Rachel- 30 weeks down, 10 to go... Feb. 24th, 2009
Artistic View of my beautiful wife and her pregnant belly.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
2 Photos
Here's 2 photos of my beautiful pregnant wife. Hope you enjoy- CHEERS to 30 weeks!
Artistic View of my beautiful wife and her pregnant belly.
Artistic View of my beautiful wife and her pregnant belly.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Lucy in 4D
Hey Folks... many of you have heard about our fabulous experience of seeing 4D ultrasound photos of Lucy. I promised to post them.... so, here they are...
The two 4D photos are self-explanatory, but let me tell you about the other 4...
Upper right hand corner = Lucy's forearm- At this point, they measure the length of her bones to monitor growth rate. By the way, she's in the 76% range for overall growth and the midwife said "She's thriving!" WOO HOO!
Middle photo on Left = the circumference of her skull- the white halo is her hair -or- peach fuzz.
Middle photo on Right = Facial profile.
Bottom Right Corner = Face.
On March 2nd, we begin our "Preparation for Childbirth" class which will last 6 weeks. I'll keep you posted about the classes later. Until then, I hope you enjoy the photos!
Monday, February 16, 2009
28 Weeks = The Beginning of the third trimester
Welcome to the last and final chapter of pregnancy through Erica’s eyes… this week marks the third and final trimester of our adventure before parenthood (don't worry, there will be many more posts). Thus far, it has been a learning experience for both of us, and from my perspective an “easy pregnancy” meaning that Rachel has had few negative pregnancy side effects. She has had some belly achiness as her muscles are loosening and allowing Lucy more space to stretch out, she’s had cramping of the legs (i.e. Charlie Horses), her center of gravity has shifted, she’s had vivid dreams, her breasts were tender (at first), and recently she’s experienced some achy lower back (through the sciatica). Within approximately twelve short weeks, we will be mommies!
As suggested by many, Rachel and I will be taking three new parent courses through Baystate Franklin Medical Center here in Greenfield. First, we will take a six week, Preparation for Childbirth class (i.e Lamaze), one evening workshop on Breastfeeding, and one evening workshop on Infant Care/ Transition to Parenthood. These classes will begin in March and stretch through mid-April. We’ve also contemplated taking a class suggested by a co-worker from the Retreat called Hypnobirthing. Apparently, hypnobirthing is a birthing method that is recently being used by many parents and medical professionals. The blurb for the book states, “You and your partner will learn to use self-hypnosis, guided imagery and special breathing techniques that can help to bring about a shorter, easier, and more joyful birthing, free of harmful drugs for you and your baby. You will birth your baby in a more comfortable manner, awake, alert, and fully in control.” Since Rachel is highly interested in a natural birth, free of unnecessary drugs/ medications and medical interventions, this method may be the way that we steer.
I feel like I haven’t offered any information about what’s going on with Lucy lately. According to “What to Expect,” Lucy’s brain wave activity shows different sleep cycles, including rapid eye movement phase, the stage when dreaming occurs. Not only is Rachel having vivid dreams, but it appears that Lucy is also having dreams, too. Which makes me wonder what she dreams about; last night I was suggesting to Rachel that she dreams of sugar plum fairies and growing up in a wonderful home with mom’s who love her dearly, but then I also added that I think she dreams of Santa Claus and all the wonderful presents that she will gather in the future; Rachel laughed at that notion and responded “Our daughter isn’t dreaming of cultural specific activities.” Regardless of what she is dreaming about, I hope that they are happy dreams and that she thinks as fondly of us as we do of her.
By now, Lucy weighs about two and a half pounds and should be approximately 16 inches long (measured head to toe). She has added blinking to her growing bag of tricks. (Outside in the real world, blinking is necessary to help keep foreign objects out of the eyes.) Other impressive new talents being added to Lucy's roster in the womb include coughing, more intense sucking, and, perhaps most important, better breathing. Rachel has recently begun to notice rhythmic sensations which may be hiccupping. Also, Lucy continues to be an acrobat and at times, sticks her body into funny configurations- thus one side of Rachel’s belly is raised, creating not such a smooth, round surface, but rather a bumpy belly that often changes from moment to moment.
Also according to “What to Expect,” babies born this week, though premature, have an excellent prognosis because their lungs have reached the point (for the most part) of maturity. Of course, it's still best if a baby doesn't check out of that uterine hotel just yet — there's still a lot of growing and maturing to do over the next 12 weeks.
