On the road

So we are on the road. Just stopped at one of the last MD travel plazas and we are almost to Deleware. Still have NJ, NY, CT, and then Mass. I expect it to take us another 5 hours. Which is kinda crappy!... but we'll make it before the sun comes up and that's all I care about.

As far as packing goes, I did pack for closer to 7 days instead of 5 mainly because Evie had too many cute outfits she hasn't worn yet. They're all for cooler weather and since it's been warming up in Richmond I am taking this opportunity to not feel guilty by having her wear some of this stuff. We couldn't find the camera, unfortunately. That's really the only thing I'm upset that we couldn't bring. I managed to squeeze in her toilet seat instead of having to lug around the froggy potty so that's good. We fit everything in the car nicely.

Evie is asleep for the night hopefully. She's being super agreeable. We stopped in MD at a rest stop and let her cruise around a bit, stretch her legs and holler at all the people walking by. She has been incredibly talkative lately. She will just talk and talk at whoever is nearby, even sometimes pointing her finger and furrowing her brow as if to scold us. I think it's hilarious.

Well tomorrow is the first day of Anime Boston and I'm very happy to see all our con friends. It would be great if we could get to Maine at some point before Sunday night, but cons get busy and it's over before you know it. To all our friends who couldn't make it, we'll miss you!

Catch you all tomorrow.

*Christine*

7 months!

My sweet tiny baby who would not sleep unless she was literally laying on either Dave or myself is quietly sleeping on our bed and cooing in her sleep. Oh wait, now she's fussing. Be right back..

Ahh the night nursings! Evelyn probably nurses about 5-8 times a night. I don't know how I go without sleep, maybe it's the mommy hormones? It's kind of strange but Evie really does the majority of her nursing at night. I think it would be nice to switch to more frequent day feeds because I'm going to need sleep at some point, right? It's been 7 months and I think the last time I had even 6 hours of solid sleep was before I gave birth. But when that baby cuddles and reaches out for me at night, it's one of the best feelings in the whole world. Sometimes she turns to me and opens her mouth wide, grunting in anticipation of being fed. Then she lets out a huge sigh of relief and gulps for about 2 or 3 minutes. Did I mention she's a super fast eater? She can put down 5 ounces in less than 5 minutes!

So Evelyn is also sitting unassisted and just starting to support herself standing. I'm kind of surprised that she has taken so long to figure out standing. She's been sitting for a couple weeks, but only about a week ago did she figure out how to lock her legs and pull her body weight up. It's been really cute holding her while she wiggles out of my arms in an attempt to stand up. She's also wanting to be held facing forward. She'll tolerate the Ergo carrier for a bit, but then wants to face out. I need to figure out how to carry her like this and have it be comfortable for us both. The Moby Wrap supports a front carry so I'll maybe try it out tomorrow. I'm not really looking forward to putting her in and out of the wrap because it's soooo long. I tried tonight, but she was really squirming and I was worried she would fall. I'm sure we'll figure something out.

We went on a fabulous trip to New York for Comic Con. Dave was hoping to get more networking done, but he had some great meetings with some game development companies. I had a blast meeting some of the ladies from Battlestar Galactica. We met Katee Sackhoff, Tricia Helfer, Nicki Clyne, and Michelle Forbes. We also got a cute photo of Evie with Bruce Campbell. It was really neat meeting some of the cast since Dave and I just finished watching the series about two weeks ago. I admit, I was kind of a fangirl when Katee stopped on the way out of her autograph line to play with Evelyn for a couple minutes. I'm pretty sure Evie is going to think her mom is a huge geek!

