30 weeks and the final vacation post!

Yep. you read it.... 30 weeks! 10 weeks to due date, 6 weeks till we are safe for home birth. A little crazy, eh? You're telling me!!!
Had a good MW appointment this week.... stats are as follows.
Weight gain 3 lbs in 2 weeks - over all about 23 lbs.
Blood Pressure - 106/64 low and perfect!
Pee - no protein, no sugar, excellent!
Blood - slightly iron deficient, but nothing a little extra spinach can't cure.
Heartbeat - about 140 and perfect.
Uterus measuring 29 cm and having lovely regular braxton hicks contractions, warming up for for the big show!
Glucose tolerance test declined.
Goonie moves ALL THE TIME. It's quite possibly the best part about being pregnant. I know I'll miss it when he/she is out here. There is some occasional back pain, but nothing horrible, and rare heartburn. Of course I'm HUNGRY ALL THE TIME. ALL.THE.TIME. I'm pretty sure there will be several more pounds added on before we're all done! Oh, and I'm tired pretty easily. Being out of breath at the top of a flight of stairs is quite humbling, but when your lungs are squished, what can you expect? Otherwise, feeling great!

Now... we wait. (ha, we're good at that!) Ryan has business trips in week 36 and 37, which makes me a little nervous, but I really dont' think this baby is coming that early. We start our birthing classes in a few weeks, and are pretty excited. The class has lots of creative fun stuff, which you all know I love!

Of course, there is SO MUCH TO DO in the mean time. Ryan is finishing up a project on the main floor of the house, then he needs to do the cubbies in the nursery so I can finish painting (I of course have plenty of painting to do up there before that! So... without further ado.. some pix of the growing goon belly!


I honestly thought these overalls (which I wore pre pregnancy) would make it through the whole 40 weeks. Why? I don't know, cause I'm crazy? I just thought they were a bit roomier. Well, at this point, I'll be surprised if they make it through the weekend.


This is a horrible picture, as Ryan made me laugh, but we couldn't redo it cause the battery died on the camera, and you know we're too lazy to charge it and take it again later!


Here's the front view. The tattoo is stretching... but no stretch marks, yet (fingers crossed!). My belly button is still an innie...sort of. It's a big gaping cavern, and it's starting to flatten out, but still fills with water in the tub. Soon will get a close up of the tat so you can see how huge it is now! You can also see the lovely shade of green that is now in our hallway. It's called "cactus Pete"... yeeehaw!

Now.... the final vacation post....
We left Tulum and headed for Coba and Chichenitza - to see some amazing Myan Ruins.

This was an amazing temple, of course I can't remember anything about it at this point. We took tons of pix there, but I won't post them all as we next headed to ....


Isla de Mujeres - the island of women. Also the Myan Goddess of Fertility and Reason. Idon't believe fertility and reason go together at all, but whatever floats your boat Goddess. I tried to get her to reimburse us for the IVF, but it was a no go. She seriously owes us one.


We stayed at this great little studio on the end of the island. Away from all the hustle and bustle, but only a $1 cab ride to the beaches and down town. We could walk to a bakery (mmmmmmm) and a little shop to pick up coffee and breakfast cereal.


This was the beach right across the street from our little place.


We went shelling everyday, and came home with tons of lovely treasures!


We drank fresh coconut milk on the beach, (yum!)


And Ryan took some great photos of a little girl playing a the Tienda (store).


The beach was beautiful,


and we spent a lot of time lying around.


We also went to the turtle (totuga) sanctuary. So many sweet baby turtles (tortugitas)!!


Ryan took some gorgeous sunset photos one night before dinner. Unfortunately this was also the night I blew my barf streak. AT THE DINNER TABLE (into a napkin... then i ran to the toilet). Yeah. that was great fun! The owner of the restaraunt came running because he was afraid it was the food. Fortunatley we convinced him that the food was fine, and that all was well. He said "it must be a girl, because girls are more trouble" ... then he told us if we come back next year, and it's not a girl, he'll buy us dinner. Oh, we'll be back Freddy, we'll be back!


Finally (and sadly) it was time to head home. We packed up and took one a very few pix of us together.

It was an amazing vacation, and we're seriously considering going back next winter with the baby. Once we were home, Ryan started looking for flights the next day. Crazy boy. I told him we should see what kind of baby we have first. I'd highly recommend all of the places we stayed. The Mexican Riviera is beautiful, the people were kind and friendly, and the food was outstanding. Three cheers for vacation!

