Music for Labor (in which Pandora does it all)

When I got pregnant and started to research all the things I needed to do before going into labor, I kept reading about making playlists for the labor and birth. How it was nice to have a few different playlists depending on what stage of labor I'd be in, or what kind of music I'd want at any given time. You know, fast and upbeat songs for the beginning stages when I'd still be moving around. Slow and calming songs for when I needed to just breathe through the contractions. Maybe something fun for the pushing stage.

I kept putting this task off because it seemed *so* overwhelming. How in the world would I choose the songs to put in these playlists??? How would I even begin to review all the music I like and choose certain music for certain times of labor?

Enter Pandora.

I love Pandora. I've decided that we'll plug in my laptop (or Kevin's phone) to the sound system and let her do all the work. I've got my stations that I've had set up for over a year now. She knows what I like and it's easy to change the stations depending on what I want to be listening to. And it'll be easy to type something new in, should I decide on that.

So whether it be Florence and the Machine, She & Him, The White Stripes, Bob Marley, or Biggie, I'll be set.

Thank you, Pandora, for making this easy on me!

38 Weeks & Letter to Lentil

Dear Adelaide,

We're getting so close baby girl! I can't wait to meet you! Every day that passes now seems like we're bounds and leaps closer to your birth day. I've stopped saying how many weeks I have left, and now I'm just counting down the days.

You have a habit of kicking your feet out on the right side of my belly. Always, always, I can feel you kicking there. Sometimes it hurts, but most of the time it makes me really happy because I can just picture those little feet. They will be so tiny and wrinkled. I can't wait to count your toes and tickle your feet and kiss them all over. You will be so sweet, I just know it!


Our midwife says everything looks good. Your heartbeat is always perfect, and you are still in the best possible position for birth. Stay that way! :) Your head is really low and tight in my pelvis now, and you're getting ready to go!

I go through a mix of emotions when I think about labor. On one hand, I am afraid of the pain. I was telling your dad the other day that I don't have anything to compare pain to. I have been really lucky in this life to not have gotten hurt. I've never broken a bone, been in an accident, had food poisoning... nothing big. So I have nothing to base my tolerance of pain against. I'm scared of how bad it will hurt to have my body working to move us closer together, to move you out of my body and into this world.

But on the other hand, I am so very excited for labor! I am looking forward to being fully present and aware of what is happening with my body, of knowing every step of the way that what my body is doing is moving you down and out of me, so that we can finally meet and I can kiss those toes. I am looking forward to doing this myself, so that I can feel powerful and know that I can do anything. And I can't wait to see how your dad helps me. I know he'll be amazing and present and compassionate.

There is nothing I've done that's more exciting than you, sweet girl. We'll meet soon and be forever mother and daughter. I love you!

Love,
Moma

Check! Found a pediatrician! Oh, and now I can legally give birth.

I just got back from meeting with a pediatrician, who I've decided is pretty great. It was a really quick meeting, where I didn't ask nearly enough questions, and it actually felt kind of rushed. So you're probably asking what makes this guy/place so great.

Well, the whole practice works with a very natural, holistic mindset. The physician, his assistants, and the nurses all share the same philosophy and beliefs about healthcare - that it's a mind and body thing, not something to be treated automatically with a prescription. As a pediatrician, this doctor I've met with basically said, before even I got a chance to ask, that he will work with us on whatever immunization schedule we want, when we want it. That's a plus for us. We haven't worked out exactly what we want, but we're pretty sure we're going to be on the "as-little-as-possible" end.

He also said that he will only prescribe medicine when really, really needed, and only after trying other routes to solve a problem. This is good for us because we rarely take medicine ourselves (why would we assume our child would?).

He is also perfectly accepting and fine of our intention to solely breastfeed, and that we are a vegetarian family.

So yay! And not only did I check off finding a pediatrician, by meeting with this physician, I was able to have him sign a form clearing me to give birth at the birth center. Legally I need that form to prove that I am low-risk, and I've got it!

Now I need to figure out insurance for this little one. I know I've waited too long, but I'm calling them today (as soon as I get done with lunch!). Hopefully it won't be a hassle and will be easy to set up.

Hey Hey! I've got a blog button!

Lookie at the sidebar to get the code for my very first blog button! You should really see me. With my husband's help (and really, I did a lot of it myself...really) I was able to make this cute little button and get the code to work and everything! I'm kind of beside myself. It's awesome.

