Before and After Considerations

Henry and Mommas celebrating Di's 40th on July 8th
An evening swim in the lake just before labor set in for real
Henry delighting in his new sister Hope on the first day home
Sweet Hope on her first day
Bringing baby home...what a joy!

Day Two being at home and all is well. Our first night sleeping together was a bit rough -- it swiftly took me back to the many sleepless nights of the first go around with Henry. Hope is doing great; it will just take a bit of adjusting as we get days and nights figured out. My body is a bit sore, though on the mend. It is great to have Shannon home for a few days. Purple Grandma was a tremendous help (she went home today to check in on her home and work a bit) and we are so grateful for everything she does for us! Every moment with this new little one and we are all even more in love!

More Hope for Us All!

Welcome dear little Hope Lillian Zagorsky Barnes! Here she is in her first few hours. She arrived July 13th, 3:19am weighing 7 lbs, 14 ounces and 21 inches long. She is alert, feeding well and bestowing love on us all. Her big brother Henry is as curious as can be; the whole family is filled with amazement and joy. What a blessing!

New Strategy

It occured to me today that if I keep "doing" at my normal pace, this kid might think that there is no space in my life for him/her...so I tried a new routine today and actually sat down, made myself a huge lunch, drank a big glass of water and then took a nap (midday mind you, with the sun pouring in the window!) And while contractions still have not begun, I am hopeful that a calmer invitation to join us may get things moving.

Of course, if anyone reading has any home remedies for induction, I am all ears!

Anticpation...Is Making Me Wait!

The paper/plastic bag pantry disaster is now well-organized, the turkey chili is cooling for placement in the freezer, the dead bugs have been extricated from the window sills and the photo album is updated...still no baby. A work colleague told me to eat ginger snaps, yet after starting my day with a large, anticipatory handful, the thought of eating one more has me a bit ill. I know this kiddo is calling the shots and already has me once again in student mode for the lessons of patience, receiving and letting go of control. Alas...

Awaiting labor is an interesting phenomenon. Shannon was talking about the build up to the IronMan the other day, all the preparation and excitement and nerves...but at least, she said, she knew when it was going to start -- and once she started, she knew she was in it to the end.

With labor, you get ready -- prep the room, prep the older sibling, make sure you have your phone tree in order, have Grandma on duty and sister on call...and then you wait...and wait. I had anticipated working up until the moment when things got started as I did with Henry, but realized that I had all this extra vacation time I needed to use. So, my last few days have been oddly free -- free for taking walks, reading books, writing...and I find I have trouble settling into non-structured time like this (sadly). So often I crave alone time with nothing planned -- and here it is, and I feel restless and wanting of something to do. I am sure if I could bank sleep, this would be a useful option; unfortunately, this seems neither plausible nor possible.

And so, I cook and putter and rub my belly. Believe me, I know that when this kid does come, these days of summertime slouch will be sorely missed!

Summer Time Fun in the Sun

Henry feeding the baby his popsicle
Henry and his friend Kelly in the pool
Maggie and Hen in the sprinkler

Our little "nakey-bakey"

Still Waiting...and Now 40

Turning 40 did not seem to set this kid in motion -- so we are still awaiting his/her arrival. Birthday celebrations included a lovely Sandpoint day, wonderful phone calls from friends and family, snacks at the bakery, a spa foot rub and a family picnic with Henry, Shannon and Purple Gramma at the beach. It was perfect.

I feel a bit in holding pattern -- walking 4-5 miles a day in hopes the kid will drop. Until then, I have decided to explore the world of scrapbooking (is this something I should be proud of?) and to make sure we have our bags ready for the hospital...stay tuned!

Showering Us in Diapers!

Our dear friend Stacey threw us a wonderful bbq/baby shower yesterday -- a perfect way to spend a hot summer day with friends and family. We filled the pool and had a gang of folks over to play in the water, drink beers and eat burgers -- gone are the days when the ladies sat around guessing the size of the belly and tying ribbons to a plate...

Our friend Ali did make us the most unbelievable diaper cake! I have never seen such a creation!

Purple Gramma came up for the event and brought Henry a new fireman's hat; here, he is just getting used to how it feels on the head.

