. This weekend we did a LOT of sleeping. We ate some food, watched a move, and slept some more. It's been awesome. We are trying to be totally indulgent in ourselves and our desires because soon enough we will be subject to another's whims. We are looking forward to having our son, but are DEFINITELY viewing this time as a gift to be completely self indulgent. Its great. We have up until MArch 10th for him to come, but hope he shows up sooner.

Mom is coming on MArch 7th, and we'd like to spend some time just the 3 of us before we have guests. Plus, since its a home birth, and we planned on using the guest room, we would like that room empty when the time comes. =)

Midwife appt this week measured 40 inches of uterus. He's definitely ready.

Hugs and kisses!!!
xoxooxoxoxoxoxoxo
V

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

39 and counting.




I made it this far. We made it this far. Tom is amazing and no woman could hope or wish for a better partner to get them through life's hard spots.

On Saturday I mall walked for about 2-3 hours.

On Sunday Tom and I went to Harper's Ferry and hiked around the city, hills, and waterways for 3-4 hours. I started having contractions around 4:30 pm. They were about 30-45 seconds long, and occurred every 10 minutes. We ate dinner in Harper's Ferry, drove to mass, went to mass, then I called the midwife. She told me to lay down and get some rest incase this was it. I laid down at about 9:30 pm, and the contractions went away. Bummer. =(

Its Tuesday today, I am having some feelings of ickiness. I feel PMSy at times, cranky, achy, like I'm going to puke, my tummy feels upset, my lower back really hurts. I'm wondering if this means it will happen soon. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't.

I try to remember all of the things I am thankful for. I am so happy to be alive and so happy that when I'm not pregnant anymore, I will have an actual baby, a child to call my own (our own). Tom is incredible, he is such a rock for me, so supportive and knowing that I can see him, hold him and talk to him gets me through each day. I am happy to have a job that isn't too hard and pays pretty well. My boss and team are very understanding and supportive. Today I finished all of my "pressing last minute things". If I go in tomorrow, I will start backstopping my team and helping them out. I'm still active and strong. I can hike and spend time outside. I love the outdoors, it brings me such peace and strength. I am so happy to live near so much park space. If I am still pregnant on Friday, I get to get a massage! yay! See, I have so many things to look forward to, and so many things to be thankful for. I have never been more blessed, never been more supported and loved than I am right now.

I cannot wait for the day that our little boy joins us on the outside of my body. One thing I really love is when his foot pokes me hard and I can feel the whole huge thing in my side. I love to think about holding his little feet, kissing them, nibbling them. I'm so excited, its like Christmas eve every night and every day.

Tons of love, Veronica

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Midwife appointment results and other stuff @ 38 weeks.





At 38 weeks and 2 days, I am doing great. I look good. I have no complications and am really healthy. I'm not even ridiculously uncomfortable. She checked me out and said I am 1.5 cm dialated, 50% effaced, and baby is in -2 station.


He is kind of sideways rotated on a vertical axis, meaning his back is on my left tummy side, and his legs are under my liver side, so his head is crooked in the pelvis. He will turn, but it will make labor longer. So, hopefully he will turn fast. She said my abs still seemed to be together. That makes me happy.

He is moving as I write this, "Hi" Gumbo says. ouch! he kicked me.

I'm like a fertility goddess statue right now. I'm huge and pregnant and full of life. its incredible. incredbile.

Today we had a baby shower at work, it was fun!!


We played a baby headline guessing game.
We ate SPICY chicken, cake and baby shower candy hearts.



The candy hearts are super cute. I took a bunch home. They made me a book with their own tips and advice in it. Its really nice. They also gave us a gift certificate for Amazon.com. I think we will get the breast pump or the jogging stroller with it. I guess the pump would be put to use sooner so we should get that first. Jogging stroller in 6 months or so.

Tomorrow Tom and I are going to the Chiropractor. Tom hurt his back doing stuff last weekend, so he's getting it fixed... just in time for me to break it again while I'm in labor. (sorry sweetie!). I'm going to have them adjust me, I've never been adjusted before, except by Charlie Salanger who is a chiro friend, but it was at his house not in an office in an official capacity. So, I'm hoping that the chiro can help fix my hip, its been keeping me up at night in pain. =(

Then we have a baby shower at Tom's work at noon! yay, fun day! Thanks for the cake and presents work people! We love cake and presents!

