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)

21 weeks... Flashlights and Fetoscopes
So... we passed the halfway mark without a hitch, without any blood and without a barfing episode. (well at least for a week!) All is progressing well and the belly continues to grow and move. I feel good 99% of the time. I still have occasional nausea, but am lucky not to have any of the other crap that lots of pregnant women have to deal with.... no heartburn, no constipation, no (regular) headaches, not much physical discomfort at all. I'm truly loving being pregnant. It's fun, it's exciting and I'm so happy to finally be here.

Thankfully, since the most recent bleeding incident, all has been well. Lots of movment, which leads to reassurance. Did you know that at this point the fetus can sense light? So if you shine a flashlight on your belly it will respond? Yep! quite fun.... We play scrabble often in bed at night (on a travel scrabble board) and I rest the letters/board on my belly. The first night we played the flashlight game, the little goonlet was kicking so hard the letters were jumping around. We got a quite a laugh out of that.... Of course Ryan freaked out and thought we were going to blind the little goon with the light. Dork.

After the last bleeding episode, I was considering renting a doppler, but in the end I decided to buy a cheap fetoscope. I figured we wouldn't hear anything for a few weeks, but then could listen any time we wanted without worry. The first few nights, we could only hear my stomach gurgling and the occasional kick or punch. The ear pieces were hard and uncomfortable, so I decided to bring home one ofmy expensive stethescopes from the office and trade out the top halves.... and there it was. Took-a took-a took-a took-a took-a. I actually like the took-a took-a better than the swoosh swoosh swoosh.. cause I can hear it ANY TIME I WANT. (well almost, the little bugger likes to roll over a lot) So now our nightly routine involves significant time listening to the belly, then watching the kicks and rolls, then we fall asleep with Ryan's hand on my belly till I desperately need to roll onto my side.

I honestly can't think of anything better.

And somedays, I actually believe we're going to have a baby.... how bizarre is that?

Not much change from last week, but we'll give you a pix just for fun :)



Next time.... a name!!

20 Weeks - Halfway there!

Well, we'll start with the boring (yet fun!) obilgatory belly pix...
I don't think we can see the tattoo here... but still no change.


And the side shot....


Lets look at the first week we took a pix, side by side with this week.... Little bit of a difference, eh?


And now.... what you've all been waiting for! pix of the Goonie!!!

Here's Goonie's first portrait! yeah, he/she looks a bit like an alien....well, a lot like an alien, but what can you do? A skull underwater looks alien like on just about everyone!


Ah.. Mom's fave pix! The spine!!! Ah, isn't it lovely and perfect! You can even see the ribs!


And the final pix that proves our little goon is an activist in the making! Fist in the air... freedom fighter! Fight the Man, Goonie, FIGHT THE MAN! ;)


Everything on the US looked perfect... No problems with the placenta being in the wrong place, and Goonie is growing right on schedule. We weren't going to find out what we were having, but at the last minute we caved! So... without further ado....

It's......
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
A.....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
BABY!!!!

Hahahaha! Sorry, couldn't help it! You'll have to wait till June... cause that's what we're doing!

19 weeks!

Sorry we missed a week or two, but things have been a bit crazy here. New Years was a grand time, we partied all night long! Actually...... goon did more of the partying.... we had a little drama around 17 weeks, when the goonlet whooped it up a bit too much and we had a little episode of bleeding. However, one of the joys of having a midwife, within an hour we were lying on her table, listening to the swoosh swoosh swoosh of the heartbeat. NEVER has there been such a glorious sound! She also pulled out her trusty ultrasound machine and we got to take a peek at the bambino just for reassurance. All was well in there, but still my penance was a few days of bedrest. So... New Years weekend was spent in several different pairs of PJs... and it was a gloriously relaxing (after the stress of the incident finally abated) weekend.

Since then, all has been fine, and the goonie has been kicking up a storm! Ryan got to feel movement for the first time last weekend, but hasn't felt it since then... mainly cause he seems to miss all the action. The first few days after the bleeding, there was a kick or two a day, but since then it's pretty much all day, everyday, at completely random times. It's quite possibly the best feeling EVER. The fluttery sensations from weeks 15-16 were cool, but the thumps, bumps, rolls and kicks bring the house down. Ryan says it's the best smile ever, when he sees me feeling it... and he's right. it's the best.

So today was our 19 week appointment with the midwife, Ellie. All is well. I've gained 4 lbs this month which is right on track, and we heard the little heartbeat right away. We were able to listen for a minute, but then the goon apparently had enough, and kicked the doppler and swam away. Yeah, that's our kid, alright!
We have the 'big' ultrasound next tuesday, but before you ask... no we aren't going to find out the sex of the baby! We'll find that out in June when the goonie decides to make it's formal appearance. This ultrasound will be to measure all organs and what not and to just show that all is fine. Of course there will be some pictures to show also!

So... Here's the bump that is the goon...


Please ignore the dorky look on my face. What can I say? I'm a dork?



And finally, the front pix.. still no change in the Om tattoo... we'll see what happens next, as I'm pretty sure there's bound to be some big growth in the next few weeks!


And here is an inside view of what Goonie may be doing when he/she isn't Riverdancing....