Previously, I noted that we would also keep folks up-to-date regarding the baby shower and the details. Well, we have finally settled on a location and date. The grand event will occur on Saturday April 4th, 2009 from 2pm until 4pm at The Putney Friends Meeting House located at 17 Bellows Falls Rd. (Rt. 5) in Putney, Vermont. Rachel’s sister, Elizabeth, has been kindly orchestrating the event from afar (i.e. Columbia, Maryland) and will be contacting family members/ friends regarding the remainder of the details.
As suggested by many, Rachel and I will be taking three new parent courses through Baystate Franklin Medical Center here in Greenfield. First, we will take a six week, Preparation for Childbirth class (i.e Lamaze), one evening workshop on Breastfeeding, and one evening workshop on Infant Care/ Transition to Parenthood. These classes will begin in March and stretch through mid-April. We’ve also contemplated taking a class suggested by a co-worker from the Retreat called Hypnobirthing. Apparently, hypnobirthing is a birthing method that is recently being used by many parents and medical professionals. The blurb for the book states, “You and your partner will learn to use self-hypnosis, guided imagery and special breathing techniques that can help to bring about a shorter, easier, and more joyful birthing, free of harmful drugs for you and your baby. You will birth your baby in a more comfortable manner, awake, alert, and fully in control.” Since Rachel is highly interested in a natural birth, free of unnecessary drugs/ medications and medical interventions, this method may be the way that we steer.
I feel like I haven’t offered any information about what’s going on with Lucy lately. According to “What to Expect,” Lucy’s brain wave activity shows different sleep cycles, including rapid eye movement phase, the stage when dreaming occurs. Not only is Rachel having vivid dreams, but it appears that Lucy is also having dreams, too. Which makes me wonder what she dreams about; last night I was suggesting to Rachel that she dreams of sugar plum fairies and growing up in a wonderful home with mom’s who love her dearly, but then I also added that I think she dreams of Santa Claus and all the wonderful presents that she will gather in the future; Rachel laughed at that notion and responded “Our daughter isn’t dreaming of cultural specific activities.” Regardless of what she is dreaming about, I hope that they are happy dreams and that she thinks as fondly of us as we do of her.
By now, Lucy weighs about two and a half pounds and should be approximately 16 inches long (measured head to toe). She has added blinking to her growing bag of tricks. (Outside in the real world, blinking is necessary to help keep foreign objects out of the eyes.) Other impressive new talents being added to Lucy's roster in the womb include coughing, more intense sucking, and, perhaps most important, better breathing. Rachel has recently begun to notice rhythmic sensations which may be hiccupping. Also, Lucy continues to be an acrobat and at times, sticks her body into funny configurations- thus one side of Rachel’s belly is raised, creating not such a smooth, round surface, but rather a bumpy belly that often changes from moment to moment.
Also according to “What to Expect,” babies born this week, though premature, have an excellent prognosis because their lungs have reached the point (for the most part) of maturity. Of course, it's still best if a baby doesn't check out of that uterine hotel just yet — there's still a lot of growing and maturing to do over the next 12 weeks.
Previously, I noted that we would also keep folks up-to-date regarding the baby shower and the details. Well, we have finally settled on a location and date. The grand event will occur on Saturday April 4th, 2009 from 2pm until 4pm at The Putney Friends Meeting House located at 17 Bellows Falls Rd. (Rt. 5) in Putney, Vermont. Rachel’s sister, Elizabeth, has been kindly orchestrating the event from afar (i.e. Columbia, Maryland) and will be contacting family members/ friends regarding the remainder of the details.
And, PLEASE welcome Charlie/ Chuck to our family- he's a 5yo yellow lab who we (and Grace) love dearly. We adopted him from our close friend, Kim.... can't wait for you to meet the "man of the house!"
Sunday, February 1, 2009
The Wonders of Our "Situation"
As lesbian mothers, Rachel and I have the pleasure of making the rules up as we go... The other day, I had a wonderful conversation with my grandmother. The result = she wanted to let me know that my teenage cousin, Kathryn, (who was also in our wedding), is interested in being referred to as Lucy's "aunt" rather than just "cousin." Since I do not have any sisters, and Kathryn would make a wonderful role model for Lucy, it was a clear decision- we promoted Kathryn to "Aunt Kathryn." An additional factor, is that I have a truly wonderful relationship with my aunt, Tammy, Kathryn's mom; one that I truly value and treasure. Some day, I am positive that Lucy will value and treasure the role that Kathryn plays in her life.
Kathryn- August 18, 2007 (Erica & Rachel's Wedding).
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