Vulnerability: open self to suffering and to joy.

Fr. RB sent me a box of books this week. He is moving from Kentucky to Austin, Tx and needs to cut back on his stock. The first one I decided to read is called "The Heart of the World: A spiritual catechism: an introduction to Comtempletative Christianity" by Thomas Keating. So far, I love it. It was written by my heart for my heart. Love it. Here is the first exerpt I want to share. (btw, this post is not about Gumbo, but about love, vulnerability, mercy, Christianity.)

"The love of Christ manifested itself in his sheer vulnerability. The crucifix is the sign and expression of the total vulnerability of Jesus: the outstretched arms, the open heart, the forgivness of everything and everyone. This sheer vulnerability made him wide open both ot suffering and to joy.

It was this vulnerability that caused him to experience the pain of Judas' betrayal, as well as the joy of celebraing the Pasch with his disciples.

If there had been no possibility of betrayal, there could have been no Eucharist. If the disciples were to be admitted to his intimate friendship, there could only be loneliness and disappointment when they all abanonded him and fled. Only in the heart of one with boundless readiness to forgive could there have been the pain of Peter's triple denial, and afterwards the joy of reinstating him as chief of the apostles.
...
If it had not been possible for him to experience abandonment by the Father, there could not have been an infinite depth to his total gift of himself to the Father.
...
Vulnerability means to be hurt over and over again without seeking ot love less, but more. Divine love is sheer vulnerability - sheer openeness to giving. Hence, when it enters the world, either in the person of Jesus or in one of disciples, it is certain to encounter persecution - death many times over. but it will also encoutner the joy of ever rising again, "For love is stronger than death... nothing can quench its flame." (Song of Sol. 8: 6-7). Being vulnerable means loving one another as Christ loved us. If we did not have to forgive people, we would have no way of mainfesting God's forgiveness toward us. People who injure us are doing us a great favor because they are providing us with the opportunity of passing on the mercy that we have received. By showing mercy, we increase the mercy we receive. The best way to receive divine love is to give it away, and the more we pass on, the more we increase our capacity to receive."


I love you.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

38 weeks

Today I know for a fact that I will have this baby within the next 4 weeks. In one month we will have a baby. Thank God.

I'm actually enjoying this pregnancy more and more as it nears its end. Tom and I are completely ready at home now. We assembled the changing table and put it where it belongs. WE got the glider and its in the nursery too. WE have plenty of food, so I guess we are set. The only major kink in the labor plan is that my ipod broke and seems beyond repair. This is a problem because I have been practicing relaxing to a certain playlist. I would practice at work and on the way home in the metro. Now, I don't practice. We also were having success sleeping, but this has completely gone and now we both are sleeping poorly. I am going to the Chirporactor on Friday for my hips. Tom hurt his back this week and has been going. He is still aching, but feeling better already. The Chiro is going to help repair him so he can be strong when I go into labor.

Work is taking a lot out of both of us. I'm trying to cover my bases and train a new person over. My boss is also leaving this week and we have a 3 person team. This means that from 3 people, one person will be responsible for all of our work. eek! I feel a huge responsibility each day to do as much as I can so that things are closed and completed before labor starts and I'm out!

Tom has to write a chapter for a book for his work. He is also being called upon to mentor new people at his work. He has been a go-to guy at work for the past year, and now he needs to be a "no" guy... which is tough for such a sweet heart. But he needs to wrap things up in prep for taking a few weeks off of work.

As I write this, Gumbo is moving around so much. Lately, his movements seem ridiculous! Its as if I have no skin and he is free to move as much as he wants. BUT I HAVE SKIN!!!! He moves so much and so obviously that I fear people in the metro will point at me and freak out. He has dropped, but when I sit, I think he wants more space. When I stand up, hes a lot calmer. It is definately an amazing, weird, fascinating, strange, miraculous baby in there!

Thanks for asking.
Love, V

Thursday, February 5, 2009

37 weeks.

I'm at 37 weeks. I went to my midwife appt today, everything is fine. I do not have Group B Strep, so thats good news. My iron levels are pretty good, so nothing to worry about there. All in all, I'm good. I know I might have mentioned this before, but I'm ready to have this baby. I think that I will go into labor on Friday, tomorrow. and then I'll have the baby sometime this weekend. ok, so thats my wishes. lets see if the come true





I doubt they will. oh well..



Gumbo will come when he's ready. ok. fine.