The results are in...

IT'S A BOY!!


James Lucca Hopkins

I knew all along, but I was still really excited to hear it and cried in the ultrasound chair. I could see the penis a mile away before she even pointed it out. It was just a normal 2D ultrasound, but it was really high res on the big screen and we could see every little detail of his anatomy inside. The technician pointed out all his little parts and organs, the umbilical cord, the placenta, my ovaries, my cervix (which is curved!), his little feet (they are big like his daddy's feet).... he is head down already and he's facing my back (I pictured him transverse for some reason), and the placenta is not covering my cervix. I think his face has a good shape for being an Allegretti face (those Italian genes are strong!) but he looks long and proportioned like Ash. They said either I'm a week farther along than I think I am, or he is a bigger baby. There is a New Moon on August 29th, so I'm liking the chances of the birth happening around that day.

The trip to UNC hospital was so... interesting. We showed up and were immediately overwhelmed by the size of the place and the hustle and bustle. There was a large open entrance with an escalator- it felt like a shopping mall. The women's hospital is right next door to the children's hospital, so there were sick, sad-looking kids everywhere. The place was really hot, which is weird because I thought hospitals were supposed to be cold. There was a woman crying in the ultrasound waiting room, and another woman came out of a room crying as we went in. Needless to say, it sort of put a damper on our spirits since we were there under such happy pretenses (and BOY ARE WE GLAD we chose to do a home birth). Our friends Lauren and Carter had their ultrasound technician write down the gender on a card and they read it later when they were alone, and now I really understand why that might have been a great idea!! I'm also really glad we found out the gender, I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders and I can start really mentally prepping for the reality of parenthood.

If the ultrasound is right, then I will be 5 MONTHS PREGNANT next week. I didn't know time could move so quickly. I really don't look 5 months, and I still only weigh about 133-135ish. I still haven't found the time to go to a prenatal yoga class even once!!! I finally have some time tomorrow, I just have to drag my ass out there (everything is 30 minutes away from here).



After the ultrasound we went to the chiropractor who owed us some sessions after we played music at his party for him. He gave me my first ever adjustment! It hurt a little bit, so he just did a couple vertebrae in my neck and a couple in my back, and will do the rest next time. My whole body felt flooded with giddiness after the pops. I got a massage afterward too. Apparently my sacrum is tilted, which makes my right hip a whole inch higher than my left hip (which makes my left shoulder higher than my right shoulder). My posture is pretty good now (I need to lift my collar bone a bit more), but I slouched so much as a teenager that I almost have no lower back curve. The car accident I was in when I was 17 actually did more of a number on my neck than I thought, and all that violin playing as a teen did about as much damage as I thought it did. I don't know why I haven't gone to a chiropractor before!

I finished making that all-in-one cloth diaper. It looks really cute (for something sewn so poorly, haha), but I can't decide if I want to bother making more until I know how many I will be getting at my baby shower, or if the pattern/material is even any good and holds up in the wash. I think I will make some other projects for a while and come back to it if I want to. I bought some really nice wool felt, it's maybe 70% wool which is the highest percentage I have found so far. I want to make some little felt things, like animals and mushrooms and other pretty things that can be mobiles now and toys later.







My mom brings home random baby stuff sometimes. She got me some wipes (disposable... even my own mom has trouble listening sometimes!), some baby powder (does anyone use baby powder these days?), and some diaper rash ointment (I have no idea if it is compatible with cloth diapers though). Hopefully my pottying baby will never need the diaper rash cream, but it's good to have some on hand. She also got a pretty cool baby food musher. You just put whatever you are having for dinner into it, and instant baby food!





My parents implemented mine and Ash's idea of hiding all the dishes in the house except for one per person (so one bowl, one plate, and one cup each). So far it has helped IMMENSELY with cutting down on the kitchen mess. This is essential since my mom is going back to work and therefore the kitchen fairy has retired.

EDIT: Just looked up the Avalon Organics Baby products on consumerdatabase.com, and they got rated a 4 (moderate hazard) because it contains an ingredient that is an 8 (high hazard). SO I guess I won't be using those.

Herbs!

Well, last night was interesting. I came home from work at 10pm to find certain-individuals-who-shall-remain-nameless weren't handling their liquor very well. Ash and I stayed up all night nursing them back to health (good practice for that newborn, eh?), which was a lot of fun, surprisingly. So that lack of sleep combined with the sudden drop in temperatures today made me feel a little under the weather.

I met with an herbalist to talk about getting some nice pregnancy/birth herbal support. We had a great conversation that not only inspired me to do better with my general nutrition and fitness, but inspired me to get back into tea drinking in general. We drank this nettle and oats tea the whole time that made me feel like SUPER WOMAN. I have got to get me some of that stuff (I'm so glad we planted nettle in our herb garden!!).

This herbalist has been helping Ash out with his seasonal allergies. For the first time, my dear husband has not been waking up sneezing every morning!! It was kind of entertaining to count the sneezes (gosh several dozen every day), but miserable for him. This is the only thing that has ever helped him.

I got an ultrasound appointment!! April 1st. That's next Friday!! I will be 18 weeks next week so they should have no problem telling us what the sex is (unless baby decides to cross their legs oh-so-modestly).

