a tale of two bicycles

D with baby O

2011-10-13T10:54:00.000-07:00

Really, no words. How awesome is this photo:

(D with baby O. True love, I tell ya!)

More roadtripping

2011-05-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

We left our family in the valley and headed to San Francisco.

This is an attempt to take a photo with my daughter.

We hiked Muir Woods - absolutely lovely. It took seven photos to get one where we were all (minus O, of course) looking at the camera:

Then we headed North and drove our car through this tree:

And got to play in the Redwood forest.

My handsome hubby:

Nursing amongst the giants...

Delightful!

Trip to California

2011-05-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

We took our 2 year old Fi and 6 week old O and hit the road. We drove down to California to visit family. Here are the kids at my sister's house:

And a special treat at my other sister's house - here are a couple pics of great-grandma (Oma) and the kidlings... What a fantastic mother's day!

And here is grandma and great grandma with O and baby Viv:

Well worth the drive. All 14 hours of it. :)

No, thank you!

2011-04-30T15:21:00.000-07:00

A few Fi-isms of late:

At childcare, another child was poking her in the head. She turned to him and said, "No, thank you." He persisted in poking her in the head. She said, "I said 'No, thank you', I don't like it!". The teacher stepped in and praised Fi for such clear communication, and stopped the poking.

In the car, the sun came out (for about a minute). "It's too bright, mama, too bright!!" Oh boy.

In a similar vein, I had Fi try on some of her clothes for an upcoming trip to CA. I put some shorts on her with a tank top. She looked down at her bare legs and said, "Need pants mama!". I tried to explain that shorts are pants you wear when it's hot out - but then had no clear explanation for what "hot out" means. She'll have to find out.

Latest family portrait

2011-04-25T22:19:00.000-07:00

Yep, we're a family of four now.

Owen - first weeks

2011-04-17T22:14:00.000-07:00

He has gained 3.5 pounds in 3.5 weeks. If he keeps this up, he will outweigh his two year old sister by the time he is four months old. I know, I know, it's just a growth spurt and he will stop nursing continuously sometime soon. But soon ain't here yet....

Arrival of ORW

2011-03-28T13:42:00.000-07:00

At my 41 week check up, a Tuesday afternoon, the midwives determined that I was at 3 cm and could begin labor at any time. The birth of my daughter was unrecognized - with the active part lasting less than an hour - the midwives barely made it to our house in time. This left G and I with some PTSD around the birth, since we were on our own (with only my aunt and M for support, no doula or midwife there). The midwives were getting as anxious as I was - they gave me handouts that detailed "what to do if the baby arrives before the midwife" and advised me not to venture out too far from the house. They believed I was at risk for delivering my second in fifteen minutes or less. Yes, the anxiety level was high.

So there I was at my 41 week check up, things starting to move toward labor but definitely not in labor yet. They stripped my membranes at my request, to try and get something going. We chatted about the situation, and I left the appointment somewhat disheartened.

On the way home, Tanya, the on-call midwife, called to offer to come over to the house after the clinic hours and break my waters. This would hopefully start labor - and she was only offering because of my history, and this being my second pregnancy, and she would only do it if the baby was in the right position and my cervix was performing correctly and so on and so on - so many caveats. But I was sure this was the right thing to do, as soon as she offered it. So the plan was in place that she would come over around 8pm to check me out and discuss the options further.

She and Allison, the midwifery student, arrived at the house around 8pm. We discussed our options and the risks and all mitigating factors (I had a sinus infection, G had a fever plus gastro issues, we were a mess) but I also knew that having the midwives there, with me the whole time, start to finish, was certainly a huge weight off my shoulders. The anxiety that had been stressing me out (am I going to have this baby in the grocery store? in aisle 2, next to the pickles? or am I going to have the baby on the side of the freeway, on the way home from yoga?) was gone. They would be there, monitoring, assisting, supporting. I knew it was the right thing to do.

Since I tested positive for GBS, I had to have antibiotics on-board. After Tanya verified that everything was in place (baby good, cervix good, etc) she administered the antibiotics and we waited an hour for them to cross the placenta and hit the baby's bloodstream. Then the fun part, breaking the waters. With a gush, it was done. Then the real waiting game began.

This was about midnight - and within the hour, minor contractions started. They built up traction over the next few hours - by 4am they seemed steady. Every time Allison checked the baby, its heartbeat was steady steady steady. M was cracking jokes for hours, telling stories (well, we were both telling stories, but they shall not be repeated here), laughing and laughing and laughing (I had tears streaming down my cheeks on multiple occasions) and snacking and making tea. It felt like a slumber party. Around 5am, the midwives and M all fell asleep in the living room - I couldn't blame them, it was boring and I was still gaining momentum... but seeing all those slumbering faces made me realize how tired I was. I laid down on the couch (I had started to fall asleep between contractions) and tried to relax. I did such a good job relaxing that I woke up about an hour later.

I would be told later that both the midwife and the best friend were very nervous that I fell asleep on the couch - they thought the worst had happened, my labor had stopped. Because, honestly, who could sleep through that? Well, I once slept on a speaker at a Spearhead concert - I can pretty much sleep through anything.

So it's about 6:30am, and the real contractions have started. This is what I look like in labor.

Ouch. First big one, 7:30am.
This next one took my breath away. Notice everyone drinking coffee. I wanted some desperately, and said so. Tanya said I could have some... my answer was, "I know it would taste really good, but then I would vomit everywhere." She said that was a great sign. Ha! These women enjoy torture, I swear it! Then I told Tanya the table was too low.

So we moved to the kitchen counter. It was so nice and cool in between contractions.

At this point everyone but me knew that it was moving very quickly. G woke up (thankfully his fever had broken) and came out to the kitchen. He suggested we move to the living room, as I had already started to get into my birthing position - on hands and knees. On the hardwood floor. In the kitchen. (Ugh!)
It was a fantastic idea. I said we had to make it from the kitchen to the living room before the next contraction hit... and we made it.

Four pushes later, we met our son. He was absolutely the most beautiful baby I have ever met.

These are my amazing midwives, Tanya and Allison.

Later that day, Fi came home (she had spent the night with D & G, two of her favorite people on the planet) and met her baby brother for the first time:
And here's M with the sweet boy:

This experience was absolutely amazing. The love and support from the midwives and M was immeasurable. It almost makes me want to do it again. Almost. Then I think about three college tuitions....

First afterthought - my mantra the whole time during my labor? "Ow." As in, "Ow.Ow.Ow.Ow.Ow.OW.OW.OW." Pretty funny.

Second afterthought - when it came to pushing, and I got my first big push in, I felt really accomplished, Allison said, "That was great! I could see half a centimeter of the baby's head!" and I thought, 'Oh, hell no, that was at least half the head out! If she is just barely seeing the head, I am in serious trouble, cuz that hurt.' Pause. Breathe. Then I thought, 'Okay, I know I can do anything for 60 seconds. Anything. Including those damn Bikram poses. So I will do ten pushes, balls out, with everything I have. And if the baby isn't out by then, we have a much larger problem on our hands.' <>

And then the next contraction came and I pushed like crazy and it hurt like hell and the midwives were cheering me on, telling me how great I was doing and how much progress had been made. Head was almost crowning. Third push and head was crowning. Fourth push and dude had his hand up next to his head so Allison asked me to slow down and do little pushes... which made absolutely no sense, how can you tell a freight train to slow down? How could I make little pushes? And then, magically, amazingly, awe-inspiringly, I did it. I made one massively huge giant contraction into a series of little contractions, pulsing and slowly pushing the baby out. Totally fantastic. And Allison was able to perform magic on her end, guiding the baby with a twist here and a turn there, and he came with a solid cry before he was even all the way out. And not a scrape or a tear for mama. A joyous day indeed.

Introducing Owen Rush!

2011-03-25T13:46:00.000-07:00

Owen Rush Whiteside
Born at home, 9:14am on March 23rd
7 pounds, 11 ounces
21 and 1/4 inches long

One happy baby, already loved by his mama, his papa and his big sister!

Getting ready for baby #2!

2011-03-21T13:40:00.000-07:00

My best friend M came into town to visit for a week and a half before leaving on her South East Asia adventure. She was hoping to be present for the birth of baby number two, since she was so instrumental in the arrival of baby number one.

Here we are, eating spicy food (she tried almost every trick in the book to get the baby to make an early appearance...)

Then we went for the 40 week check up - baby sounds good, no signs of coming out though...

Big belly in stripes...

We walked Greenlake, several times...

Fi, hamming it up for her Tia...

Fi and Tia...

G and the giant belly, again walking Greenlake...

Still no baby though!

Family photos

2011-03-05T13:37:00.000-08:00

J came over to take some family photos - well, really belly shots. Here are some of the favorites...

Fi being coy, with her new ladybug blanket/stuffed animal toy...

Fi posing with Chloe, her new dolly.
My favorite big belly shot...

This is an outtake from the above, absolutely hilarious...

What's the baby saying, Fi?

Thanks Jessica! The photos are great!

Celebrating Amy and Jonas!

2011-01-20T22:36:00.000-08:00

We spent a weekend on Vashon Island to celebrate the marriage of some dear friends, A & J. They got married on the East Coast in the fall, and came out to celebrate with their West Coast family mid-January. It was such a treat to spend time as a community in one big house...

Here's the happy couple:

Fi all dressed up for the party:

I made them a "wedding cake":

And D & G were there with us...

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T13:34:00.000-08:00

We drove to Hayden Lake in Idaho to celebrate New Year's Eve. It was a lovely holiday... Here were are the night of:

Papa and Fi make dinner

2010-12-29T21:14:00.000-08:00

A sweet moment in our crazy lives...

Fi and Luca for the first time.

2010-12-27T13:31:00.000-08:00

Me with Fi and my best friend from childhood, J, and her mom and son. We had our kids two weeks apart, which is amazing to me since we haven't lived on the same coast in many, many years.

Her son L is good looking!

Here are a couple shots of Fi and L:

These two were so cute together - it's a shame that we don't live closer so they could pal around just like their moms used to... I have secret plans in motion to get them to move to the PNW...

Christmas 2010

2010-12-26T13:29:00.000-08:00

For Christmas we traveled to California to visit family. We gathered at Nana's house for presents and a delicious meal. We've grown to such a big family!

Here's Fi being entertained by her Nana and Grandma...
Fi and Grandma reading a book:
Me with my sister and aunt (love love love these ladies!):
Fi in her new outfit (thanks auntie K!):

The tree:
Sitting down to eat:
The other side of the table:
My Nana:

Tia's secret Italian soup

2010-12-20T14:27:00.000-08:00

Small pasta shells, chickpeas, leeks, shallots, chard (or kale) simmered in chicken broth. Holy to all that is glorious, this soup was delicious!

Proof that my sister can frost a cake...

2010-11-27T13:27:00.000-08:00

Yum!!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-26T09:25:00.000-08:00

Table is set, ready for a feast! We managed five courses this year, and made everything on the list. Appetizers, soup, small plates, salad, turkey dinner, dessert. Yum.

The happy revelers enjoying the meal.

I love me some good eats!

Bread making

2010-11-18T23:25:00.000-08:00

Papa and Fi making some bread while a pregnant mama supervises.

Supervising is done best while snacking.

Halloween

2010-10-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

We met up with our PEPS group so the kids could get some Halloween pics together... Fi went as a ladybug. Well, if you count wearing ladybug pajamas with a ladybug dress over them "going as a ladybug", then we're golden!

She's darn cute though:

And here's the group shot:

Pumpkin Patch Time

2010-10-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

We visited the pumpkin patch and had to walk the corn maze and enjoy the hay ride.

Here is mama chasing the family through the corn maze...

And getting ahead of everyone...

Fi found a new friend in the petting zoo...

And with her favorite friend A, getting a ride through the pumpkins in the patch.

Sorely missing Hawaii beaches...

2010-10-10T22:21:00.000-07:00

Need I say more?

HAWAII!!

2010-10-02T22:18:00.000-07:00

We went on a Hawaiian adventure with some friends of ours. We got to stay on the magical island of Maui. Here are some pics...