We stayed with our beloved Bianca and her brother, Lukas. Our hotel was a two hour trip into the city and it just about killed us. Next time we're definitely footing the extra $$ and staying in Manhattan. We saw tons of other friends and had a great time. My back was killing me by the time we got home since I carried Evelyn the entire time, but is was worth the effort; she stayed very calm and happy throughout the majority of the trip. There was one night when were verbally harassed by a bunch of kids on the way home and I really lost my cool. We missed the last train out of NYC.. Evelyn was screaming and I was so upset that these kids were going out of their way to wake her up and be noisy to get attention. I guess they won because I am not proud of some of the things I said to them. A fight almost broke out between Dave and two of the boys, but they stepped down quickly when Dave said a few words. I was traumatized by that experience and learned a very valuable lesson(s). We are not staying outside Manhattan and we are not going to travel late at night. I can do a 10 minute subway ride, but a two hour trip home with a tired baby is a recipe for disaster. Goodness just thinking about that night gets me a little upset. But the rest of the trip was really great! -lol- I'm so thankful for Bianca and Lukas' ability to endure our crazy family trials!

I'm going to try and get some sleep tonight - Dave doesn't have to work tomorrow so I think we might pass Evie off to my wonderful parents in the morning. I also need to clean the guinea pig cage and do some laundry.

Hope everyone is doing well!

We're home! And moving..

So we've been out of the loop for about 4 weeks as we did two conventions and spent two weeks in Maine with Dave's family. It was all wonderful. I enjoyed Maine the most because spending time with the family is always nice and relaxing. Dave's sister, Cherry, spoiled Evelyn rotten. She bought her clothes from Carter's, LL Bean, Children's Place, etc. etc. Auntie Cherry also bought Evie a Bumbo seat. It's just a molded foam seat that Evie can sit upright in. She has been doing a super job sitting up in it, although after a while she gets tired and whines.

So, yes, Evelyn was thoroughly spoiled, held and loved by her Daddy's side of the family. I miss them so much and I am encouraging my parents to set a date for a trip up there before the end of summer. They have been wanting to vacation in Maine forever, so I'm excited for them to finally go.

In other news, we are currently getting ready to sit down and eat a delicious meal courtesy of Jim & Nelly Brown. Evelyn is showing a slight interest in food, but she still has another 3 months or so before we will give her any :P More updates soon!!

Growth spurt and conventions!

Evelyn has been sleeping pretty much all day, only waking to nurse and poop. Textbook growth spurt, right? Over a week ago after returning from our awesome trip to New York with Auntie Bianca, Evelyn was having major gas pains and trouble pooping. I had eaten a ton of soy products while we were there, so the pediatrician and I just assumed it was the soy. She wanted me to do an elimination diet and not eat anything with soy for at least a week. Well we did that and Evelyn was still having pains. She would spend quite a few minutes crying in pain until she passed gas or pooped. I then called my midwife, Nancy, to see if she thought I should do anything different. She thought it was dairy because that is the more common allergy. After buying a bunch of food without soy, I am switching to a dairy-free diet. Dave will have to eat all my organic pizzas and chicken dishes that are loaded with cheese, I suppose. After two days now of not eating any dairy, Evelyn is napping for longer periods and she hasn't had any green poop or much difficulty going potty. It's probably safe to say that my baby has a dairy allergy. To be honest, I'd much rather her be allergic to dairy than soy. I can eat lots of tasty soy products from Whole Foods and Trader Joe's but it is such a pain to find soy-free food. Go to the store and look at the food you buy (besides fresh produce and meat) -- almost everything has soy in it! If thousands of breastfeeding mothers can go without dairy for a year or two, so can I. The way I see it, trading something I like to eat for a non-gassy, pain-free baby is a no-brainer.

Just like last year, we have a massive summer con schedule planned. It's all starting this upcoming Thursday. We're going to Anime Mid-Atlantic, then Anime-Next the following weekend, then leaving for Maine, then stopping by PortCon, and finally, stopping by Connecticon if we have the time or desire. We have a few good friends who are going to CTCon and we don't get to see them more than once or twice a year. Now we have a BABY and barely any of our con friends have met her!! There's just so much we'll be doing and I want to make sure Evelyn is comfortable. Our friend Allison is coming to AMA and Anime-Next, so I might enlist her help with baby so I don't feel too overwhelmed. I am going to ask my sister (she doesn't know it yet) if I can borrow her camera for our crazy 5 week trip across the north-eastern seaboard so I can post pics during our trip. Please pray/wish/hope that we all get through the next month!   