Vacation stories: Part two....
Tulum... so relaxing!


We headed south of Playa del Carmen to Tulum, a lovely, sleepy little town with a gorgeous quiet beach. You can see that we were about to have some 'less than perfect' weather by the ominous clouds.

However, a wee bit of rain and wind was welcome on my parched and burnt feet.

We got our cabana

and headed down to the beach to lay on the delicious swinging beds.

Ah... Stimpy, theees is the life!

We spent the days lying on the beds

Ryan did some snorkeling (I chose not too since it was pretty windy and choppy in the water, and besides, I'm lazy ;)

While he was snorkelling, Goonie asked me to take a pix from his/her point of view....


We also spent lots of time walking on the beach with delicious beverages in hand.

Ryan developed a new habit, (that I found slightly annoying) Everymorning, at breakfast, he felt the need to take a pix of me if I touched my belly, sweet, no? NO, annoying ;)

here you can see the torture that my feet endured.... They swelled up to gargantuan proportions, no pregnancy is complete with out pitting edema! It was horribly uncomfortable, and completely freakish looking, but were still pretty fun to poke at.

Vacation is the BEST. Seriously..... the B E S T.

I'll tell you all about it in three different posts... One for each of the places we stayed in.

So... first... we flew into Cancun, picked up our rental car and headed for Playa del Carmen. Ah.... We stayed three days at Casa de las Flores.


A lovely little hotel about 5 blocks from the ocean, run by the sweetest Italian woman.

We were pretty pooped from travelling, so we grabbed a bite to eat and relaxed on the big king sized bed that was decorated with crazy towel art.

The next day we hit the beach. Isn't the water delicious!

We slathered ourselves with sunscreen and spent a little time in the sun.... (yeah I look like a white whale!) a lot of time in the shade.... and a ton of time in the water!



I SWEAR I put sunscreen all overmyself. I may be half mexican, and therefore start off a little more brown than most people.. but I'm no fool! However, apparently if you put on sunscreen, then walk through the surf, then prop your pregnant feet up during lunch and don't keep them in the shade....

Seriously... I feel sorry for white people. Sunburns SUCK! i've only been sunburned a few times in my life, and burng your feet is the worst!

Due to this newfound pain, we decided to spend the next day checking out some sights that didn't involve a lot of sun. We went for a drive to and got to meet this little fellow!

is this a little monkey, or is it the goon????

The next day we packed up and headed for Tulum.... but that will have to wait for the next post. Maybe that will come tomorrow... maybe not!

however, Tomorrow is 28 weeks... which means we enter the third trimester! Which means we'll be having a BABY in 12-14 weeks. Um... yeah. CRAZY!

26 weeks! Heartburn and Vacations!

Yep, you read it... we're going on vacation! 9 days in sunny, warm fantastic Mexico. It's a much needed and much anticipated trip. We'll be spending the first three nights in Playa del Carmen (just south of Cancun) then two nights on the beach in Tulum, then three nights on Isla de Mujeres (the island for the Myan Goddess of Fertility - yes.. I think that's pretty funny). NINE days of sun, fun, and relaxation. When we return there will be many photos of the fun, the sun and the relaxation (and the belly in a bikini!).

The newest fun here has been a night (thankfully just one so far) of horrific heartburn, complete with reflux. Um... yeah, I'd rather just barf, thanks. Last night I went to bed with slight heartburn, spent hours trying to get comfortable, and ended up sleeping practically sitting up. I know many women have heartburn through out their pregnancies, and I'm hoping that isn't my fate. Fortunately, my naturopath (and coworker) sent me home today with some enzymes that will hopefully help, and I haven't had any today.

Thankfully, I've been feeling great other than that. I love this part. :) Lots of movement, all day long, sure makes for an exciting life. Most nights as we get ready for bed, I'm still amazed that I have this big belly, and that there is a person growing in there. I'm not sure if Ryan is getting sick of hearing it, but THERE IS SOMEBODY IN THERE!

25 weeks (well 25 weeks 3 days, but who is counting?)
There has been some painting going on... but this week we'll bring you a few belly pix instead of mural pix. I'll take more pix of that later in the week! it's coming along nicely, the hummingfish have eyes, and the brownbarbaloots have fur! I'm glad we have another 13-17 weeks (hopefully) before this baby arrives, as it's taking some time to paint! Ryan has also been painting the hallway in front of the bathroom he renovated, and the dining (soon to be laundry also) room. The hallway is a lovely jalapeno shade, and the dining room is a deep red. So much color! Makes me so happy! We also purchased a delicious stained glass/tiffany pendant light fixture. I'll post pix when it's all done!