Obligatory sunset photo:
We took a helicopter tour and Fi slept through the whole thing...
Catamaran tour brought a dolphin sighting:
Fi was in love with the chickens.
Fi and her papa going into the ocean:
Oh, and there's a baby on the way! Here's the baby bump...
G molesting the baby bump at the luau...
And our friends just a little too happy at the luau...

All in all, a fantastic trip.

San Juan Island visit

2010-08-19T15:27:00.000-07:00

We went up to the San Juans Islands to visit my friend R and his boys. It was a misty rainy sort of trip.

Discovery Park

2010-08-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

We went on a hike at Discovery Park with D & G - Here's Fi and G at the main lookout, checking out the sound and the Olympics:

We made it down to the beach, and Fi took off with D:

Here's the cutie at the water's edge...

And a jellyfish we found:

Hurray for summer beach days!

Park with Grandpa

2010-07-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

We went to the Chittenden locks to view the fish ladder. We also walked through the adjacent botanical gardens.

I like these guys!!

Anniversary Celebration

2010-07-25T13:13:00.000-07:00

G and I went to dinner at Purple
and then met up with some friends at the Triple Door (specifically the Musicquarium Lounge)

We were joined by our sweet friend J:

and our good friends D & G:

And here's us, looking almost as fashionable as we did on our wedding day:

It was a great time, and being able to leave Fi with my dad for the night was awfully fantastic. Thanks dad!

Anniversary Lunch

2010-07-23T17:11:00.000-07:00

My dad and Ron came for a July visit - timed so that G and I could go out to celebrate our 5 year anniversary. Hard to believe it has been five years...

We started the day with a leisurely lunch at Salty's... Here's Fi investigating her french flash cards and the napkin...

G mid-sentence...
My dad...
Ron...
Me...
My dad and Fi, working on a masterpiece.

It was a lovely lunch, and we raced home to change and head out for dinner!

Day at the beach

2010-07-08T13:10:00.000-07:00

For the Fourth of July weekend, we went to Golden Gardens for a little sun.

And yes, we took the kiddie pool with us.

Flying home from Bali

2010-06-02T12:31:00.000-07:00

These were too cute to not post...

Fi on her second trans-Pacific flight, rocking the noise canceling headphones.

Indonesia!!!

2010-05-25T09:44:00.000-07:00

Yes, we took a 14 month old on a 27 hour plane flight to Bali and SE Sulawesi. She was an absolute champion traveler - she did better than we did, in many regards. For instance, she slept the entire 13 hour flight from Seattle to Taipei. Then she ran around like a monkey in the Taipei airport during our five hour layover. Then slept again, the entire 5 hour flight from Taipei to Bali. I barely slept at all.

Here she is, the first morning, just after breakfast. Bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready for this adventure...

Mama and Fiefer.

Me, in a state of total relaxation. And probably on some painkillers, as I had totaled our car about 24 hours prior to takeoff.

My good-looking husband, against the most lovely red wall...

We introduced Fiona to watermelon juice. This was quite possibly the best thing she has ever tasted. Ever. Notice the joy, then the utmost concentration as she focuses on getting all that juice out of that straw...

Yeah, this kid found her passion. At least, her "in-this-moment-all-I-have-ever-wanted-is-watermelon-juice" passion. It quickly moved on to cheddar bunnies. Then back to juice. She's fickle.

Every time I look at these photos, I have to double-take... they seem too life-like to me. (Well, if large monkey-men walked the earth.)

This is the pool where we stayed. That is me and Fi in the corner. She was way into the frog fountain.

See?
This is my current favorite "holding Fiona" position. She snuggles. It is awesome.

Hopefully some underwater photos to come...

Kitchen has counters!!

2010-05-11T19:41:00.000-07:00

Facing the dining room. Lighting has been replaced, counters installed, new kitchen sink... life is good. Those are my Mother's Day lilies from G on the counter...

We floored over the second stairwell to the basement, so we could sink the fridge and add pantry cabinets...

And stove with counters next to it.

Happy birthday G!

2010-04-25T12:30:00.000-07:00

If you can steam it and dip it in butter, then this is the party for you!
The boys ate crabs and artichokes, amongst other delicacies. I believe some oysters were consumed as well.

Happy birthday sweetheart!

Kitchen work.

2010-04-24T18:37:00.000-07:00

We finally finished installing the cabinets in the kitchen. A few shots from my phone.. looking out the window:

Here is the American Range stove that G bought for me, notice the double oven!! We managed to wrestle the hood in place, a feat that we will never forget...

And then, one day while driving, I parked and turned around to check on the babe. She was so cavalier, lounging in her seat, I cracked up and managed to catch it on film...

Sighting of the SUN in April...

2010-04-20T17:12:00.000-07:00

The sun came out in Seattle, so we hit the beach. Richmond Beach is close to our house, has the feel of Golden Gardens, but without the mobs or the beach-that-is-actually-a-giant-ashtray feel.

Here, you can see Fiona fascinated by the concept of sand. It has just caught her attention:

She tries to stare into the sun - a tactic to try and distract me from the fact that she is now eating the sand - as I am trying to find her eye protection. I don't want a blind child!

Oh right, sand doesn't taste so good.

Right.

Nana visits the PNW

2010-03-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

Nana came for a visit!

After breakfast one day, we walked down to the beach, to watch the ferries come in.
Fi was more interested in eating the rocks than collecting -

Nana convinced her to collect instead.

Fi loves her Nana!

Breakfast must be the only time I have a camera.

2010-03-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

Here we are, back at our breakfast spot in Edmonds. Look at this great stare, straight at my phone.

And the pensive, "I'm-holding-my-spoon-close-to-my-heart" look.
"Wait, is that food I see, headed my way? Fantastic!"

Ah, I love putting words in her mouth. Cuz real soon, they are going to be coming out of her mouth.....

Time to celebrate!

2010-03-12T12:19:00.000-08:00

G has been working on the passage of SSB 6280 in Washington State for several years (!) now. It finally passed, so we celebrated!

G and D were instrumental in passing the bill.

Here is the formal pic with the Governor...

(yes, apparently my daughter is a redhead!)

Fi turns one!

2010-03-07T12:15:00.000-08:00

This sweet girl turned one! It's amazing how fast the time goes. She had a lovely party, many friends in attendance. D made her a chair with her name carved in...

She was more interested in her bottle than the cake - we'll see how long she can withstand the lure of sugar!

Congratulations Fi! Happy Birthday!

still going out for breakfast... is there a theme here?

2010-01-27T18:21:00.000-08:00

We have captured the babe at our favorite breakfast spot, Dish. Here, I imagine that she is saying, "Um, Papa, that's a plastic sheep. Really? You want me to do what?"

Oh, smile? At the camera? How about at the sheep?

Breakfast time. Yum.

So we're experiencing some technical difficulties, I have been locked out of my photo program on my computer and can't get to all my photos. Send positive technical thoughts to the Pacific Northwest...

January - some eating going on

2010-01-15T20:16:00.000-08:00

Fiona is nine months old! Here we went out to breakfast, and she played with her favorite new toy, an empty creamer container. Good times. Our child loves plastic.

Yes, sweetheart, you are awfully cute.

The Winter Holiday

2009-12-28T19:57:00.000-08:00

We went to California and stayed with my sister J (and her boyfriend J and their lovely chocolate lab, M). Fiona absolutely loved the dog. Hysterical giggling, lots of attempted hugs, a few that actually landed on him... lots of licks from him, much to her delight... toward the end of our visit, she was calling to him, this deep short sound, to get his attention. He'd come over and lick her, she would squeal. Then we'd all get nervous that he was going to step on her or knock her over, so we'd tell him to back down... then she would call him over again... on and on this went, for hours.

There were also trees and trimmings, food and drink, and presents.

I love how she is sitting these days - legs wide, more balance maybe? And absolutely love the babylegs stockings....

This is when Grandpa was explaining how the Christmas elves live in the lights of the boughs...
Then, of course, she had to play a lively game of "chase Great Grandma around the coffee table"...

All in all, a good holiday.

Holiday visit with Grandpa

2009-12-23T16:50:00.000-08:00

My dad came for a quick visit before we all headed to California for the holiday. Here are some more pictures I found on my camera....

We stopped at Tutta Bella in Columbia City for some good eats after we blew some cash at Kate Quinn...

Then my dad took down those most hideous light fixtures in the kitchen.... and replaced them...

Best holiday present ever!!

He and G also installed the light fixture in the dining room, isn't it lovely?

Two shouts for happy babies and good lighting!

December comings and goings....

2009-12-23T14:05:00.000-08:00

Munchkin is nine months old! Her check-up yielded the following: 90th percentile for height and head circumference, 70th percentile for weight. At least she's consistent! This month, she got her first nasty cold that turned into an ear infection. I have my own theories about all that, but at the end of the day, I just wish she was better. No one is sleeping well. Get better soon peanut! The good news is that her Grandpa came for a visit, and took the following pictures....

She is not feeling well, as you can tell from the vacant stare...
But still has the energy to steal my napkin...

In the car on the way to the airport....

She is still fighting this cold, it's been a few weeks now. No fun!!

thxgvn 2009

2009-11-30T11:59:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Thanksgiving this year in the typical Whiteside fashion. It was a 5 course meal, with periods of rest in-between (so that more food can be consumed overall). Somehow, in the midst of turkey carving and gravy making (those were G and G's jobs, respectively) not a single picture of the food was taken. Our friend D managed to snap a couple shots of post dinner reclining on the sofa....

and I managed one picture the next morning (see how lovely the flowers were?!? I think they were the only thing not local on the table...)

Overall, and awesome experience with good friends, good food and good thanks. Looking forward to next year!!

Attack of the Fierce Quadra Tiger-Cat!!

2009-11-11T15:08:00.000-08:00

Really? Need I say more? (Note the ears and tail! Amazing!)

canada love

2009-10-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

A trip to Canada was just what the doctor ordered. A long weekend relaxing with friends old and new. Fiona learned how to crawl up a stair or two, we ate more than we should have, and G got a couple dives in with S.

She sits at the bottom of the stairs...

Halfway up the first one...

On top of the first, making her way up the second...
Enough already!
Attack of the cutest girl ever...

Out the window, we can see G and S paddling back from a dive on Copper Bluff...

Did I mention that Quadra is one of the most magical places on earth??
In line for the ferry home, G and F are being sweet...

Then G got hungry, and needed a snack....

And her Quadra Bubba (Grandma) made her a Halloween costume!! Pics to come!

the summer of the cupcake (and a few weddings too)

2009-10-21T17:30:00.000-07:00

So this summer we saw G's sister get married, and two sets of good friends get hitched as well. E & A traded vows in August, and K and R did so in September. For that September celebration, I volunteered to make the cake - or rather, the cupcakes. There were just shy of a hundred guests... so logically I made about 157 cupcakes. Good thing, since they all disappeared, to a crumb. Here are some photos from our Summer of the Cupcake...

E and A's wedding:

G and F passed out after a delightful dinner with some new friends...

Fi being cute.

And she started to always do a safety grab...

Cupcakes begin. Here are the fixings for the carrot cake cupcakes...

And this is not even all the sugar I used...

Chocolate, mid-making... three different kinds of chocolate in these bad boys...

And the vanilla, so innocent...

Fi on Orcas Island...

Kicking her toes in the grass...

Reaching for the camera...

Mmmmm.....

Murder of crows in the tree outside our room...

Cupcake frosting assembly line...

Couldn't have done it without these awesome assistants.

We went through 28 cups of frosting. Boy howdy! And when we were all done, cupcakes stored safely in the walk-in, we found this lone cupcake... suicide for one so young is just plain sad...

The wedding begins...

(My two loves looking lovely...)

R and K doing the deed...

Artsy shot cuz I can't help myself...

Dinner by moonlight...

Finally!! Cupcakes are served!

Yum, yum, yum....

Sweet topper!

And now I am joining the gym.....

october

2009-10-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

I updated my phone and found some previously unshared photos... so a brief recap - in June, Fiona found her toes.

By August, she was sitting up by herself.

In September, she mastered the downward dog position, and started to do a hop/crawl.