~Christine

32 1/2 weeks and a bit more..

Only about 7 weeks to go! Technically I will be full term on February 17th; at which point my midwife will attend the birth at home. Technically I could deliver her myself at home before then, but no thank you. If I go into labor before that date I will most certainly be going to the hospital.

After a few yucky-feeling days I’m back. Things are starting to get a little cramped in my belly. Baby E has been head down for about 3-4 weeks now and it seems like she’ll stay put. Her head is slowly expanding my pelvis and I can feel it in a not-so-good way. The sciatica (shooting leg pain) started up this week, too. Holy cow, does that hurt. It seems like at any random time I might feel as though my leg is being stabbed. I hope the labor contractions are more gradual even if they’re more painful.


Baby has been rolling and rolling, protruding her limbs all over my belly as though she’s trying to dig herself out. Looks like a little alien! I have tried to get it on camera, but she knows somehow and stops moving. Many nights this past week Dave has watched her amnio-aerobics, much entertained by how far she sticks her feet out and very empathetic of the pain it causes me.. I love it when he pushes against her foot and says “Ouch, be nice to Mommy!” I am seriously looking forward to handing her off to him if I’m simply exhausted and need a short break. You can’t just detach your womb and reattach it to your partner for a few hours when you’re pregnant. Wouldn’t that be nice?


Dave and I have a little less than 2 weeks to sort of pre-prep for the baby. Beginning Jan 28th the mega 3 week marathon starts. Ohayocon first, baby shower the next weekend, and lastly Katsucon. See our crazy schedule below. Sure, we could wait to get ready until after we get home from Katsucon, but that is too close to my safe date. Most babies born to first-time mamas come a little late, but not all of them. I would rather spend the next two weeks pre-organizing; washing up baby clothes and blankets, prepping the diapers (which involves washing them about 3 times), and getting our bedroom baby-ready. The rest of the things we can’t get done will have to be done by me, hopefully with the help of my mom and grandma, because Dave will be doing art work on most of those between days. Very last minute things can get done from the safe date until I go into labor. Lots to do and I feel like I haven’t really done any of it. Tomorrow is Monday and that’s a good day to begin, I suppose.

I decided I need to get a bit healthier in preparation for the birth and breastfeeding. I’m taking a probiotic supplement for my tummy that also has fiber, as well as a fish oil supplement (from very low-mercury containing fish) for the DHA, Flinstones chewable vitamins, and folic acid. I’m ordering some late-pregnancy herbs for the next few weeks to help strengthen my uterus and get me prepared for labor, too. Yes, it’s a lot of things to swallow, but I simply cannot eat all of the necessary foods to obtain these nutrients. Maybe if I feel better during my next pregnancy I can do a better job if getting nutrients straight from food. This time around I’m not beating myself up considering everything that’s happened.

Following this post is a separate post regarding a topic that is very important to me. I decided to write it separately because it’s too heavy for a happy almost 33 weeks post :) I really should be going to bed, BUT I’m a bit wired from thinking about a bazillion things and writing a mental list of another bazillion things that we have to do.


~Christine

23 weeks 1 day

We had a great time at Nekocon. Although I slept for many hours each day, Dave managed the table very well and we spent plenty of time with our friends late at night. Most nights I stayed up later than Dave because I napped during the day. There were a few bouts of nausea but nothing too bad. We will be leaving for Anime USA in a week and we’re both really looking forward to this convention, too.


