That's what they call it, you know? When the baby starts to move and flutter around in the womb? It's called quickening. I felt it for the first time today. Actually I think that I've felt it earlier this week but I was afraid to assume that it was the baby because I didn't want to jump the gun. However after talking to my midwife, I'm pretty sure this is what I feel. It feels like the teeniest tap tap tapping from the inside. It is a pretty distinct feeling so I'm pretty sure about it. That being said, I think I sort of brought this on. I had the most intense craving for coca cola today (I know I know but my midwife said it was ok to have once in a while). I don't even drink the stuff when I'm not pregnant so why in the world am I craving it now?! It tasted pretty good going down though, I gotta say.
So about 10 mins after I drank it, I start feeling this weird little tapping. Almost like little fingers drumming on my middle from the inside. Sorry kid, you aren't even born and I already got you hopped up on the caffeine.
Anyway it was awesome... I can't wait til Jason can feel the kicking/punching from the outside!
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
fenix rising
At the risk of seeming like pot head hippie parents, we are going for a rather unconventional name with an unconventional spelling. The name is Fenix. And I said that "we" are going for the name but actually I am the one that really wants this name. Jason is in "lets think about it" mode which is fine (but we are using that name dammit!).
The name works for a girl or a boy. I'm so sold on this name that I am even willing to forfeit my rights to selecting a middle name.
Anyway that's what I want.
The name works for a girl or a boy. I'm so sold on this name that I am even willing to forfeit my rights to selecting a middle name.
Anyway that's what I want.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
the babymooners
America's great marketing minds never stop working. The latest thing you *must* spend your money on is a 'Babymoon'. It's basically a vacation that you take pre-baby (or just after the baby is born). I'm not sure what the purpose is... it's kinda like a regular vacation except you are taking it when you are pregnant or have a new born.
Bottom line I think it's just a marketing tool. That being said, the idea is becoming more and more appealing to me. Hotels like the W have full blown babymoon packages. There are websites dedicated to vacations customized for expectant or brand new parents. I must admit, the whole thing is pretty genius. These days vacation seems to be all I can think about. After a craptastic first trimester, 4 or 5 days relaxing in a beautiful location sounds like a dream come true. I keep thinking about Cabo...we had so much fun laying by the pool, eating and sleeping in. I can't think of anything more exciting than doing just that right now.
Here's my current possibilities for babymoon destinations (in no particular order):
- San Juan Islands, WA
- Sedona, AZ
- Hawaii (doesn't matter where)
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Vancouver, BC
I'm going to start researching this to see what I come up with. It will be awhile before we can get away once the baby is here!
Bottom line I think it's just a marketing tool. That being said, the idea is becoming more and more appealing to me. Hotels like the W have full blown babymoon packages. There are websites dedicated to vacations customized for expectant or brand new parents. I must admit, the whole thing is pretty genius. These days vacation seems to be all I can think about. After a craptastic first trimester, 4 or 5 days relaxing in a beautiful location sounds like a dream come true. I keep thinking about Cabo...we had so much fun laying by the pool, eating and sleeping in. I can't think of anything more exciting than doing just that right now.
Here's my current possibilities for babymoon destinations (in no particular order):
- San Juan Islands, WA
- Sedona, AZ
- Hawaii (doesn't matter where)
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Vancouver, BC
I'm going to start researching this to see what I come up with. It will be awhile before we can get away once the baby is here!
i hurt myself laughing?
Yesterday something really funny happened at work. I was there cracking up.... big huge guffaws... and yeeoww! I pulled some kinda muscle in my abdomen! (?) How is this possible? Wait, I know how it's possible but this is a really cruel joke. Who hurts themselves while laughing?! That's right... I do.
Ridiculous.
Ridiculous.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
bump rub
Oh! I wanted to post the recipe for the belly salve in case anyone else is up for making their own. The recipe is pretty straight forward. You could change out the herbs and essential oils if you want to use this salve for another purpose.... say a muscle/joint rub with eucalyptus... or a maybe a nice minty salve to rub on your temples if you have a bad headache (thanks ty for that idea, the peppermint worked nicely!). In a little while I will start experimenting with making diaper salve, but I have a bit more research to do before I start that project.
Read some books about what herbs and essential oils work for whatever issue you want to address. You can vary the combinations of herbs in the maceration, the carrier oils used, or the essential oils used to customize your salve.
The recipe:
Infused oil is the basis of this salve. The process of making the oil takes about a month so you will need to get started a month ahead of when you will need the salve. Do not be intimated though, it's very easy.
Make a cold maceration of the herbs...
1 oz of dried rosehips
1 oz of dried chamomile
1 oz of dried calendula flowers
1 oz of dried/shredded marshmallow root
A large glass jar with a good fitting lid (mason jar would work well)
Grapeseed or sweet almond oil (enough to completely submerge the herbs)
Put the dried herbs in the jar.
Fill the jar with oil so that the herbs are totally submerged plus about another finger or so of oil to top it off.
Put the lid on the jar and let the whole thing sit in a cool dark place for a month. Shake up the jar every so often to stir everything up.
After a month strain the oil thru a bit of cheese cloth (squeeze it to get all the oil out of the saturated herbs). Put the oil in a clean glass jar and store in a cool dark place. You will have more oil than you will use for this salve recipe.