By the end of September, she had her first tooth. And now it's October, and she is crawling and pulling herself up on the furniture. Outrageous.

Back in August, we went on a plane to visit Tia M.

I found more photos from that trip, and wanted to share:

And just for comparison, in case any of you were wondering... here are Fi's red socks, when she was two weeks old.

And very soon you will see how her red socks look today....

fall is here

2009-10-01T21:13:00.000-07:00

And the little bean grows and grows... I just had to post, last weekend at R & K's wedding, Fiona cut her first tooth on a nice hunk of crust from the delicious bread at the reception. As the bread disappeared, I reached in to do a safety swipe and low and behold! Ouch! Tooth! Bottom right for those of you who keep track of this sort of thing...

And then, this evening - she crawled across the kitchen floor. Granted, not on both knees. She crawled, two hands down, one knee down, one foot down. Always the right knee, the left foot. For the last week or so she has been doing a downward dog action, both hands and both feet flat on the floor, rear up in the air, and then... sitting back down... G pointed out that she wasn't really wanting to crawl, she was just trying to turn herself around. She would go up, pivot and sit down. Or she would go from lying on the floor to sitting up in that same motion. So amazing to watch her making connections.....

six moths of fiona marella!!

2009-09-14T15:31:00.000-07:00

((Fiona turned 6 months old on September 3rd! We celebrated by eating rice cereal with peaches. Yum. I promise you, sweetest one, that some day soon we will celebrate with cake! But you need teeth first, and you don't have any, yet.))

I guess I shouldn't expect to post more than once a month... we're just so darn busy around here... I can hope that someday I will be able to share more of what's going on around here, but I fear time will only start moving faster, especially when Fi figures out how to crawl.....

Luckily, we're not there yet. She is on the verge, last night she almost moved forward of her own volition... she has already accomplished moving backward. But backward isn't near as much fun as forward.

Recently her grandma and great-grandma came for a visit. The ever so talented J came over to shoot some photos. Here are a few:

Yeah, she's a cutie alright! Photos above with all four generations, some with dad too... and Fiona all wrapped up in the blanket I knit for her. Back when I had free time, to do things like knit. And she's in the dress I made for her, again, when I could do things like that. (I know, M - I have to carve out those 10 hours a week for "me" things. It will come, it will come... Fi is going to outgrow that dress soon...)

Sorry Grandma...

2009-08-19T10:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, time slipped by again. Working, wifeing, mothering, cooking, cleaning, organizing, etc, etc, etc... I'm exhausted. You'll notice that sleeping is not on the list. That's because F has moved into a new pattern of only two (and at most three) hours of sleep at a time. It is making me a little bit crazy.

Also, I recently had to travel to Burbank, CA for work. Three days down, two days home, three days down again. Then, the following week, I went to SF to visit my bestest friend, M. At least for the SF trip I took F with me...

So here are some pics from SF.

Oh, before photos... let me just mention...

F is sitting up. By herself. And holding a bottle. By herself. She's actually been holding that bottle for weeks, but the sitting up completely by herself is a new thing. (She was a little wobbly for the last couple weeks, but not anymore!) She also has a notion about that whole object permanence thing... she was playing with a toy, it fell out of her hand, she looked under her chair for the toy, looked under her chair from the other direction - she most certainly grokked that she had a toy, now she didn't, and where the heck was it now?!? - and was happy once said toy was returned to her. She is the most awesomest baby ever.

We started her on some cereal, since she was seeming to be so darn hungry, was reaching for our food, has tremendous interest in our chewing. She gobbles it up. Here she is, enjoying her first cereal experience:

Oh, and then G gave her a piece of cantaloupe last night in a little mesh holder thing- I think it was one of these. She enjoyed it tremendously.

It's true. My sweet baby is growing up, fast! Already we are into the foods, and she's only five and a half months old. It's too bad that I can't tell her to just relax, chill out, enjoy the babyness... she is already in a hurry to learn and focus and taste and touch and move and... and... and...

Enough talk, photos already!!

Here she is balancing on Tia's knee, looking out at the amazing city view...

And then looking at mom:

The light was so awesome we did a photo shoot in M's living room:

Should a five month old be making these eyes?

She should definitely be making this face:

And this one:

Just a generally happy baby:

Especially when she can munch on her cat, her favorite toy:

Okay, seriously, how cute is this? She gets so excited that she scrunches up:

Delectable cat...

Helping Tia do the dishes...

This is what M and I had for lunch at Bakesale Betty's. If you are in the Oakland area, you absolutely must eat this lunch, it was amazing (coming from a psuedo-vegetarian!) Note the fried chicken sandwich, served with a jalapeno coleslaw... and a strawberry shortcake and lemon ice to finish it with. Absolutely delicious! (Yes, that is a giant scoop of whipped cream!)

We also stopped by Dynamo to try their homemade donuts... on the left, Lemon Pistachio, on the right, Glazed Maple Apple Bacon. Yeah, you read that right!
So this concludes the mid-August installment of what the heck is going on in the land of Fi. Busy, busy, busy! Hope your summers are going well, drop us a line, say hi!

july, july, july

2009-07-27T21:44:00.001-07:00

Hi there. We're cooking quite well in this lovely July heat. Rare for the Pacific Northwest, to have temperatures consistently in the 90's... I know, all you guys down in the California heat wave are cursing me, but seriously... us pale white girls in the PNW are melting. Fi is proving that she is a true PNW baby... she does not like the heat so much. I can't blame her.

So one morning we took a bunch of photos. The end of her fourth month. Here it is:

She's about to sneeze...

Sneeze complete...

Highly skilled at finding her toes...

Blurry shot of our most common nursing grip, the double fist. I took this knowing that some day, my hand won't cover her forearm. In fact, it already doesn't! She grows so fast...

(did I mention that she is in the 90th percentile for height, weight and head size? not that any of us are surprised... but at her 4 month check-up she was 27 inches, 15 and some pounds. Almost double of her birth weight! And six inches of height! yep, growing fast...)

This is my second favorite nursing position, the wringing of hands. She is trying to figure out how to nurse from both at once...

As G says, she is exploring the world through her tongue... everything goes in that mouth of hers!

She is the happiest baby...

I made some flags to decorate her room... here is the beginning of her name flags...

Then I got distracted and made her a dress...

It's lined!
And bloomers to match:

Back to the name flags...

Close-up...
Especially of the star, because I love it...

And pink flags for the girl...

And finally, a shot of Fi and our friend D having a deep moment of communication...

I should also mention that last week she creeped, for the first time. She flipped over to her tummy, and made her way across the floor. Not crawling, specifically, but "creeping" as our PEPS leader identified it... it was shocking. Then M (our childcare superstar) told me that "she's going to be a six-month crawler!" which flips me out. I thought she would be a baby for a bit longer... but no. She's outgrown her infant car seat, she's wearing 9-month clothing... she is going for broke. And she is a true W - as our family motto around here is, "Go big or go home!"

the end of June

2009-07-10T15:57:00.000-07:00

So we went back east for a spell. We went to a wedding, visited with family and loaded up a moving van full of furniture. I flew home with Fiona by myself, and G drove the van across the country. He brought along our nephew for the ride. Then my dad and sister came for a visit. And then I went back to work. Fiona is spending two days a week with G, and three days a week in a family childcare.

And of these three weeks we have surprisingly few photographs... sorry grandma!! So here is what I have...

We had burgers at the Charcoal Pit in Delaware.

G is telling Fi all about the salad she is missing out on.

The next morning, Fi almost sat up by herself in this booster seat at breakfast...

Fi on the lawn in front of the house her dad grew up in:

Fiona on the airplane home...

and a close up...

So hopefully we'll get the wedding video off the camera so I can take some pictures again. Hopefully some good summer pictures will make it here!

we're headed out...

2009-06-24T00:06:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of photos... we are headed back East for a visit with G's family, as his sister is getting married. Wish us luck on the 5 hour flight with the four month old. Much to share once we get back.

Enjoy summer, now that it is finally here!!

oh June, so far you're a good one!

2009-06-11T15:54:00.001-07:00

It's been blue skies and summer temperatures here for the last few weeks... so much so that I can't remember the last time it rained! And this week in particular has been pretty fantastic... Fiona has had three firsts so far... her first real laugh on Sunday, a boisterous thing, full of delight and joy. And then she figured out how to roll onto one side. Not all the way over, mind you, but enough so that she turns about 90 degrees. And today, well, I let the picture speak for itself:

Yes, dear readers, she found her feet.

In other news... the week in review:

She is a happy girl, except when she isn't...

Her first Golden Gardens kayak beachfire. She hung out with our friend B:

And, of course, with her papa...

Rhe sunset was phenomenal that night... I think it set at 9:01pm!!

Seriously, the only way this could be better is with a blended drink in hand...

Last weekend we helped our friend D install a tigerwood floor at his house. As you can see, Fi supervised.

And finally, another foot grabbing shot... it looks like a pilates move to me...
So that's our story for now. We are headed to the San Juans this weekend to visit an old friend and take in the island life.

month four and counting

2009-06-03T10:09:00.001-07:00

We are approaching the year anniversary of when we found out I was pregnant. Which means that Fiona has been alive (I know, dangerous territory here, I'm not really getting into this political/theological argument, just speaking from a purely biological perspective) for a year. So amazing, the changes she has gone through in that time. I read somewhere that if we continued growing at the rate that she grew in the womb, we would be the size of a football field by the time we are three. Yeouch.

Speaking of growing... Fi is out of her 0-3 month clothing, and even out of some of her 3-6 month clothing. She didn't even get a chance to wear some of clothing given to us... we simply had too much of the smaller sizes. So crazy. There is no need to buy anything new for a baby - so much of it already exists. And we live in a very generous community.

She is so alert and awake – she sees everything going on around her. She is vocalizing/talking all the time at home and in the car, but not so much when we are out around other people. Shy, maybe? I wonder how many of the things she does now will she do in the future, as a young girl and then as a teen and then as an adult… will she always stretch her arms and curve her back when she wakes up? Will her smile always be so big that it makes her scrunch her shoulders up to her ears? Will she rub her eyes when she is tired? Will she raise her eyebrow when she is thinking? I am so excited to meet her, to see who she becomes. And I am cherishing these moments too…

We are falling into a good rhythm around here... she sleeps in and then we have awake time and eating time and nap time... and then the cycle repeats a few more times throughout the day. I've gotten to the point where I can put her down for a nap when she gets tired (eye rubbing and red eyebrows) and she fusses for a few minutes but then crashes for an hour/hour and a half.

Since I am back to countdown mode about returning to work, I have a list (big surprise!) of things I want to do before July 7th. I doubt I will actually get to any of it, but if I do, I will post photos. My list includes some sewing, some printing, some cleaning, some organizing. Oh, and hanging those darn tiles in the hallway!!

the very end of May

2009-06-01T12:33:00.000-07:00

The end of May means many things. My birthday, for one. Well, I guess that is the major thing in my world. But this year, it also marked another interesting milestone - I became a permanent telecommuter. That's right, no more office for me! I am working from home from here on out, except when I travel.

So to commemorate the event, I took a couple quick pictures of Fi and I packing up my office...

I will never see this view again!

Fi helped pack boxes. She told me what to keep and what to throw out. From her throne.

We also had the birth class reunion brunch at our place... It was great to see folks with the babies on the outside, and hear all the birth stories. Here's a couple snaps of that craziness:

The babies!

Again with the babies, proud parents in the mirror...

All the mamas...

All the papas...

The weather is delightful in Seattle right now... nice and sunny and we have to get outside. So more soon!

the end of May

2009-05-27T10:03:00.000-07:00

So we had some more adventures. This extra six weeks off has changed my outlook, at least for now. My best friend M came up from SF for a visit... we took a road trip down to Portland to visit with A & T and their boys, E & L. Here comes the bragging part... M read books to Fi in the back seat – and she almost turned a page by herself! (and M scolded me for not reading to her more!). Then, M came into our room one morning to sing a good morning song to Fi… she tickled your sides and said “Hi!” in a big voice… and Fi looked right back at her and said “HI!” back… we almost fell over. It wasn’t repeated though… so we’re pretty sure you don’t know what it means yet. Soon though…

Photos to prove it happened...