As the con season is starting, I am very thankful that I am feeling better. I missed my test today, however, because my tummy decided it wasn’t going to keep down food this morning. I hadn’t been sick for about a week so a little throw up didn’t bother me too much. I have had a small headache for about two days now and it’s driving me crazy. I’m quite hungry so I’m eating a lot and trying to drink water, but the exhaustion is hitting me hard this week. It’s difficult to stay awake all day when you feel like you’re about to enter into a coma. If I sleep during the day then I can’t sleep at night, but if I don’t sleep when I’m really tired I get nauseated. It’s truly a no-win situation.


As you can see, my belly seems to have stopped growing for right now. I feel like I look smaller than I did two weeks ago. I anticipate, though, that over the next few weeks I am going to grow A LOT. Baby E is going to double her weight this month and continue to grow larger at a steadier pace. Many people have already commented that I don’t look very pregnant at all yet. I attribute this to my height and posterior uterus. Yes, posterior uterus. My uterus tilts upward instead of towards the front, so this girlie is definitely going to max out her height space before ballooning out.

On a related note, my midwife, Nancy, said many encouraging things to me at our appointment today. Despite the fact that 30% of her first time moms transfer to the hospital for various reasons, and despite the fact that I had horrible hyperemesis, I have many physical traits that will contribute to an easier labor. She said that since I’m taller the baby won’t have as much trouble sliding out as with shorter women, and that my posterior uterus makes an easier angle for the baby to come out. I also have a posterior placenta, meaning that it’s connected to the backside of my uterus. Babies do not like to lay on their placentas during the birthing process so there’s a much smaller chance that I will experience back-labor! All of these things will hopefully make for an easier first-time birth and I am happy to hear it. The sweetest thing that Nancy said, on top of the physical aspects, was that if I could get through all the hyperemesis and stomach problems for many months, labor wouldn’t be hardly as difficult. That just made me feel so much better in general!


One of my clients recently gave birth so I have been thinking about labor a lot over the past week. I have many hopes for my birth, but I think people are worried that I’m so hardcore about it that I will feel like a failure if I can’t accomplish this drug-free home birth. My hopes are high enough to maintain positive feelings about my birth and to keep unrealistic fears at a minimum. How I birth my baby does not define me. If I don’t get my home birth, I will not become depressed nor feel like a bad mother or incompetent woman. But, as realistic as I’m trying to be, I am going to do my best to cope with labor at home in the best way I can. I am not going to just give up if I feel pain. Hopefully pain will equal progress during my labor and that will keep me going!


Well Baby E has been kicking me more than ever. She likes to kick my bladder and any other spot where there’s pressure on her little space. She kicks me when I’m still and trying to sleep, and when I’m seriously needing to use the bathroom. I suppose it’s cute, but I’m thinking that as she grows and becomes stronger I might have a few bruised ribs. As long as she comes out after 9 months I can deal with it :) At the midwife appointment today she was kicking and squirming away from the doppler once again. Nancy was able to get her pretty quickly, but she was definitely trying to scoot away from it. She does the same thing to my hands when I rub my belly.


Over the next few weeks I am going to attempt to re-organize and take care of many neglected things since becoming sick and pregnant. I need to make a real list of things we’ll need for baby right after she’s born and leave the rest to her individual needs. I also need to start planning the baby shower with my mom and get my medical bills in order. I suppose the shower stuff can wait, but the medical stuff needs to be taken care of asap. It took me forever to get covered for insurance and there’s a lot of paperwork to be done and phone calls to make. I can’t keep it all straight sometimes.


~Christine

Away for the weekend

Dave and I are going to Nekocon this weekend in Hampton, VA. I am excited to be getting out of the house, but I am also trying to not have high hopes for feeling well the whole time. I am anticipating having to sit down and relax, even take naps from time to time. Many of our friends will be there so it’ll be difficult to take breaks from all the socialization and fun.. but I must!


I will hopefully have some photos to post from this weekend, but only if I feel well enough to actually take them :P


Will write when we get back!


~Christine