So... in baby news... Goonie is a kicking fiend! some nights it's hard to get to sleep, as that seems to be disco hour in my uterus. Apparently the goon has Night fever!

Listen to the ground:
There is movement all around.
There is something goin’ down
And I can feel it.

On the waves of the air,
There is dancin’ out there.
If it’s somethin’ we can share,
We can steal it.

Then I get night fever, night fever.
We know how to do it.
Gimme that night fever, night fever.
We know how to show it.

Seems that goonie is also in a bit of a growth spurt, as I've been hungry non stop for a week now. I mean, i've been hungry for 6 months, but for the past two weeks it's been a bit obscene. I've gained at least 4 lbs in the past two weeks, not that I'm complaining! I'm sure an OB would be worried, but my MW told us to expect big weight gain the next month or so, and since I'm pretty sure I lost a few lbs in the first trimester, I'm not too worried I'll too porky. Ok.. so I've been non stop hungry for 2 weeks.... the sad part of that? I'm SICK of eating all the time. I'm BORED with eating (yeah, that doesn't sound like me, now does it???) When I start feeling like I'm STARVING 90 minutes after being stuffed (and I'm eating FULL meals here, folks) I actually dread having to figure out what to eat next. So sad, folks, so sad. However, I will take one for the team, and keep packing it away!

So...without further ado.... here's the growing goonie!

I had to take off my PJ top, as it made me look a little frumpier than reality... It's still cold here, don't worry!


The side view sans tank



And the front view... I am starting to think the Om tattoo is getting a little bigger... Maybe in a few weeks we'lll do a side by side comparison to see. We'll also see an ode to the belly button!

Painting, day 2

So, I went to work this morning, feeling pretty crappy. Felt like allergies, but after a while, I just decided to throw in the towel and go home. I had a slow afternoon, so I rescheduled everyone for tomorrow, and came home to rest. Ryan had the day off, so we spent the afternoon hanging out and doing projects. He primered the dining room, and I worked on the mural.


I added some brown barbaloots and some hummingfish!



A close up of the BrownBarbaloots - yeah they look a little creepy with no eyes, but I'l get to them.


A close up of the Hummingfish. They make me sooooooo happy.

And... He's shortish and oldish and brownish and mossy......


And he spoke with a voice that was sharpish and bossy!

Don't you just love him?

24 weeks - Painting!!

Well, knowing that we only have a few months before the Goonlet makes an appearance (at least, that's the plan!), we thought we should start working on the room that will house all the baby stuff. The baby will actually be sleeping with us, but we wouldn't mind a cute place for all of his/her gear/diapers/clothes.

Here are a few 'before' pix. It's a small room - about 7-13, and it's got the angled wall, but heck, the kids gonna be pretty short for a while, so it should work out for a few years. Besides, it's not like the goon is going to be sleeping in there! This little room is just off of our room, so all stuff will be within reach. Someday, when the kidlets are grown and ready to be in their own rooms downstairs, this little oasis will be my craft room. Someday... many many moons from now!


This is the big wall where most of the mural will be. Brown Barbaloots, Hummingfish, and SwameeSwans. Oh my!

Yes, it looks like Ryan is about to attack the stool, but he's not, he's describing where some piece of unbought furniture will be.

And here is a veiw from the door, where you can see the angled wall, and the crawl space. We're ( this should read : RYAN) is going to build some cubbies into the wall next to the crawl space that we can put baskets in for diapers and clothes and such. Since the room is small, we need all the space we can get, so one less dresser/shelf would be good. Also, it will be a good hide and seek place in a few years. ;)

Now... after a few hours of work.... No this wasn't free handed. We scanned the pix, and then used a power point projector to sketch it onto the walls. Before you say "oh it looks great!"... wait and see what it ends up like.. I could easily mess it up at the end!


Here is the Lorax pix after one coat of paint. He can't speak for the trees yet since we haven't actually given him a face.


Here's that big blank wall that will soon house hummingfish and whatnot!... now just a lake and some tree outlines.


And... after a snack and some more paint... The lorax lives!