Fi and her papa in our host's backyard:

Fi and her future boyfriend, the darling L:

Serious blue sky outside of Forest Grove:

Tia and Fi in the backseat:

Mom and dad up front:

We stopped by the Saturday Market (on Sunday, yeah, it confused me too) looking for a doll maker, but alas, could not find her...

and on Monday morning hit the Portage Bay Cafe in South Lake Union, lovely spot!

Hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend!

another week goes by

2009-05-15T21:33:00.000-07:00

Good news first - due to a relatively new law in Washington state, mothers get an additional 6 weeks of protected maternity leave - and I am taking it! It does mean that we will be eating beans and rice (no money for those extra six weeks!) but at least I get a little more time with my sweet Fiona. Delaying the inevitable, I know, but you would take it too, wouldn't you?

Also, we have been the recipients of so many amazing gifts, and we don't always get the chance to say thank you... so THANK YOU!! I am looking at you, fWaMu employees, down in Chatsworth CA... you guys are awesome. Particularly Ms Gigi... you are always looking out for me, I appreciate it!! And to everyone else, I am so touched that you would take the time and effort to send along a little something... Fiona is the greatest gift I could have ever asked for, all these extras are just icing on the cake!

Speaking of Fiona.... (and I do tend to go on and on about her...) it's the only bit of bad news I have this week. Since I thought I was going back to work in two weeks, G and I decided we better get her going on a bottle (full of mama milk)... yeah, she wasn't so into it. In fact, she will have nothing to do with it. Turns out the magic window for introducing a bottle was between 4 and 6 weeks... gosh, pediatrician, it would've been good to know that BEFORE the window passed... so as it is, we are trying once a day to get her to take to the silicone. The only way G can get her to take any of it is in the shower, when she's all relaxed and half-asleep. Otherwise, it's all tears and crying.

Here is the shot of G and Fi on the first night of bottle introduction:

(Yes, that is his shirt absolutely covered in spit-up. Fun! Parenting is awesome and smells great!)

Here she is at 10 weeks.

And here we are on my first Mother's Day, just after brunch.

And here is G, out in the backyard, attacking the invasive blackberry bushes...
(He is wearing a black shirt, if that helps you spot him. We had some Mother's Day inspiration to start working in the yard...)

And this is a pic of me and Fi on the beach.

And the whole family!

(Remind me to get G some sunglasses...)

So there you have it. I am so relieved/excited to be able to hang out for another 6 weeks with my babe... maybe it will inspire me to post more often? No promises. But I won't be back at work until 7/7/09... yahoo!!

Hope you are all having a lovely May. The sun is starting to make regular appearances here, it was 68 and sunny today, such perfect weather. We walked the lake and had a picnic (of sorts). Hope you all get to do some of the same!

E.

May is here!

2009-05-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

And so is Fiona's ninth week. It's incredible how fast she changes, and how strange this new life is - completely normal, but absolutely abstract at the same time. It's not just me and G anymore - our lives orbit around this amazing baby girl. Our little family is learning how to weather the daily rhythm of this new reality. And we're doing quite well, if I don't say so myself. So enough blabber, here are some new photos...

We got a BOB. It's awesome. Fiona is modeling her new hat, which reads "crabby" on it. It has octopuses and fish and crabs all over. I think it's hilarious.

How awesomely sassy is this little one? We were waiting for our final midwife appointment to begin. Sassy, sassy, sassy. Then happy.

And finally, the light coming in this morning was so beautiful I had to snap a picture - Fi sleeping on her papa's chest.

I am trying to savor every one of these moments, as I only have three weeks left of maternity leave. I really wish I could stay home with her for the next year - she is learning so much and growing so fast - I am really afraid of what I will miss when I go back to work. I wish our country valued families and mothers more. It is criminal to me that women only get 6 weeks off (I'm lucky, I get 12) - actually, I can't finish this paragraph, it's too depressing. Sorry to leave you on a down note. I'm off to make friends with my breast pump.

E.

the end of April

2009-04-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

So these last two weeks have been quite full. G had a milestone birthday, we took our first plane flight as a family, we hung out in my hometown. Fiona had a milestone birthday too... two months!

We are really starting to click as a family unit. I hope I don't jinx it by saying we are getting into a rhythm of sorts - mama duties, papa duties, baby duties. Okay, so mama duties involve feeding and papa duties involve diapers and baby duties involve lots and lots of smiles - but we all play our part, right?

Here is the way every week should start - a nap with papa and baby:

And a walk on the beach:

And birthday party for G, complete with oysters, ribs, crabs, artichokes and cake... and a cute baby!

And then a trip to California, where we hung out with some family there... (the only pictures I can find are of Fi and her great-grandma!)

And finally, she and her aunt J shared a birthday (we're pretty sure it's the only time that will ever happen) and granted, J's was measured in years and Fi's was measured in months... still milestones!! Here she is on her two-month birthday!

And now the month of May is coming... time just keeps moving forward. Fantastic, isn't it?

E.

week six!

2009-04-17T12:32:00.000-07:00

So this was a week of big adventures. We went to Breitenbush Hot Springs - spent the night in Portland first with some friends, then hit the hot springs (mom and dad got some well-earned massages!) and Fiona had her first soak!

She's a wiggler, a squirmer, a snuggler. She has figured out how to smile - and gives the most radiant smiles ever.

And here's one of those smiles....

And because she was so ridiculously cute in the shower this morning.... here is our "little bean":

Second Sunday Brunch is this weekend (and yes, it's not the Second Sunday, I know...) and more importantly, Fiona's first brunch. Although not her first party - she went with me to E & A's "Welcome the Baby Chicks!" party and R & K's Engagement Party... she is a social butterfly! She is well on her way to capturing the hearts of many a Seattleite.

In other family news, G's bill was killed in the House of Representatives. Mean House!! Damn you Reps! It means he has to start over again. Yuck.

more of the week four and five photos

2009-04-09T12:23:00.000-07:00

So here are some more photos, from the other camera while the sisters were here.

Look at all that hair!

J and I figured out that we could just lie her down and let her look out the window...

And did I mention my sisters and I organized my craft room?? Look at this amazing-ness...

Then we stopped by the Dimonds house for a visit - S played guitar for Fiona, she loved it. Every time he stopped playing her eyes would pop open - he would start again and she would doze off - very sweet!

Such a sweet life we have!

five weeks and counting

2009-04-07T14:44:00.000-07:00

So it's been a little hectic around here (but really, when is it not hectic around here?). The good news is that the sun is shining in Seattle and we have one very healthy baby in our house. G has no current plans to travel back East, which makes me very happy. And there are chocolate chip cookies in the oven. Yeehaw!

So what has been going on for the last two weeks? F gained another pound. She is getting bigger and stronger every day. Her personality is starting to show - I am so excited to meet her. Her aunts came for a visit - J came for a week and K came for a long weekend. Here are the pictures to prove it:

They helped me clean and organize my house - pictures of the newly created craft room to come - even the curtains were hung! Good times were had all around. We managed to get out of the house too - we went to one of our favorite burrito joints, Gordito's:

And we went shopping for a new baby carrier, one that fits G:

And we took naps...

And I got some time with F too...

Big thanks to K for providing the above photos... my camera cable has yet to resurface, I am sure it is in it's proper place (a labeled drawer, even?). If only I could remember where that is...

three weeks already!

2009-03-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe she is already three weeks old - but life keeps moving forward, spring is here, everything is in motion. Flowers are pushing up and out, the crocuses and daffodils are blooming. And so the babe grows. I trim her nails (sure proof that growth is happening) and notice that her hair is getting longer (it's a dark blond/light brown, although almost red in some light) and the long pieces are starting to curl. Her eyes are slowly changing to a brown/hazel color. It's harder to notice the overall growing though - she certainly feels bigger/heavier, but looks the same. It doesn't help that I look at her every two to four hours - hard to see change over such short intervals.

She loves to take showers. She still impersonates squeak toys and seagulls, although only during her puppy dreams. She likes to look out the window while nursing, at the trees in the backyard. When we change her diaper she is mesmerized by the Nikki McClure print hanging over the table. She turns into a howler monkey every once in a while - something isn't right in her universe, although we rarely figure out what it is... we play with sleep, trying to find the balance between total exhaustion, her 4am "awake time" and our REM state... She has had lots of visitors, most recently her grandma and her great-grandma, and her cousin and great-aunt.

Fiona and her grandma and her great-grandma:

Fiona and her great-grandma:

Fiona and her great-aunt:

Life is amazing, and watching hers open up and develop and become is pretty fantastic.

in memoriam

2009-03-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

G's euology, from this morning -

"I remember the eerie twilight call of the pheasant, the mist that unfurled in the valley with the rising sun.

I remember the squeal of the new born piglet, the bleating of woolly lamb, the whinny of the galloping horses and the taste of raw honey in the comb,

I remember the awe of births, the green glimmer of elodea from the pond, the joy of watching it all grow, and the reverence you had for life even in the slaughter.

I remember the magic glimmer of foxfire from the sweat lodge thatch while watered poured over the steaming rocks.

I remember the inspiration of your sophists ways, your attempts to seek the better path, the way you lived in the possibility, even probability, that a miracle would indeed match your efforts.

I remember your lofty goals for society, your desire to find a sustainable balance and in the creative chaos that shapes our well made plans.

You opened my eyes to a way of being that I will never forget, a way I hope to pass down to future Whitesides."

From my brother in law, D:
GMWIII held a strong belief that a soul making the journey from this world to the next is greatly helped on its way when the loved ones left behind keep a conscious vigil for about three days. In respect for that belief, we would ask you to please take some time to hold him in the light, and maintain him somewhere in your thoughts throughout these days.

I wish his spirit safe passage to the other side. He will be truly missed.

day 18

2009-03-21T10:28:00.000-07:00

So sorry to all that it has been a week without pictures! This week has certainly been full. Last week G's sister A visited, then we had Fiona's second doctor's visit... she gained a pound and a half in nine days! (This girl is certainly one of the family, a hearty eater! She was in the 50th percentile for weight at birth, but is now in the 75th percentile... that's my girl!)

Then G's father's passing became imminent - so G hopped on a plane back East on Thursday. Friday evening, GIII passed away. March is a month of birth and death, a constant reminder that there are supernatural forces at work, that change is the most reliable constant, and that love truly holds the universe together. So tell your loved ones that you love them - it's something that can't be said enough.

And finally, some more photos of my newest love - my little grunting milk monster that she is:

Yep, we've got sunshine this morning. It's going to be a beautiful day. Big hugs to all!!

Love,
E.

more of the lovely Fiona

2009-03-13T16:30:00.000-07:00

Hanging out in the living room...

The tiniest fingers ever!

Mama, Papa, Baby.

Yeah, we're settling in nicely. We're a family now! This time to relax and eat and sleep and change diapers is amazingly fantastic - such a blessing. And I feel like I am living a fantasy - we've had a seemingly endless parade of well-wishers and food-bringers and baby-greeters coming through our doors... our friends and family are so generous and lovely and I can't wait to return the favor one of these days... but for today, and the next set of days, I will swim in gratitude for the life that we live... you people are a dream come true, a real community. THANK YOU!!!

Tia and Fiona

2009-03-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

Just found this photo - love it!!

already one week has passed...

2009-03-10T22:54:00.000-07:00

Happy one week birthday, sweet baby girl!

And here is a shot of what we do all day long... well, this and taking naps.

We had her one week check-up today... and she already weighs 8 pounds. This means that she surpassed her birth weight within 6 days of birth (they like to see babies surpass their birth weight within 14 days of birth - we already have an overachiever on our hands!).

sunday quick pic...

2009-03-08T20:32:00.000-07:00

Absolutely awesome. Smile captured on film...

Fiona in the sunshine!

2009-03-07T17:01:00.000-08:00

So these were taken a couple days ago... but the sunshine was so fantastic...

Yawn.

Stare.

more photos

2009-03-07T07:50:00.000-08:00

Fiona with Tia Mardi-

Sweetest baby ever!!

birthday photos

2009-03-06T19:46:00.000-08:00

Birthday photos of the sweet girl.