So grab it and let me know! Yay!

Freezer Meals

Yesterday I woke up early after only five and a half hours of sleep.


(I was tired.)


But I wanted to get up on my first real, official day of maternity leave and DO something. So I fixed a delicious breakfast of waffles and eggs and fakin' bacon for myself and the hubs before he left for work. And instead of crawling into bed for more sleep, I trekked to Walmart to do some major grocery shopping.


Then I came home and made a bunch of food that I can't touch for two weeks because I stuck it in the freezer specifically for when Adelaide gets here and the thought of cooking is beyond my mental capacity.


On the menu (sorry for the lack of pictures):

• 18 breakfast burritos - 9 sausage and 9 beef (all veggie meat of course). These are SO easy and quick and awesome for rushing around in the morning. Not to mention the insane amount of protein per burrito. I can post the recipe if anyone is interested.


• Spinach Lasagna. I haven't had this before but it looked mighty tasty. Lots of sauce and yummy cheese.


• Veggie Enchiladas. I'm really excited for this casserole dish. The enchiladas themselves have corn, spinach, black beans, and cheese. And of course I made the enchilada sauce, which actually looks, smells, and tastes like the enchilada sauce I remember from my favorite college-town Mexican place.


• Veggie Burgers. The recipe says it makes 4, but I got 6 out of it. I wrapped each individually and then bagged them up two in a bag so that they'd be good to take out for a dinner for the two of us. I don't know how these will taste, burger-wise, but the patties did smell good and the little bit that I did taste was yummy. But I don't think they'll be burgers.


• Pizza Bagels. I made 10 whole wheat bagel halves, topped with pizza sauce, cheese, and an assortment of toppings. And just like the recipe said to, I broiled until the cheese melted, let them completely cool, and then bagged them separately. They will be a quick fix (with about 8 grams of protein each, plus your calcium from the cheese) by just popping them in the toaster oven for a few minutes.

I even got the hubs to agree not to touch anything on that freezer shelf until baby Adelaide gets here. I figure while we have the time and energy to cook now, we should. Later when we're sleep-deprived, we don't want to regret heating up and devouring that delicious enchilada dish or munching on those pizza bagels.

All in all, for a day of cooking, I'm glad to have a freezer full of yummy, nutritous food on hand! Hopefully that'll help us in the first couple weeks not to call Dominos for their num-yummy white sauce, onion, and red bell pepper pizza. Maybe.

You'd think by now...

...I'd remember to post my weekly picture updates on time! Oh well. Blame it on the fatigue. I've been tired A LOT. Chalk it up to my extra 35 pounds I'm lugging around, and the fact that I'm getting ready to push a freaking human out of my wooha. (Kind of a scary though, ya know.)

Anyway, here's my 37-week picture. Unfortunately I'm not really in focus, but the beautiful red leaves are! One of our cameras that we shipped off to Nikon (we actually had two broken ones!) should be fixed and here early this week so we can start getting good pictures again (just in time!).

38-week pictures coming really soon! Umm.... promise?

Black Friday Fill-Ins

I'm not crazy, so I'm not going out today on the busiest, most insane, and perhaps most dangerous shopping day of the whole year. (But, if I had a shopping buddy, I might actually want to try it out one day, as I've never done it!) Instead, I slept in till, oh, about now, and I'm blogging, and I'm about to make some kick-ass french toast (for the first time, so how kick-ass it will be, I don't know). And little one is tumbling about in there, so I think she's excited for her first taste of the toast herself!

[Our tree, trimmed and gorgeous!]

Here you go:



1. Three things I must have on my Thanksgiving table: 1) Mashed potatoes, 2) Canned cranberry sauce, 3) Meatless turkey.

2. Poor Kevin has had a cough for a few days, so the past couple of nights, he's been sacked out on the couch so I could sleep.

3. This is been a busy, fast, wonderful year.

4. I've got my tree up, now it's time to decorate everything else!

5. Oh, man, thankfully it's only day 2 of my hubby's 4-day weekend, because I'm loving all this time with him!

6. Someday I will perfect the art of procrastinating.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to hanging out with family again, tomorrow my plans include grocery shopping for a big cooking storm coming soon and Sunday, I want to hang Christmas lights (or rather, watch Kevin hang them)!