To make the salve (makes almost 2 oz of salve but a little goes a long way):
1 small amber glass jar with lid - holds about 1.75 oz (i get mine at a natural foods store like whole foods)
1 teaspoon of hemp seed oil*
1 teaspoon of macadamia nut oil*
1/4 cup of infused herb oil (per recipe above)
2 1/2 teaspooons grated beeswax
1-2 drops each of the the following essential oils
lavender, chamomile (roman), neroli, tangerine
*if you can't get this type of oil you can just omit it and use an extra teaspoon of the infused herb oil
Using a bain marie heat the beeswax, hemp seed oil and macadamia nut oil in a heat safe glass container on low even heat until everything is melted and the mixture is totally translucent... i use a chopstick to constantly stir mixture while it is melting.
Remove the bain marie from the heat and slowly stir in the infused herb oil.... if the mixture gets cloudy and starts to set up you can put the bain marie back on the heat but only long enough to melt everything.
Once the mixture is totally translucent, remove the container from the bain marie.
To test that you have the right consistency pick up a bit of the mixture on the back of a spoon or put a drop of it onto a plate. Once that bit of salve is cooled confirm whether or not the consistency is to your liking. Add a little grated beeswax to firm it up.... a little more infused oil to thin it out.
Once you are confident in the consistency, remove the container from the bain marie. You do not want to continue heating it once the essential oils are added because they will quickly evaporate. Stir in the essential oils.
Pour the salve into the glass jar. Place in the fridge to cool for 5 minutes. Remove from the fridge, attach the lid and let sit for another 20 mins.
Rub on your belly and enjoy!
Read some books about what herbs and essential oils work for whatever issue you want to address. You can vary the combinations of herbs in the maceration, the carrier oils used, or the essential oils used to customize your salve.
The recipe:
Infused oil is the basis of this salve. The process of making the oil takes about a month so you will need to get started a month ahead of when you will need the salve. Do not be intimated though, it's very easy.
Make a cold maceration of the herbs...
1 oz of dried rosehips
1 oz of dried chamomile
1 oz of dried calendula flowers
1 oz of dried/shredded marshmallow root
A large glass jar with a good fitting lid (mason jar would work well)
Grapeseed or sweet almond oil (enough to completely submerge the herbs)
Put the dried herbs in the jar.
Fill the jar with oil so that the herbs are totally submerged plus about another finger or so of oil to top it off.
Put the lid on the jar and let the whole thing sit in a cool dark place for a month. Shake up the jar every so often to stir everything up.
After a month strain the oil thru a bit of cheese cloth (squeeze it to get all the oil out of the saturated herbs). Put the oil in a clean glass jar and store in a cool dark place. You will have more oil than you will use for this salve recipe.
To make the salve (makes almost 2 oz of salve but a little goes a long way):
1 small amber glass jar with lid - holds about 1.75 oz (i get mine at a natural foods store like whole foods)
1 teaspoon of hemp seed oil*
1 teaspoon of macadamia nut oil*
1/4 cup of infused herb oil (per recipe above)
2 1/2 teaspooons grated beeswax
1-2 drops each of the the following essential oils
lavender, chamomile (roman), neroli, tangerine
*if you can't get this type of oil you can just omit it and use an extra teaspoon of the infused herb oil
Using a bain marie heat the beeswax, hemp seed oil and macadamia nut oil in a heat safe glass container on low even heat until everything is melted and the mixture is totally translucent... i use a chopstick to constantly stir mixture while it is melting.
Remove the bain marie from the heat and slowly stir in the infused herb oil.... if the mixture gets cloudy and starts to set up you can put the bain marie back on the heat but only long enough to melt everything.
Once the mixture is totally translucent, remove the container from the bain marie.
To test that you have the right consistency pick up a bit of the mixture on the back of a spoon or put a drop of it onto a plate. Once that bit of salve is cooled confirm whether or not the consistency is to your liking. Add a little grated beeswax to firm it up.... a little more infused oil to thin it out.
Once you are confident in the consistency, remove the container from the bain marie. You do not want to continue heating it once the essential oils are added because they will quickly evaporate. Stir in the essential oils.
Pour the salve into the glass jar. Place in the fridge to cool for 5 minutes. Remove from the fridge, attach the lid and let sit for another 20 mins.
Rub on your belly and enjoy!
big but not fat
Ok maybe I'm a little bit chunky but that has nothing to do with this baby.
I am pretty amazed at the rate that my belly seems to be growing. I didn't exactly have abs of steel before but I didn't have much of a belly thing going on either. It's strange to look down and see a shelf of flesh instead of my lap.
But I like the way I look now (ask me about this again in 3 or 4 months!). My belly is firm... not soft or mushy like I had imagined that it would be.
Oh and today I made some nice belly salve to ward off the infamous stretch marks. I know that stretch marks are supposed to be genetic and therefore unavoidable if you've got a predisposition, but I like to think that it can't really hurt to keep the skin supple and moisturized.
So I think I'll call the salve 'Bump Rub'. It's smells delicious and has all sorts of soothing herbs and oils. I'll have to make more and give it away to all my currently or soon to be pregnant lady friends.
Anyway enough rambling... here's me (all of me) at 13 weeks:
I am pretty amazed at the rate that my belly seems to be growing. I didn't exactly have abs of steel before but I didn't have much of a belly thing going on either. It's strange to look down and see a shelf of flesh instead of my lap.
But I like the way I look now (ask me about this again in 3 or 4 months!). My belly is firm... not soft or mushy like I had imagined that it would be.
Oh and today I made some nice belly salve to ward off the infamous stretch marks. I know that stretch marks are supposed to be genetic and therefore unavoidable if you've got a predisposition, but I like to think that it can't really hurt to keep the skin supple and moisturized.
So I think I'll call the salve 'Bump Rub'. It's smells delicious and has all sorts of soothing herbs and oils. I'll have to make more and give it away to all my currently or soon to be pregnant lady friends.
Anyway enough rambling... here's me (all of me) at 13 weeks:
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