First moments as mom and dad and baby.

Me and my aunt with the sleeping baby.

Fantastic!

the story of FMW

2009-03-06T19:28:00.000-08:00

Woke up on Friday morning (February 27th) to the most exquisite painful contractions – one at 5:30 woke me up , I fell back asleep, a second woke me up at 6:45 and I was too excited to go back to sleep. I woke G up and we talked about it. I called Libby and we decided to wait for the next one before she got on a plane… I called Mardi and we decided to change her flight to Friday, since it was only changing it by one day. (She had purchased her ticket for the 28th-6th… and had to be back in SF on the 6th so no real option except using the existing ticket…). By the time the next one came at 8:30, Libby decided to head to the airport and buy her ticket. I called our Midwife and she said, “yes, good, this could develop into full blown labor and we’ll met your baby tonight or it could go away and be nothing and you have your baby next week. Whatever you do, don’t clean your house. Nap, rest, eat lots of carbs and drink lots of water.” Mardi arrived at noon, Libby flew in at 3. Tira (my manager) arranged for a housecleaner to come clean the house!! And all contractions stopped.

The four of us went out to dinner – Catcus, my favorite! – and on the way had one last contraction. The rest of the weekend was nothing but really strong Braxton Hicks contractions. Lots and lots of Braxton Hicks. But nothing like those Friday contractions. This caused some anxiety, since I had Libby and Mardi come up to be party to my labor, and there is no labor. Woke up Sunday morning with the most serene sense of peacefulness – somehow, this is all going to work out, everything is okay.

Monday was more of the same. We were all feeling some frustration about the state of no labor, so we decided to go for a walk – did the 2.8 miles loop around Greenlake. That evening, the four of us recounted what we had done to get this adventure started: I had acupuncture, G&I had sex, I had taken several hot showers, we walked almost 3 miles around the lake, we laughed until we almost peed our pants, we cleaned the entire house, we grocery shopped nearly a dozen times, we'd been in and out of cars so much we lost count, we had spicy food, drank lots of water and spicy chai tea, we rested by the fire often, we knitted a baby blanket and pants, we watched comedy and dramas, we did calisthenics, we did adult and kid laundry, and we'd sung Barry Manilow to the belly to annoy the baby out...

Then, Monday night at 11pm, I had noticeable unexplained wetness between my legs. But I was afraid to get excited again.

Tuesday morning, 12:44am. I woke up to go to the bathroom – and there was a gush down my leg. I made George get up and come look at it, to see what color the fluid was. It was clear, pink and odorless, which was reassuring. We lay back down, and then, at 1:06am, the first contraction hit. They came on strong – every 4 minutes for 30 seconds. We paged our Midwife, she advised to keep track of the contractions, call back when they become a minute long every 4/5 minutes for an hour.

So we lay back in bed, and tried to sleep. I tried to rest – at 3:30am the contractions were about the same, we got up and made an egg sandwich. I hopped into the shower to get some relief. An hour later, we were in the living room, tracking the contractions (still the same interval) and chatting. G went back to bed around 5, and I lay on the couch. It was raining hard outside. I was able to sleep for the three minutes in between contractions, and sometimes through the contraction – but every once in a while the contraction would wake me up. I got back in the shower about 6am. I wasn’t actually timing the contractions – I was counting my breaths and my counts stayed the same (in retrospect, I was just extending the breaths instead of actually counting a true measure of time).

I woke up G at 7am, and told him that I was nervous that I couldn’t keep up with contractions – that the interval/duration was the same, but I they were really painful. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to handle another 12 hours of this level of pain…

He wanted to sleep more, so I went into the living room and called our Doula. I told her that I had been at the same spot for hours, 30 seconds four minutes apart… she said it was okay, that some women never get to the minute long contractions, just to find a position that was comfortable. I mentioned that the only place that was comfortable was the shower, but I couldn’t stay in there because I got too hot – she suggested taking ice water and cool washcloths for my forehead in with me – genius! – and I was headed back to the shower. Mardi and Libby got up just after 7 – they came into the living room while I was on the phone with our Doula – I told them what was happening, that the contractions felt the same as the ones I had felt on Friday (which was a small relief to me, I thought I was making things up) and that I was headed to the shower. They brought me ice water in a non-glass container (such smart thinkers, those two!).

I hung out in the shower with more contractions. George came in a few minutes later with the laptop to track my contractions. He called the midwife to let her know what was going on – he told her more of the same, more of the same (he hadn’t actually tracked any contractions yet). They hung up, and we started noting my progress:

Time - Duration; Time since last contraction
07:06:04am - 46 seconds; n/a
07:09:37am - 46 seconds; 3 minutes and 33 seconds
07:12:56am - 45 seconds; 3 minutes and 19 seconds
07:15:31am - 43 seconds; 2 minutes and 35 seconds
07:18:36am - 53 seconds; 3 minutes and 5 seconds
07:21:20am - 42 seconds; 2 minutes and 44 seconds
07:24:25am - 55 seconds; 3 minutes and 5 seconds
07:26:47am - 40 seconds; 2 minutes and 22 seconds
07:29:07am - 57 seconds; 2 minutes and 20 seconds

The next contraction, if I remember correctly, cracked the minute mark – the last one I recall tracking was 1 minute, 23 seconds, with only 2 minutes between… Since this pattern was hardly the same as 30 seconds every four minutes, George was frantically paging the midwife to GET HERE NOW. At this point, I thought there was no way I could keep this up for hours. Little did I know that my baby was less than two hours from being born…

In retrospect, we think Transition happened just before 8 am – those three contractions had me (literally) climbing the shower walls. I had both hands on the wall with the faucet and my feet on the back wall and just started to go up – I was completely horizontal. Libby and George must’ve sensed how crazy I was feeling… I just wanted to get away from the pain. I was on the verge of totally flipping out – up to that point, the contractions had been akin to a sine/cosine curve – starting slow and peaking out and coming back down… these contractions stated at the top and held for a bit and then dropped off… but I didn’t know that, I thought they were starting out and would get stronger, and if that was the case I was surely going to perish, because they started so strong there was no way I could endure them getting stronger. Once I realized that these were different, that they started high and then tapered off, I could handle it better, but those first few sent me up the wall, literally.

So then Libby and George talked me down a bit, I got situated kneeling on the floor of the shower. Libby was kneeling into the tub from the outside, rubbing my shoulders and helping me breathe and growl. The noise making helped in an odd way – it didn’t make the pain any less, but it gave it some definition.

I asked Mardi to work on my back – she didn’t hesitate and hopped in the shower fully clothed to provide counter-pressure support for each contraction. At this point – probably around 8:20, the urge to push was overwhelming. I looked around at my people and thought, “well, I guess my Aunt can deliver the baby?” since there was no Midwife, no Doula. Just me and my husband and my aunt and my best friend… I would swear this was the point when Libby asked me if I felt safe, and I replied yes, but I think I heard the question as, “do you feel loved?”… the only reason I didn’t deliver the baby in the tub was because of Mardi’s counter-pressure. In the moment, I just kept tackling each contraction as it came – and trying really hard NOT to push - but in the back of my mind, I was sensing the quiet panic in the room, the oh-shit factor that was starting to sink in with my people… and at 8:45, the Midwifery student walked in.

The sense of relief that flooded through me was amazing. She took one look at me and said, “Do you feel like pushing?” and I replied with an emphatic “Yes!”. She said she needed to check me – so we turned the water off and she hopped in the shower. With a brief touch, she calmly informed me that I was going to get out of the shower and deliver my baby. This was shocking news to me – realize that I had no idea that I progressed through all the phases so quickly – it didn’t seem possible. What happened to owning the process? What happened to working with the contractions? Where was my rhythm? I had no ritual! I felt radically unprepared. And yet, I found myself being helped out of the shower, onto the floor on all fours. My aunt sat down on the floor, and I buried my head in her lap, and we started.

The student talked me through, and I bore down with every ounce in me. Progress! and at the same time, I have never felt anything so different before in my life. To find out that I had a whole set of muscles that I had not used before for their intended purpose – and that they were good at it – it was confusing. My physical sense of what was happening was very unwired. It hurt, yes – it was painful, for sure – but it was so new that my analytical mind found it fascinating. Granted – that part of my mind was way in the back… front and center was the idea that there was no way this baby was coming out, it was too hard.

Of course, I rationalized with that thought too – I didn’t want to transfer to a hospital, so bear down and get the baby OUT! So that is what I did. And some contractions later, the head was out. I was told to stop, as the cord was around the neck… and then, “keep pushing if you can”, but I couldn’t. I flashed on all the videos we had watched… it had seemed that all I had to do was get the head out, and the rest of the baby just slipped out… and yet, here I was, waiting for the next contraction and having to push(!?!) the shoulders out. I didn’t have any energy left, it hurt tremendously – so I screamed my way through it, and our baby was born. She was passed up to me, and my first thoughts were, “Oh, her nose is squished and she has a cone head. It will take weeks before we think she is cute.” And then I just sat down and marveled at her… and our Midwife walked in.

I looked up at her and said, “We have a baby”. The room laughed. She helped me get into a squat and delivered the placenta. After that, I recall eating a bowl of steel cut oats, breastfeeding the little bean for the first time, watched her get weighed and measured… all from my bed. Since then, I have spent the last five days marveling at our Fiona Marella – listening to her ridiculously funny sounds (she is amazing at impersonating a seagull, a dog squeak toy, a helium balloon, and a toaster popping out a piece of toast, although not on demand, unfortunately), changing her diapers, taking naps together, and feeding, feeding, feeding.

I’m not a big fan of the saying “everything happens for a reason”, however, if I didn’t have that false start last Friday, there is no way my Aunt or Mardi would’ve made it up to Seattle in time for the birth. We had several days to relax and laugh and eat and laugh some more… it helped me get out of my head. As for the birth itself – I prepared myself for pain endurance, spent time with my meditation practice and really wanted to face the endurance of it – find a rhythm and really work it. What I wasn’t prepared for was fear. It didn’t seem possible that I went from the beginning of Active labor to Crowning/Birth in about 2 hours. And we didn’t have anyone that could identify it for us – the four of us in the room were very concentrated on getting through it, doing what needed to be done. But I don’t recall ever identifying the situation. I was searching around on the information superhighway to see what they said about precipitous births, and this definition floored me:

“Though it happens in only a small number of births, the strong contractions that accompany a fast labor can be overwhelming to a mother who did not expect to progress through labor so quickly. Emotionally, the mother may begin to doubt herself and her ability to cope because she is having such difficulty handling what she believes to be early labor.

Physically, a fast labor, specifically a fast pushing phase may increase the risk a mother tears if her body is not ready to stretch. However, some experts believe whether or not a woman tears has more to do with whether she is working with her body than how fast birth happens.

It is important that the coaches and caregivers assess the physical and emotional signs to reassure the mother that she has progressed quickly. For many women, knowing that they are nearly done makes them feel more confident.”

Well, the good news is that I didn’t tear. And there is no possible way that anyone could’ve predicted that I was going to have a fast labor. After we were all tucked into bed, the midwives kept saying, “This never happens with first time moms!” and we all know that especially in the Whiteside house, you never say never!

introducing Fiona Marella Whiteside

2009-03-04T15:58:00.000-08:00

from G:

After getting to know our little girl, we have decided on a name: Fiona Marella (Celtic for fair skinned- one of the shining sea), she's 7lbs, 14 oz, 21.5 inches long with dark grey eyes… quite possibly the cutest newborn I’ve ever seen (I know, I’m biased). She was born at 9:16AM 3/3/09. Sorry we have not been chatting it up on the phone and sending out lots of emails but we've been getting very little sleep since the labor started strong at 12:45 am on the 3rd and we've been focusing on hearth and home and the little one ever since birth. It all went so fast and so well, albeit nerve-wrackingly fast.

so we're having a March baby...

2009-03-01T09:56:00.000-08:00

So much for February. As of this morning, we are having a March baby. Started some labor pains last Friday, but they have yet to return. My aunt and my best friend are here, we're cooking up a storm and watching movies, just patiently waiting. I woke up this morning with a deep sense of peacefulness, very well-rested and calm. The last time I can recall waking in that state was when we were on vacation almost two years ago. (And that statement makes me a little sad...)