So we're at 24 weeks. All is well, baby loves kicking, oreos (ok that may just be me), and loves when dad says "heeeeeey Goonie!" Still have nightly took-a took-a sessions, and enjoy the belly olympics before sleep. In a couple of weeks we're off to Playa del Carmen (about an hour south of Cancun) for a weeks vacation in the sun. It's a much needed trip, as we've had some heavy times as of late.
A very dear friend of mine, Joan (my friend Lyn's mother) died of cancer yesterday. She was ill for quite some time, and the last few weeks have been very difficult for all involved. She passed peacfully and beautifully surrounded by those who loved her yesterday morning, as the sun streamed through the windows. It was a sad, yet beautiful day of stories, singing, and laughter as we said good bye. We will miss her dearly, but are all so glad she is no longer suffering. Good bye Joan! You were one FAR OUT WOMAN. I'm blessed to have known you.

23 Weeks... let the games begin!!

Well, as we approach the next month of gestation, we also are starting the 2006 Winter Olympic Games! We love the Olympics around here.... love the Olympic spirit, love the excitement, love it all! Goonie is all about the winter games. Pretty sure there is some speed skating going on, and lots of curling. I felt a few triple lutz's earlier during the pairs figure skating, and am sure that the Goon is a gold medal contender. We're oh so proud!

Had a midwife appointment this week... All is good. Blood pressure nice and low, nothing amiss in the pee, gained 7 lbs in 4 weeks, uterus is measuring on track and all looks perfect. (wow, nice to be normal!!) Ellie was so proud of Ryan for finding the heartbeat every night. Sigh. he's already a pretty attentive father.

We have been blessed by many friends and family giving us so much baby stuff! It seems we spent most of our money making this baby, not clothing or diapering it. Other than a carseat and baby jogger (if we get a stroller, we'll get a jogger, as the park near our house has great trails) we're pretty set. We have enough clothes and diapers for at least the first 9 months. We've got all the gadgets we could imagine (swing, basinette, vibrating chair) and can't see even using them all. We've got one really great sling (although we will probably need more!) and all sorts of other things. Thankfullly we have a little time before the baby shows up though!

Today we started looking at paint colors for the nursery (although the baby will sleep in our room)... i'm painting a mural on the wall, The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss. The colors are so fun and bright! Of course I'll post pictures as it starts happening... but nothing yet.. still just an idea.

That's all for this week. No belly pix this week.... maybe next week!

One last thing... everyone who is reading has to post a comment... I'm curious who's out there!

22 Weeks

So, I promised I'd mention some names this week..... well it's sort of true. Since we decided not to find out the sex of the goon, it's not so easy to pick a name. Also, it's hard to name a person you've never met. I couldn't name a cat I haven't met, more or less a person! We usually have a pet for hours if not days before choosing a moniker. So... the same will apply to this little goonlet. We are of course collecting names we like, and Ryan has a list. Some nights when I take a warm bath, I'll read names from a name book outloud to see if goonie has a preference. Well, that's when she/he chose their own name..... I read this name and the kicking ensued.........




yes folks, come June, we'll be adding a little La Fonda to our family. My mom told me that La Fonda means "the shack" in spanish.... mmmmmmm little baby shack! ;) Would a boy be El Fondo? El Frodo? La Froda?



Ok... calm down, I'm kidding!


So, last night was the grand opening of my new office. Even though we moved in September, we had to put off the grand opening till February because there was so much going on. First Mona (our Naturopath) got married in October. Then we had the holidays.... and no one wants to host a huge party then, right? So... here we are, February! We had a big party last night, and will have free classes and events all month. The party last night was great fun.... we started at 4 PM with an accordian player and kids dancing (now that was fun to watch!). Then we had a storyteller/puppetshow, more fun! then we had a vocal artist who did a sound blessing of the space, (complete with a digeridoo) and then had a concert with a local celtic band. It was great fun.... we had tons of yummy food and beverages, and lots of friends and colleagues who stopped by to congratulate us and see the office. We moved in over labor day, but didn't get all the final details done till......um lets just say we were puting the vinyl sign on the door and hanging the art at 3PM....
So without further ado... here is the fanciest pix you'll see of me during this pregnancy! My friend Scarlett found this gorgeous silk maternity dress at a thrift store, and it fits perfectly! Yes... i wore heels for 4 hours, and am pooped today!



PS... isn't Ryan hot?!

Here is our whole group - minus Lyn, as she is home with her terminally ill mother. She was there in spirit!

Front row - Mona (naturopath) Theresa (children/adolescent therapist)
Back row - me (chiropractor) gina (massage therapist) Christina (adult and couples therapist) Molly (acupuncturist)