Drivin', Drivin', Drivin'

Our nakey-bakey, wild driver simply loves to be outside in the elements! Of late, he is obsessed with cars and driving -- only made more intense by Momma Shannon letting him get behind the wheel when driving down our driveway... Nascar, here comes Henry!

Anticipating Labor

Bump watch update...belly is definitely getting ready to drop and the kid keeps kicking away. Doc says all is well, head down and in position. Due date is July 10th, though I am envisioning a July 2nd birthday, just enough time for me to recover enough to have a stiff drink on my 40th.

I have been reading an interesting book called Birth by Tina Cassidy. It is a chronicle of birth and birthing practices over the centuries and across cultures. It is fascinating and appalling all at once. I really had never considered the scale of impact the Church and misogyny has had on women's experience in the laobr and birth process. The practices and tools which have been used are horrific -- from strapping women down by their ankles, necks and hands, to using crazy-looking forceps which often resulted in both fetal and maternal death, to drugging women into unconsciousness while being forced to labor alone.

Why read such books as I approach the arrival our child? I am not sure; but suffice to say, it gives me confidence that I am living in this century where I get to be in a lovely room overlooking the lake, with the trains rolling by, Shannon and my sister at my side, with choices about how much or how little pain relief I want...for all the bad rap that North Idaho gets, our experience in the birth process with Henry was quite wonderful and I anticipate the same with our upcoming kiddo. Fingers crossed.

Lovin' in the Lupine!

Growing Considerations

We are in the 5 weeks and counting phase. All signs look good so far -- doc says we should expect a kid under 8 lbs -- there is a goddess! Sleep is restless and breathing is somewhat challenging these days...but all in all, no complaints. Stay tuned!

Our Little Joy

Some sweet shots of Henry at Spencer Spit State Park.

Memorable Memorial Days

As a final threesome trip, Henry, Shannon and I (and Java of course!) ventured West for our annual excursion to the yurt on Lopez Island. We played on the way, stopping in Mazama to celebrate our friend Julie's 40th with a gang of old friends from Seattle and then headed out the North Cascades highway for a beautiful drive to the islands. On island, we indulged in Holly B's finest, long naps in the special energy of the yurt, trips to the beach where Henry enjoyed learning to throw rocks into the Sound, evening walks at Fisherman's Bay Preserve, lots of opportunities for Henry to "run run run," a lovely meal at The Bay Cafe, a few maintanence projects on the property and lots of hugging and talking and being together. It was really a memorable time.

Henry and Miranda

There is something uniquely special about toddler friendships...it is within these relationships that one learns how to love, how to share, how to deal with disappointment, how to challenge, how to learn...Miranda and Henry are two such friends and it is amazing to witness how they interact and how much they care for each other.

Mom and Henry Hard at Work

Spring has finally arrived in these northern parts and the grass has begun to grow in earnest. Henry and Shannon set out to give the lawn its first cut of the season...

Mothers' Day Weekend

We had a lovely Mother's Day Weekend with visits from both Grandpa Buddy and Purple Grandma! Henry was thrilled to have so many people's attention and loving. What's more, he got to go to his friend Kelly's 3rd birthday party and spend time in the jumping castle and eating cupcakes. See Kelly take flight in the castle! It doesn't get much better than this!

Our Active Monkey

Here's our little man (getting bigger every day!) Active in jumping, sliding, climbing and playing music -- all of his favorite pasttimes!

Havin' Some Fun in New York City!

Had the chance a few weeks back to spend time in the Big Apple with dear friends...here are a few choice photos of the gals...

Bloomsday Success!

The whole gang rallied yesterday to join 45,000 others in the annual Bloomsday Race in Spokane http://www.bloomsdayrun.org/ . Shannon, Buddy, Chris and our friend Craig set out running, while Diana and big belly took to the streets at a slightly slower pace...yet we all finished (as did Deb and the boys!) in good time and good spirits.

Shannon ran the 7.5 miles in 1 hr, 14 minutes and Diana finished in a minute over 2 hours. We were so energized by the crowds and beautiful spring weather that we ended up walking back to Marilyn's house to make it about a 10 mile day!!!

Surprisingly, we were both pretty agile getting out of bed this morning!

A big thanks goes out to Gramma/Marilyn/PG for hosting the best Pre-Race Pasta Feed ever and then watching all the grandkids so that we could have the freedom to do the race! Three cheers for Marilyn!!!