So we wait for our little fish to start making its way into the world.

due dates, shmoo dates

2009-02-24T20:28:00.000-08:00

Only two percent of babies are born on their due date.

(That's less than the allowed margin of error for most studies - I (heart) western medicine!)

This baby is not part of the two percent.

February 24th, 2009 - Next Tuesday!

2009-02-20T09:06:00.000-08:00

Votes are in. Major doubt that baby will make an appearance NEXT TUESDAY. Far more belief that baby will show up at the end of next week. That feels about right, if anything can... so strange to try and "feel" for sensations and feelings that I have never felt before. G is very, very excited. I am anxious - hard to be very, very excited for such a huge unknown. Push something the size of a watermelon through something the diameter of a pencil? Sign me up!! Nice part about the human psyche is that we don't remember pain - thank goodness - so it's possible once I meet this little one I will forget all about watermelons and pencils. And be really excessively amazingly happy to say hello for the first time.

So of course that is the major news these days. The other good news is that the bill G was working on and had to present to the WA State Legislature passed out of the Senate Health Committee and has moved on to the Rules Committee! This is the first step in a many step process... but it passed! We'll see what the Rules Committee has to say, hopefully someone on that committee agrees to push it to a second hearing, which would lead to an actual vote... keep fingers crossed!

ten days

2009-02-13T11:27:00.000-08:00

My official estimated due date is ten days from today. All I can think about is the number ten... the last double digit number, and then the single digit countdown begins... ten, Ten, TEN! Outrageous. As my bestest, oldest friend Jenny (due with her first as well) says, "What have we gotten ourselves into?!?" and I couldn't agree more. I just can't believe that there will be a baby in my house requiring all of my attention very, very soon. People keep asking if I am ready - ready for what? For my entire life to change? For my world to flip upside-down? To be so maniacally in love with a new human being that I can't imagine how I lived my life without them? (Okay, the last one is pure speculation, but that is what other moms tell me.) Yeah, sure. I am ready. Ha!

So here is a picture of me last week, taken with the iPhone.
(hair towel and all, I was fresh from the shower)

And here are some pictures of me this week, taken with the iPhone.

(almost same angle as above):

(different angle):

(cutest angle, look at that belly!):

Yeah. There is a baby in there. For real. It pushes all the time these days - mostly sticks it's bum out. Can't wait to meet him/her. Today I think it's a girl... but last night at dinner at a friend's house, everyone kept referring to it as a boy... so amazing to not know! I love it. Wouldn't do it any other way...

We're still open to name suggestions, by the way. Leave some in the comments if you feel inspired.

Will let you all know as soon as this starts happening.....

xoxo
E.

a letter from G.

2009-02-11T14:38:00.000-08:00

This is a letter my husband wrote to his family about the current events in our home - I love it. And I love him. For those of you who don't know - our family motto around here is, "Go big or go home!" Tongue in cheek, of course, but there is a measure of truth... or as others say, "When it rains, it pours"........

Hello all. We've all been so focused on all the drama that has ensued that we have had little opportunity to share the less emergent things going on in our lives here in Seattle, so here is an update on things in the emerald city... mostly baby related.

We did our last birthing class with Penny Simkin last night, she is great! She has something like 30 years experience helping people through all kinds of births and is the famed founder of the doula movement in North America. It was a class for those wanting to have a home birth as an option... an option, as in, no one really gets to decide in the end exactly what will be needed, so assuming a low risk pregnancy and that everything goes well through every step of the labor, a home birth. The approach is about putting everything into place to increase the likelihood of a natural, in-home birth. Along with all the wonderful benefits of home births Penny shows on her little "Shoots and Ladders" style graphic, if an insurmountable issue arises, you slide down the shoot to the hospital, where you are greeted with the best interventions the modern world has to offer, without guilt and full of gratitude. Penny has found a wonderful balance between promoting alternatives while at the same time singing the praises of modern medicine, when it's needed. This very much jives with the philosophy of integrative medicine that my clinic works within.

As we have lined things up, the risks are about equal between a hospital birth and an at home birth, the difference is that the likelihood of unnecessary intervention drops significantly with a home birth because there is much less pressure to stick to a progression schedule that is geared for the convenience of the hospital staff. One of the main benefits is that the quality of the experience tends to be much higher for the mother who is free to eat, drink, and move about freely. At first we were going to go with the birth center, but after going through the series of check ups leading to the coming due date. E opted for a home birth, after the midwife explained that the only major difference between being at the birth center vs home, is that all the supplies of a birth center are carted to the home, which turns out to be a duffel bag and that's about it. Having a birth in the familiarity of one's own home with caregivers who are familiar was appealing to both E and I, particularly after some trust was established with our midwife. Lucky for us the "every category of provider" law here in WA assures our insurance pays for an at-home midwife. E has met with her midwife many times, having the baby's heart rate and growth rate monitored. We've had several preliminary tests, including 3 ultra sounds, to look for genetic issues and overall health of the baby and so far, no issues, yay!

We have also employed a doula for the birth. I didn't really know what the difference between a doula and a midwife was, I originally thought you either had one or the other, depending on just how "au natural" you wanted to be. I now understand that they best work as a team and have very different rolls. The responsibility of the midwife is the physical well being of the mother and child, as she is trained to discover little issues and supply solutions before they become big issues and she is ultimately responsible to make the call when and if transfer to a hospital is needed. The doula has a very different but equally vital roll.

The doula is there primarily for the mental/emotional/physical comfort of the mother, a veritable comfort coach. Part of my training in this process has been as a Birth Partner. I will essentially be co-doula throughout the process, helping E focus and steer clear of distress. The doula is also my back up to give me respite and even help me deal with stuff that may come up if I get overwhelmed. E and I have met with our doula a couple of times, she will be the first one called when signs of labor begin. Both the doula and the midwife work in pairs, having back ups to cover them if they become unavailable (exhausted or sick) and they are on call in shifts. As you can see, it's quite a team with an impressive amount of back up support and integration.

One of the comfort measures which we still have to line up is a birthing tub. I think of the birthing tub as one more station in the array of options where E can go and work through contractions. The goal with most of the measures is not so much about eliminating pain as it is reducing suffering. While having an in water birth is a more common option now a days, it's just an option rather than a goal. The warm water, just above body temperature, is there primarily to offer a soothing place to get a break from gravity and if the birth happens to occur there, it's the most gentle entry into this world a baby can have... amazingly the baby won't try to breathe and the placenta won't stop delivering oxygenated blood till the baby is exposed to air. Nature is truly amazing.

E went for her weekly check up with her midwife yesterday. She's got the green light in all regards for a normal birth that could come at any time. The baby is head down, and very low, as it has been for quite a while now - both are very good signs.

Lately, life's demands seem to be converging with a rather cryptic momentum for me. Due to the timing of a friends wedding, and our Seattle baby shower, it was not possible to go back East for the final push to get the farm house empty till very close to Elizabeth's due date, which admittedly has us on edge a bit. Having the eminence of family farm crisis at the same time as the likely passing of my father would be intense enough, but at the same time, the culmination of 5 years of political work as board member and now president of the consumer lobby organization for Acupuncturists in WA state (WAOMA.org) is also coming to a head with the introduction of our first piece of legislation in 23 years, SB 5320. This bill shifts our identity from acupuncturists to "Oriental Medicine Practitioners", a term that better encompasses what we do. (Check out my article in the AAAOM's Qi unity report http://www.aaaomonline.info/qiunity/09/01/2a.html.) This change in our Statute is somewhat controversial and will require a lot of public appearances by yours truly. It also creates provisions for an "Oriental Medicine Advisory Committee" that will interact with the Department of Health to better define the rules (the RCW), which at this point are pretty open ended, causing some practitioners to interpret them liberally, and some health law judges to interpret them conservatively. On top of all this, I'm trying to keep an acupuncture practice going... to say I'm feeling stretched is an understatement. My biggest challenge is staying present, thank goodness for all those Vipassana retreats I've done!

So the question remains, just when will E go into labor and just how nuts is it for me to go back East tomorrow. About 2/3rds of first time pregnancies come after their due date... that leaves a 1 in 3 chance that E will go into labor early. At this point I'm planning on getting on the plane tomorrow, as long as there are no signs of labor, and from that point forward, I am on call to head back as soon as labor begins.

Wow, life is full!

G.

getting ready for baby

2009-01-27T09:13:00.000-08:00

We're in the midst of major getting-ready-ness for the monumental shift that is coming. We attended a workshop over the weekend, to learn how to navigate our relationship while taking care of the newest addition. We are attending the 4th installment of our childbirth class tonight - only two more classes after that! And G is going to head back East again for a final visit before the baby comes. (Well, we hope baby doesn't come while he is gone. That would suck.)

Busy, busy, busy. Will try to get a photo up of the ever-growing belly - I think the baby is starting to get too big for its home, as every time I eat (and stomach expands) the baby gets awfully kicky on my right side. Maybe it's just a blood-sugar thing. But I have a feeling it is a space thing. I ate way too much sushi last night - all vegetables, no fish :( - and my stomach was quite full (I felt like I would burst) and boy howdy, this child was kicking frantically on the right side. Big, sweeping kicks - I guess I need to eat smaller portions for the next four weeks. Cuz after four weeks, baby will be here!

4 weeks!

the new year

2009-01-02T23:08:00.000-08:00

And here we are in January. Hello 2009! What craziness you will bring our way! G's dad will most likely pass on this year (he's been very sick and is currently in hospice) and we will bring our first child into the world this year. The house projects are mostly done - we are in a lovely state of livability - so at least we can keep that level of crazy at bay. We are gearing up and getting ready, while at the same time remembering to take lots of deep breaths and savor each moment.

Ah, January. We came home to massive amounts of snow (still!) at our house, with rumors of another storm on the way. We had the ever talented Kirk Mastin stop by and take some photos, here's a preview:

And then we had an impromptu New Year's brunch - lots of faces we haven't seen in a while.

I love the photo of R and I busting up - who knows what we were laughing about, but it sure must have been funny. R and K are (very soon) headed off to India for three weeks - hope they have a good time!

holiday visits

2008-12-30T14:40:00.000-08:00

We just got back from a week's long trip to California. Visiting with friends and family, eating our fill of delicious food, and celebrating the coming birth of our first child. Ah, the holidays. This year, as my nesting sensibilities kicked in, I made all my holiday gifts ("made with love in Elizabeth's kitchen"). Here's a photo of the craziness:Yeah. Pounds of dark chocolate bark, white chocolate bark, peppermint bark, caramels, granola, hot cocoa mix and marshmallows. Yum.

I wish I had gotten a photo of the Christmas spread - it was delicious. And the baby shower at my aunt and uncle's house on the Saturday after Christmas was delightful. Here are a couple shots:
It was a co-ed affair, so G figured a good bottle of tequila was in order. I guess I can't blame him. Girls were watching gifts getting opened, boys were drinking in the kitchen. Makes sense, right?

I am so lucky to be able to drop in to California and have so many friends and family converge to celebrate. I count my lucky stars that I have such an awesome community.

Now it's time to get ready for the end of the New Year and focus on January. Baby will be here in less than two months! We've got work to do!

making candy over the weekend

2008-12-16T08:57:00.000-08:00

In addition to having brunch on Sunday, I was cooking up a storm on Saturday, making treats for my in-laws. One of these treats are caramels - terrifying to make, but delicious to eat. I had never boiled sugar before - and seeing that frothing mass in the pan as I frantically stirred and tried to read the thermometer because 248 degrees is the stopping point, otherwise something awful happens to the time-space continuum - it was nerve wracking I tell you, good and terrifying. And then it was over. And I waited for the caramel to set, cut it into pieces, and wrapped them up. (Had some help wrapping up from my favorite ladies, J., A., and M... thanks girls!) Here's a shot of me wrapping, taken by the lovely J. (And if you can tell, I was standing right up against the counter - but look how far away my shoulders are - there's a baby in the way. Outrageous!)

seven and a half months!!