It hurts where my stomach is. Not like a stomach ache, but like the muscle next to the skin right at the bottom of my ribcage (either my diaphragm or my upper abs) just hurts hurts hurts. It is often accompanied by middle back aching. I also get a lot of ab and round ligament pain after picking up the 14 month old (she is over 25 lbs). I'm going to have to start picking her up a lot less, which a 14 month old is going to have a hard time understanding. Especially a 14 month old who can't talk to express what it is she wants, exactly (sometimes she wants to be picked up because she is scared, sometimes because she can't see the source of a sound and is curious, and sometimes because she wants to point to something she needs). I also have to pick her up now and then for safety (she is trying to go up the stairs too fast, there is a car coming, etc). Remind me to have my next baby before my first one gets this big!!

My mom and I went to weigh and sort bulk foods for our food coop this morning. A very social 8-year-old girl there offered to teach me sign language! So I learned a bunch of signs this morning. The word "like" (as in "I like bananas") looks like you are pinching and stretching out your nipple.... so weird. But I'm excited to teach my baby sign language so we can communicate early on. Apparently there are some baby signing books/DVDs that aren't actual American Sign Language!! So you have to be careful what you buy. I think I would be better off just learning it online off of ASL websites.

second appointment

My appointment went well! The heartbeat is still going strong (between 150-160 beats per minute), and my uterus is growing like it's supposed to. We had our checkup with the other midwife, Jane, and we got to meet another one of her assistants. So I think we have officially met everyone in the practice? There might be one more assistant. Still no ultrasound appointment, Deb said that if she sent the referral too soon then they would have just ignored it. So she sent it again.

Consignment store finds

I found a used Baby Bjorn for $11!!!!!!! Those things are $80 minimum brand new. It has some stains on it, it looks like someone tried to use a little bleach or something silly, but who cares! I tested out all the buckles and belts to make sure they were working properly... even with all the wear and tear on it, it appears to be super high quality and like it will last a lifetime. I know there is some concern with this carrier, because it puts most of the weight on the baby's crotch rather than their bum, but I plan on using a ring sling or wrap for everyday use. For things we do occasionally (like hiking long distances) I thought it would be nice to have something easier to get on and off and pass between us, and with better support for the shoulders. Especially for Ash. If it turns out to suck, oh well, I only paid $11!

I also bought 4 receiving blankets for about a dollar each... they look like they will make really good baby wipes, cut up.

It's hard to find sleep gowns. The sleep sacks are not usable for someone who's practicing EC and needs quick access to the aft-end of the baby. I found one today for $4.

I bought two guard rails for my mom's bed, per her request. She wants to be able to take naps with the baby and cuddle with it when Ash and I are on date nights. She wants to buy me a breast pump as well, so I can enjoy occasional date nights and baby-free-errand-running (and maybe working a shift or two?).

16 weeks

I had such a HUGE tummy on Friday and Saturday, I guess it was just from eating so much and being a bit constipated, because my tummy is back to what it looks like in this picture:



Here are two bibs Alyssa and I made, with cute cotton on one side and terry cloth on the other side. In the photo is also the brown knit hat my mom made. Next she is starting on a sweater and I want her to learn to make diaper covers.



I also made this bib, which is reversible and folds up to create a pocket to catch food. Generally all the stuff I made looks terrible, but I don't care too much as long as it is functional! I will get better I hope.




Here is the bird mobile I made. The branch holding them up came from the cedar tree we cut down two weeks ago to build our tool shed. I don't know how or where I will mount it, yet.



I have an appointment with my midwife on Tuesday morning, Ash is working so my mom is going to come. I still don't have an ultrasound appointment. I still have an aversion to fish and chicken but my sugar aversion is fading away. For the past two days I have felt like eating nothing but fruits and veggies, but now my appetite is coming back again and no matter how much I eat I can't satisfy it!! I still only weigh 130 despite eating like an olympic swimmer.

This is how my diaper collection is coming along:
2 newborn PUL covers
2 small PUL covers
1 newborn fleece cover (by MELANIE!)
2 fitted medium diapers
1 small handmade AIO (the red one)
17 flannel wipes
1 roll disposable liners (someone gave me these, not sure how to use them)
6 snappies (still trying to figure out how to use these too)

12 toddler prefolds
16 newborn prefolds
3 infant prefolds

Spring has Sprung

I sent in my registration form for my hypnobabies class today!! I got the LAST SPOT. It starts May 1st. I'm so excited!!

I have started drinking cranberry juice because I read online that pregnant women are more susceptible to UTI infections and kidney stones. The 100% cranberry juice tastes TERRIBLE, so I mix it with another juice that has cranberries, raspberries, and apples. But I don't want to outweigh the benefits of the cranberry by drinking a ton of sugar! I tried to just eat dried cranberries, but those are QUITE sugary and hurt my teeth. I can eat them in oatmeal, though.

One major pregnancy craving I cannot satisfy... FAST AND FRENCH. The best restaurant in Charleston/the world. I seriously keep looking at my calender, trying to figure out how I can drive down there... our friend Dan has a spare bedroom, which happens to be the bedroom Ash and I used to live in, and there is always music stuff Ash can do with Dan. So the excuse is there, the room is there, now I just have to find the time...

I wish I could join Ash pruning grape vines for $12/hr in the mornings, but the farmer has this crazy dog who jumps up on people, and last time I was there she knocked me over and scratched me with her claws. So I don't feel right going back there, especially now that my belly is bigger. But gosh darnit that's good money!! I would ask her to lock up the dog, but she wants the dog to be out every day with her so she can work on her behavior daily. If the dog is locked in the pen all morning it might just make her even more neurotic.

I wore shorts and a tank top on Sunday. It was so beautiful. I did some work outside on the leftover cedar trimmings, while Greg, Dylan, and Danielle (who is due about the same time I am) worked on building our tool shed.

COME ON, BABY BELLY, YOU ARE SO CLOSE TO JUST POPPING OUT!