2008-12-15T17:52:00.000-08:00

Well, I would start by saying "what the? another month has gone by?" but you all knew that already. I would make apologies, but there's no point, there is no fault or blame. Just wish that I could keep this up as much as I do Facebook. But that's another matter altogether...

We managed to get the house put back together about 30 minutes before the first houseguest arrived. Nice! More houseguests, a few last minute RSVPs for Thanksgiving dinner, lots of friends and family, amazing food and thanks to my best friend and my cousin - I didn't have to do all the work by myself. Without them, it wouldn't have happened. You guys are the best!

Then I spent a week trying to figure out what to do about Christmas this year - being on a budget and not having a ton of energy (thanks for that, third trimester!) and really didn't come up with a plan. Oh well. Something will happen, that's for sure. Then G. left town to go back east for a long weekend, to clean out the family farmhouse and get it ready to go on the market.

Of course, right after he left we had our first windstorm of the season (it looks like the trees are going to snap in half, they bend so far over) followed by our first snow of the season (four inches in my front yard! record low temperatures!). And I am alone, in my house, really not wanting to drive on the icy roads.

Throughout all this, I have been neglecting my knitting, which is awfully sad. I set out to knit a baby blanket for this restless little being in my belly - a sizable blanket, lots of colors, gender neutral. It is comprised of seven strips, and when those are done they are magically knit together to make one big cozy blanket. I figured a strip a week (there are seven colors in each strip, so a color a day. easy!) but with Thanksgiving falling right in the middle of of the project, I gave myself nine weeks. Generous! Plenty of time! Well, you all know how time and I get along... mostly that it keeps on going, especially when I am not looking. So here I am, week eleven? of the project, and only have four and a half strips done. Good thing baby isn't due until February 23rd!!

And R. sent me a pattern for knitting your own babylegs. And there are the hats I want to knit, if I knew how to knit them. Patterns still intimidate me - I'll get there some day.

For now, the baby is still up to its antics in its watery home - I swear it is doing back flips in there, which is to be expected at 30 weeks. (Holy cow, how'd I get to be 30 weeks pregnant?) I think last night it was alternately punching and kicking. Impressive coordination skills for such a little guy. Or girl. On that note - pronouns get thrown around quite a bit, i.e. I will say "he kept his legs crossed" or "she's kicking!" but it doesn't really mean I know. I have zero intuition on this front - no dreams, no feelings, nothing. Just a girl's name that I am absolutely in love with, and nada on the boy's name. Except for the boy's names that I don't like. That I am pretty clear on - but not so clear on the names I do like. The one dream I had years ago about my baby boy involved a name that is so trendy now I am not sure I could go through with it.

So that's what I have to say about that, for now. As my grandma would say, "that's all I know about that!".

E.

(ps - hi grandma!! can't wait to see you!)

and it's now mid-november

2008-11-17T20:29:00.000-08:00

So last week was the first time I have ever done dishes in the bathtub of my house. Sure, a hostel here or there, but never in my house. However, G removed the kitchen cabinets to complete the hardwood floor install - so the current house configuration is: most living room pieces - in the guest room and in the baby room; the couch is on end in the hallway; the dining room chairs take up the office; the kitchen pantry is shoved up against the front door; the remaining kitchen items are in the hallway (fighting the couch for space). This leaves us with a toaster and microwave in the bathroom on the floor (as far away from water sources as possible, not plugged in when showers happen) and dishes are done in the bathtub. Are we having fun yet?

Well, yes. I know it isn't permanent. G finished the floor over the weekend (I spent the night at a friend's house due to overwhelming off-gassing) and today was spent trying to re-install the kitchen cabinets. Some of you may have heard a story about a co-worker of mine who gave us some kitchen cabinets. They were left-over from his brother's development project, and free to us. We were very excited. Unfortunately - it didn't quite work out... here's my note to M:

So we got the cabinets back to the house, got them unloaded and lined up in the kitchen. Tricky thing is, they are all mostly bathroom cabinets. There are only two kitchen cabinets, both sink units, and the rest are the shorter bathroom cabinets. No idea how the boys missed this when they were loading them up… I think they were just trying to get ‘er done and didn’t notice. So all the cabinets moved down to the garage where they are resting nicely with all their parts and pieces. I’m guessing I should document the dimensions of all of them and we’ll figure out a plan. The plus side is that we used the rental truck to do a dump run, which cleaned out half the garage (very worthwhile!). The downside – we tacked the old cabinets back in place. I hate those things. Slapped a coat of paint on them last night and pray they’ll look decent after a second coat. Anyway, that’s the cabinet drama so far…

The sink has running water but the disposal isn't hooked up yet (G walked out of the house saying, "well, you can use the sink, but if it starts to leak, then put a bucket under it" which equals "no thanks" from me! I don't want to be responsible for a flood on the brand new barely-cured hardwood floor!). He is working on installing the trim right now. Then hopefully tomorrow we can start putting the house back together before our guests show up for the Thanksgiving holiday. They start arriving on Sunday and my to-do list is quite long... everything from "clean bathroom" to "wash extra linens". I can hardly wait for them to arrive - as crazy as it all is right now - being surrounded by loved ones is the best ever. I miss my California peeps!

And seriously - if this was your floor, you'd be a happy camper, right?

That's what I thought...

I love the tigerwood!! It is so beautiful. We are so close to having this project finished.

Now, onto my knitting, baking and organizing... because, you know, knitting a baby blanket is the most appropriate way for me to gaze at my gorgeous new floor, right?

the first photo

2008-11-04T09:54:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of the lovely Jessica Levine, the first photo worth publishing on the web. She and I are making a date to do some gorgeous creative photography for month 7/8... I know I will have plenty to share then. I just knew it wasn't fair to keep y'all waiting any longer. (Yes, that is my iPhone in hand, I was trying to find her and she took this of me as I crossed the street... ) This is me at six months. I can't believe it has already been six months... February is getting closer and closer....

Hope you are well! We are settling into the last phase of the flooring project - hopefully we will be done just in time for Thanksgiving.

time, time, time...

2008-10-13T20:32:00.000-07:00

It constantly amazes me, how quickly time flies by. For instance - it was just New Year's Eve. We were just celebrating our last night in Bali (the last big vacation before we tried to start our family) in May. It was just that afternoon in June, when we confirmed that just-like-that, our family is starting!! And it was just August, when I committed to myself that I would update this space more regularly, to keep my friends and family current on our lives. And now it's October.

O C T O B E R.

Mid-October, at that. Time to start salivating over Thanksgiving side dishes, as I prepare the menu for my almost infamous 5 course Thanksgiving meal. Time to carve pumpkins. Time to order Halloween candy (I just can't give out the waxy chocolate stuff anymore - I've moved on to "healthy junk food" and somehow that feels better). Time to start setting up the nursery... oh right, because I am now in my fifth month of pregnancy. 5 months. Just over the halfway mark. How the heck did that happen? No clue. You wake up, you go to sleep, repeat about 147 times, and voila! Here you are, here I am.

5 months. I'm finally showing, and have just started to gain weight. Baby is doing great - well, baby is doing average, which at this point is a very good thing. Funny point - G and I finally decided to find out what the sex of our baby is on the way to the ultrasound appointment. I was mixed about finding out - there is something fantastic in the mystery of it, such a huge surprise (after all, it is what it is at this point, no changing that!!) but I can also see how knowing would be helpful too... so we were ready to find out. And low and behold, baby kept it's legs crossed the whole time.

Now that is certainly my child in there! No question about it. The doc even asked me to get up and walk around, use the toilet, we waited 20 min... and still the legs were crossed. I love the immense sense of humor of the universe.

Okay - since I still don't have a photo of myself that I am willing to put on the internet, I will leave you with these house photos.

G has finished putting in the floor in the hallway, the back bedroom (known as Julia's room or Mardi's room, depending on who is visiting...) and the office.

Check out the before and after on the front entrance area:You may notice that there is this odd "slate" on the floor, and the wall on the right (G's left, your right) is kind of a blue-gray color. The previous? original? owners thought it a grand idea to stain the wood with a blue wash and it darkened the whole entry area. We decided to replace the slate with the tigerwood and when G was mid-task, he decided to paint the wood the same color as the walls...

It came out so nicely!! He is such an amazing DIY'er. Huge kudos to my husband. He also wants to paint the door, which I am in agreement on. Here is the main hallway: And this is the back bedroom I mentioned before:

He is almost done putting in all the trim. Once that is complete, we move on to figure out if we can afford to finish the dining room/living room and kitchen. It will be complicated, and it will mean life without a functioning kitchen for a week or two... but I know this guy can install and refinish the floors in no time. He's in trouble now since I've seen how fast he did this last bit!!

Hope you are all doing well. Also, I plan on coming to Sacramento for Christmas - 7 months pregnant and all. Let's make a date for a visit if you are in the area!

time to play catch up

2008-08-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

Wow. I knew August would be hectic, but I didn't realize how hectic. After my grandmother's visit, we entertained G's father, sister, and her fiance!! Big congratulations to Sylvia. We are so happy for her! And another G joins our family - that's right, we had three G's in the house for a week.

During that time we also took a trip out to Spokane for a couple days, to visit with G's aunt/senior G's sister, M. G's dad designed her house, it is absolutely beautiful. It was also ridiculously hot - climbing into the 100s. This is why I left California!! Sheesh! No wonder I don't live in Eastern Washington.

After the family left, I quickly packed my bags and left for a girls weekend in the Bay Area. I love San Francisco - always will! - and I love hanging out with my girlfriends there. These girls are the best. We headed down to Aptos (between Santa Cruz and Monterey) to spend a few days at a condo on the beach. Good food, good games, good company, amazing views. Fantastic weekend.

The only downside is that I came home to an empty house. My sweet G has gone back to East Coast for a couple (three and a half!) weeks to take care of his dad. His dad is not doing so well - G has gone to provide some physical and emotional support to the family out East.

So that is where we're at. Oh yeah, and one more thing....We are expecting our first child! Our little family of two will be a family of three in late February/early March of 2009. We are incredibly happy - it is such an amazing experience to go from "really? are you sure?" to amazing joy and huge, huge smiles. I am headed into month four of this incredible journey through pregnancy - and of course, I am the luckiest girl in the world, so far this has been a very simple pregnancy for me.

Will certainly try to keep up on the postings, and hopefully get some belly photos up here once I really start showing.

hurray for sweat equity!

2008-08-06T21:10:00.000-07:00

G. has almost finished the master bedroom floor. He finished applying the wax the first night of my grandmother's visit, and the three of us picked out some trim and now that is painted and installed. The only piece left is, well, the new painted trim is whiter than the old trim that is still in place around the doorframes. Oops. So we're going to paint the doorframe trim so it all matches and then we can call Phase 1 of the flooring project complete. Check it out!

We had our Second Sunday brunch on the first Sunday this month... a good showing of folks, lots of new faces, and way too much food. So amazing - I love my Seattle family! And the visit from my grandma was great - she has so many stories to tell, I just soaked them all in. Thanks for the visit grandma!! I think you left too soon. (Oh, and I got her to make her potatoes for Brunch - if only I had known all the years the secret is bacon grease... a classic moment at brunch, as I asked her to make one pan with bacon product and another without... when I presented the two options to my friends, their response was, "I guess I'll have the veggie version, but man! the bacon version sure looks better!"... indeed, they were. I'm slowly coming out of my vegetarian shell.... )

Hope you're all having a lovely August. We're just starting to hit 90 degrees here... blue skies even! How I love the Seattle summers...

end of july treats

2008-07-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

I made my first cherry pie ever... it was delicious. Pitting the cherries - not so much fun. But eating amazing pie made from scratch? Completely worth it. Here's a photo from when it popped out of the oven... (oh no, photo is on G.'s computer, will have to update later!)

Then, we had D. and K. over for dinner. I couldn't help myself and made these little tarts for dessert - sort of a faux cheesecake with raspberries on top, over which D. had to drizzle chocolate sauce. Absolute tasty goodness:

The other thing I made lately (with B.'s help, guidance, patience and skill)... I took this:

and turned it into these:

How happy are my wrists going to be in the fall? Very very happy. And quite warm to boot.

And no entry would be complete without an update on the flooring project, as G. has been madly working on the floors (my grandma is coming for a visit this weekend, and the house is upsidedown right now, we're sleeping the living room, there is flooring covering the dining room table, etc, etc...) and trying to get them finished before the family visits begin:

timing is everything

2008-07-23T21:44:00.000-07:00

This week marks the third wedding anniversary for me and G. We met at the 2004 Burning Man Festival – not unheard of around these parts, but the story has a unique twist.

G. had just moved into a new house in Seattle, and one of his housemates had an extra ticket to Burning Man. He had been focused that summer on finding his mate, as he was tired of the seemingly endless dating scene in Seattle. He stayed with a massage camp where he offered massages to folks. On Friday evening, he ventured out into the fray and found himself at the Hookadome, a large geodesic dome equipped with a swamp cooler, plates of fruit, belly dancers and shisha pipes. And there he relaxed, for many hours.

I had traveled to Burning Man with my sister, J. She suggested that some time in the desert would be just the thing I needed, to re-energize and re-focus. I had just left a fiancé in New York City and was pretty down, and J. was right. It was exactly what I needed. On the drive into the festival, I turned to her mid-sentence and said, “I’m ready to meet my soul mate” and it didn’t phase her – she nodded and answered “Are there any qualifications I need to know about?” and my response was “taller than me and close to my age”. And with that proclamation, we returned to the previous conversation.

We camped by ourselves, true tourists. (We couldn’t find any of the camps we were going to hook up with.) On Friday night, she said, “If we are going to find this soul mate of yours, we’ll have to get out there” and I knew she was right. So off we went, riding our bikes into the wilds of the Black Rock Desert. We met all sorts of crazy characters that night – at one point, we were searching for the Center of the Universe (and were quite unsuccessful) when someone mentioned we should go to the Hookadome instead.

So off we went, we arrived on the Esplanade and parked our bikes together, and joined the line that formed out front, waiting somewhat patiently to get in. Forty five minutes later, we were still in line. Since we were at Burning Man, the last thing we wanted to do was wait in line, so we walked back over to our bikes, prepared to head off into the night in search of more adventures.

Or we tried to.

Julia’s bike was exactly where we’d left it, while mine was nowhere to be seen. After some searching, my bike was found, twenty five feet away from where it was originally and there was another bike lying on top of it. I picked up the other bike, and as I was turning to toss it aside this guy walked up and asked a bit defensively, “What’re you doing with my bike?”

I started to reply, “Your bike?! Your bike was on my bike!” (imagine the old Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups commercial line: “Your chocolate is on my peanut butter! Oh yeah, well your peanut butter is on my chocolate!” I sounded something like that.) but as I was forming the words, I registered a few things about this stranger…

One, he was tall. Two, he had the most amazing blue eyes. Three, the rest of the world seemed to be disappearing around him. So I quickly dropped the affronted attitude, and asked, “What’re you doing right now?”

His demeanor changed instantly. He looked a little confused, slightly disarmed, and replied, “Well, I got disconnected from my friends”.

“Then you should come with us!”

I couldn’t believe the words came out of my mouth. I couldn’t believe I was hitting on this guy, a total stranger, someone whose bike happened to be lying on top of mine. I certainly didn’t know what to expect, and was delightfully surprised when he said, “Okay!”

We rode off into the night, weaving in and out of the carnival-like festivities going on all around us, sharing little snippets of our lives, finding that we had quite a bit in common. We had both traveled in India, both enjoyed the outdoors (specifically scuba diving) and both lived authentic lives – politically, socially, and ecologically minded.

It wasn’t until the next day that I heard the story of the bicycles from G., but it turns out that he left his bike about fifty feet in the opposite direction of my bike three hours prior to my arrival at the Hookadome. He had been inside, enjoying the cool air, mellow music and belly dancing and came out to find that his bike was not where he had left it.

It had, in fact, traveled mysteriously about thirty feet north and ended up piled on top of my bike. When he approached me in that moment, in those three seconds that I was holding his bike, he had approached defensively as if I might be stealing it (from his perspective, I was!).

In those three seconds that I held his bike, our lives changed.

So that’s the story of the two bicycles. We parted ways at the end of the festival, and neither of us thought we would see each other again. After all, G. lived in Seattle, and I lived in San Francisco. After several emails and phone calls, G. bought a plane ticket for that coming weekend to San Francisco, just to investigate what seemed to be ignited at Burning Man.
After three days in San Francisco, we were so inspired by what we saw in each other that we decided to get married. Not so much decided as realized what had already come to pass – the universe arranged our marriage, the timing was divinely perfect in ways a web page just can’t communicate. After ten days of knowing each other we were betrothed.
Ten months later we were married in a grand ceremony in Seattle, all because two bicycles entangled themselves with each other at an arts festival in the middle of the Nevada desert, a thousand miles away from home.

Happy anniversary baby! It’s been three years of marriage, almost four since meeting you, and I still love you tremendously. I am the luckiest girl in the world.

and the laziness continues

2008-07-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

We didn't get any pictures from brunch - a shame really, since it was a great turn out. I've been hosting brunches on the Second Sunday of every month for just over a year now. We do them "stone soup" style - although we were calling it "stone omelette" style for a while there. Folks would bring ingredients and we'd whip up omelettes or egg scrambles... or have filling for pancakes... we've done all sorts of things. Once we did a sugar blow-out, you had to bring your favorite sugary treat (I think it was in honor of my birthday last year) and we followed it with a fruit detox the following month.

Last Sunday I made blueberry muffins from scratch and those amazing chocolate croissants from Trader Joe's (croissants in honor of Bastille Day on Monday). Oh, and breakfast potatoes. Folks brought banana bread, and southwestern eggs, and fruit salad, and turkey sausage, and an attempt was made to make crepes (again, the French) but they didn't turn out so well. They were abandoned. But it's okay, we had lots of friends (old and new) and it was a good time for all, I do believe.

And B. came over to help me with my knitting. She is a miracle worker. I can't find a camera to snap photos - as soon as G. tells me where he is hiding the cameras I will post photos, I am awfully proud of my creations!

I had to go to LA last Thursday and Friday for work, and that was ridiculous. And this week I had to work some late hours to do some network testing (couldn't interrupt production) so I was on the phone from 11pm til 4am Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Suffice to say, I spend most of my extra time sleeping!

Alrighty then. Hope you are all doing well out there.

lazy days of summer

2008-07-08T21:51:00.000-07:00

Wish I could say more, but not much to say. Until we can come up with a lot more cash, the flooring project is on hold. The 4th of July was quiet around here - we stopped at a BBQ hosted by some friends, but didn't hold out for the fireworks. Something about glorifying war really bothered me this year ("the bombs bursting in air...") - I'm just not feeling so patriotic lately.

So G and I keep working, coming home to enjoy the sunset from the deck and our grill, still amazed that it stays light out until 9:40pm. We are finally having real summer weather with blue skies and temperatures in the low (low) eighties. This is why I love Seattle. I have to travel to Los Angeles, just in time for the heat wave - 100+!, for the last couple days of this week. Brunch is on Sunday, so we may have pictures to share from that.

work in progress

2008-07-01T21:42:00.000-07:00

I have a feeling the house is going to be in a permanent state of "work in progress" for many many months to come. As soon as we get one project done, another rears its head. So many dreams, so little cash. So one project at a time is how it moves forward...

The bathroom is finished, officially. Look how well it came out! Well, here is what was there before, nasty brown cabinet with low sink, standard toilet, awful linoleum.

Then enter my amazing G. He removed all offending fixtures, painted the walls a nice green, installed a new Marmoleum floor, put in a new sink and cabinet (at the right height for us tall folk) and installed a new low flow dual flush toilet. That toilet uses .9 gallons of water to flush. Outrageous!!

In other exciting house news, we have decided to install hardwood floors. And of course, because we're us, we are doing it ourselves. We're using Tigerwood, a South American hardwood that is FSC certified. We tried to buy the pneumatic nailer at Home Despot, but they didn't have the right kind of nails for it (!?!?!?!?!?!?!) so instead of buying the expensive nailer and the compressor and the bits n pieces for the compressor, we bought a manual hardwood nailer. We saved a ton of money, and it can't be that hard, right??

Ha. This is an interesting lesson. So if you don't hit the nailer with the exact right amount of force, the nail doesn't go in all the way. If you hit it too hard, it will split the tongue of the board. Sounds fun, eh?? Well, here are D. and G. trying to figure it out:

After a long Saturday evening of trying to sort it out... we three decided to return said manual nailer and go for the pneumatic one. We didn't make it back to the store on Sunday due to a Rebreather class... and for some reason, by Tuesday afternoon, G. decided to give the manual version a try again. He seemed to get in the swing of things... look how awesome the floor looks at this point!!

(This is the second spare room, not the guest room, but the Other guest room - we painted it yellow after we ripped out the carpet and found 50 year old cork floors that simply couldn't be refinished. Sally- it's the room you stayed in... )

And I just came across this photo - I had to post it because I love the look on C.'s face. This was an impromptu BBQ we had a couple months ago - We ate ribs and shrimp and crab and scallops and corn. Well, I take that back. That is what the boys ate. I just ate corn. :)

Actually, I did try a scallop (still think they're gross) and a shrimp (I could probably eat these again) and a bite of ribs (tasty!) and a bite of crab (no thank you, even when coated in butter). See, I am working on being a good little omnivore!

Ah, glorious life!

summer is almost not here

2008-06-25T17:13:00.000-07:00

Time for pictures! A couple of pictures from our kayaking adventure.... S. and I. and myself in this photos:

A. and her friend C. from back East:B., very excited about being out on the water... G., the day before - what you are not seeing are the two pods of Orcas underwater, every time they surfaced I couldn't get a good shot, so frustrating...

Sorry it took two weeks to get those posted... sheesh. Last weekend was Solstice, and A. had her annual party. We had an absolute blast - hanging out with the chickens, making pizzas in the cobb oven, shucking oysters on the lawn, making s'mores around the campfire. I wish the weather had been better - I was in my winter down jacket! Oh well. Life is what it is in the Pacific Northwest. At least now we are officially in summer!!

time travel

2008-06-17T18:39:00.000-07:00

The days are going by so quickly. I remember my uncle explaining to me that the passage of time could be measured with a mathematical equation - when you are five years old, a year is 1/5th of your life; hence summer seems never-ending. When you are 10 years old, a year is 1/10th of your life; summer is still delightfully long, measured in meandering months. When you are 20, and a year is 1/20th of your life, summer starts to become shorter and shorter, measured in weeks. And now that I am in my thirties (eek!) and a year is 1/33rd of my life... well, summer seems to be fleeting.

Especially here in Seattle, where we have grey skies and sixty degree weather in the middle of June.

We did manage to capture a true summer weekend though, as last weekend we went up to the San Juan Islands with some friends for a couple days of camping and kayaking. We saw blue skies, a pod of Orca whales, and a sunset at 9pm. And we ate s'mores, because A. thinks of everything.

In true summer fashion, we are measuring the days in terms of 'days off". I had to work on Monday but G had some time to spare, so he went out and procured some new paint AND repainted the master bath a more relaxed shade of green (our first choice was a bit too limey - now its more avacadoey). He is the best ever. Floor goes in next!!

more life photos

2008-06-12T19:25:00.000-07:00

So here we are on the top of the pinnacle. That would be G, me, A and C.

Wait, what pinnacle, you ask? When I said rock climbing, I should have said small mountain climbing. Here is the "rock" we climbed... and yes, that's our hybrid SUV sitting at the bottom of the "rock".

To be fair, we started the climb at the first bump on the right side of the image. It was a quick hike up to that point.

Speaking of hiking, G and I went up to Wallace Falls to stretch the legs and get some air. It was the first really pleasant day of spring....
We even got a rainbow out of the deal. The falls were raging. It was fantastic.

I think it's the adventure that drives G; it's the "get-away-from-it-all" that drives me to explore our natural surroundings. Living in the Pacific Northwest helps tremendously. Mountains, oceans, lakes, rivers, valleys, plains... I don't mean to brag, but we got it all. Being outside, in the natural world, rain or shine - the journey truly is the destination.